Source:
https://scmp.com/events/business/topics/redefining-hong-kong/article/3149946/enhancing-connectivity-mobility-and
Business

Enhancing connectivity, mobility, and collaboration with smart city tech

  • Smart city is a marketing term used to define the use of technology, and in particular, data collection, to improve how cities function
  • We should not be implementing technology for technology’s sake, but rather have an open dialogue with the public to ensure that what we do, what we invest in, and how we build is uniquely tied to the needs of our citizens
Photo by: Unsplash

“Smart city is a marketing term used to define the use of technology, and in particular, data collection, to improve how cities function,” said Bien Perez, Senior Production Editor with the Technology desk at the Post who is moderating the panel. 

SCMP’s Redefining Hong Kong series focuses on the key priorities, opportunities, and challenges associated with smart city development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as Hong Kong’s unique position in this initiative.

Gary Yeung, President of Smart City Consortium, noted the three things a smart city needs in order to develop: money, policy, and an implementation plan. “The most important thing is [figuring out] how to manage our city more efficiently and how to make a good environment for the next generation in terms of sustainable developments,” Yeung said. Getting more people in Hong Kong and in the GBA invested in smart city development will push forward the connectivity between the region’s cities.

Jasmine Duan, Investment Strategist for the Asia branch of RBC Wealth Management mentioned how "it’s really important to use the help of technology to make our life in the GBA convenient and seamless."
Jasmine Duan, Investment Strategist for the Asia branch of RBC Wealth Management mentioned how "it’s really important to use the help of technology to make our life in the GBA convenient and seamless."
“It’s really important to use the help of technology to make our life in the GBA convenient and seamless,” remarked Jasmine Duan, Investment Strategist for the Asia branch of RBC Wealth Management. The seamlessness Duan alludes to might include:
  • Easier cross-border travel
  • Easier cross-border payments
  • Easily transferable healthcare services
  • Data sharing among GBA cities
  • Free flow of goods and services among GBA cities

Hong Kong is often used as an example when talking about development and innovation in the GBA, as it has a world-class infrastructure and acts as an international hub. In fact, Hong Kong is a pioneer in many ways, and “recently, the [Hong Kong] government has been pushing a lot on ‘art tech’... the art and cultural fusion with technology,” said Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company. 

Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company noted how "recently, the [Hong Kong] government has been pushing a lot on ‘art tech’... the art and cultural fusion with technology."
Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company noted how "recently, the [Hong Kong] government has been pushing a lot on ‘art tech’... the art and cultural fusion with technology."
Despite Hong Kong’s individual strengths, connectivity and collaboration with other cities in the region would be a great benefit to both the general public and the business community throughout the GBA.

Tiffany Lau, Executive Director and Head of Urban Ecosystems in the Asia Pacific region for JLL, brings up an important point一smart city development should be focused on the wants and the needs of the people in those cities. “We should not be implementing technology for technology’s sake,” Lau says, but rather have an open dialogue with the public to “ensure that what we do, what we invest in, and how we build is uniquely tied to the needs of our citizens.” 

For more information in our Redefining Hong Kong series, please visit our website at https://redefininghk.scmp.com/.