Latest news with #technologyhub
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
HKU innovation hub must move forward, but community engagement is vital
Integration with the local community should be a priority for universities. Everyone benefits from the connections which enrich student experiences and foster innovation, so it has been disappointing to see growing tension between residents of Pok Fu Lam and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) over a planned innovation centre. The Global Innovation Centre will provide space for teaching, conferences, offices, staff quarters, catering and support facilities, and even landscaped areas open to the public. It is envisioned as a world-class, deep-technology research facility that will focus on the interdisciplinary, blue-sky investigations giving rise to innovative solutions to global challenges. HKU says the facilities are needed to attract talent the city needs to evolve into an international innovation and technology hub as envisioned in the national five-year plan. The sticking point has been over the centre's proposed location at a government-owned green belt along Pok Fu Lam Road. Residents have pushed back over concerns about traffic, environmental impact and a lack of consultation. The university has responded by downsizing initial plans announced last year to preserve more than 75 per cent of the green belt and shifting to a smaller nearby residential plot. Some residents say the centre should instead be built on nearby Mount Davis or land set aside for the uncompleted Northern Metropolis. University planners said Pok Fu Lam is a faster and cheaper option. It is also near HKU's main campus, Queen Mary Hospital and Cyberport – proximity that is needed to draw innovators. HKU said it held four meetings with district councillors and lawmakers and another three each with a residents' group and representatives from a nearby home for the visually impaired. Two groups representing residents said HKU only spoke with them for three hours and did not seriously consider alternative sites. The project is important and should not be delayed. Reasonable balance between the concerns of residents and planners must be found. It will require proper communication and dialogue, as well as neighbours being open and understanding about the project.
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's international financial centre role gives it an edge in AI market, experts say
Advertisement 'For AI companies, having easy access to capital is extremely important,' SenseTime chief financial officer Wang Zheng said in a panel discussion at the South China Morning Post's China Conference 2025 on Tuesday. 'Hong Kong has a really deep, world-class capital market .' Founded in Hong Kong in 2014, SenseTime was able to raise 'a lot of private capital' in the city to support its growth before eventually going public on the Hong Kong stock exchange , according to Wang. 'Hong Kong is really fantastic in playing the role of a capital connector,' Wang said. 'I think this is the one area that Shenzhen and Singapore would be very hard-pressed to surpass in the foreseeable future.' That reflects efforts by Hong Kong's government to reposition the city as a regional technology hub by 2035, while bolstering its role as a bridge between mainland China and the rest of the world. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
14-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong plans new AI supercomputing centre to boost tech hub status
The Hong Kong government is set to enhance its computing power support for start-ups as part of its ambition to become a leading technology hub, according to the city's innovation chief, as local start-ups seek global clients at one of Europe's largest technology shows. Hong Kong planned to establish a new supercomputing centre at Sandy Ridge in the Northern Metropolis – part of a government blueprint that aims to transform a large swathe of land in the New Territories into an economic hub, according to Secretary of Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong. Speaking to the Post on the sidelines of the VivaTech conference in Paris on Friday, Sun said the centre would provide computing power for Hong Kong and other parts of the Greater Bay Area, as well as surrounding regions. Hong Kong's first Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre, launched in Cyberport in December, is expected to deliver 3,000 petaflops of computing power by the end of this year. The China Pavilion at the VivaTech fair in the Paris. Photo: AFP The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) computing facilities comes as the city seeks to reposition itself as an international innovation and technology hub while navigating increasing US restrictions on access to advanced chips.
Entrepreneur
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Entrepreneur
IT Services Companies Set up Dedicated Tech Hubs for Clients
Analysts are of the view that top IT services companies are establishing these tech centres in a bid to compete with the GCCs that are being set up by MNCs You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Indian IT services companies are increasingly setting up dedicated technology hubs for their clients, in a bid to fend off competition from MNCs establishing global capability centers (GCCs) instead of outsourcing. Recently, Infosys said it will establish a global technology hub for Swedish electric performance car brand Polestar at its development center in Bengaluru. This hub aims to deliver electric vehicle (EV) software development and validation across many domains including infotainment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and telematics. It also supports Polestar's product management, customer engagement, corporate solutions, and accelerates direct-to-consumer digital services through cloud-native development, testing, and data engineering. Polestar will benefit from leveraging Infosys' strategic assets like engineering labs, design studio, and Infosys Living Labs to enhance innovation. "We believe that this collaboration will enhance Polestar's digital roadmap by leveraging India's well-regarded software and automotive engineering talent pool. Building on Infosys' extensive experience in automotive engineering, digital transformation, and global delivery leadership, we aim to bring the infrastructure and innovation to co-create next generation EV capabilities. We will work closely with Polestar's global design and development hubs to set new standards in next-gen mobility," said Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys. Earlier this year, Greece-based banking group Eurobank signed a multi-year agreement with LTIMindtree to establish a dedicated global delivery center in India aimed at enhancing customer experience by improving banking operations and building innovative IT services for Eurobank and its subsidiaries. Alongside the recently-established LTIMindtree Greece office, this center will drive technology modernisation, digital innovation as well as enhance and maintain critical banking applications. This initiative will empower Eurobank Group to effectively meet growing customers' demands as it expands its services. In February this year, Infosys signed a strategic, long-term collaboration with Lufthansa Group (LHG), a global aviation group, and Lufthansa Systems GmbH (LSY), leading airline IT provider, to accelerate digital transformation and drive innovation in the aviation industry. As part of the engagement, LSY and Infosys will establish a dedicated GCC in Bengaluru aimed at enhancing Lufthansa Group's software and product development as well as increase support for LSY's products for the external airline market customers. The center will develop future-ready and sustainable aviation IT products and data-driven solutions leveraging the capabilities of Infosys Topaz, an AI-first offering using generative AI technologies. "The GCC will accelerate Lufthansa Group's digital transformation by adopting modern technologies and AI. Working closely with LSY, the GCC will enhance existing solutions across critical functions including finance, flight navigation, network & schedule design, and aircraft & crew operations," Infosys said in a statement. Thomas Wittmann – CEO, Lufthansa Systems, said, "At Lufthansa Systems, we champion a modular approach to solutions and collaborations, ensuring adaptability and tailoring to the unique needs of each airline. This principle extends perfectly to our collaboration with Infosys. By combining our deep aviation expertise with Infosys's global technology prowess and establishing a dedicated Global Capability Center (GCC), we are not only enhancing our one-stop-shop offerings but also accelerating the pace of digital innovation across the aviation industry. This collaboration empowers us to deliver cutting-edge solutions with greater agility and scale, ultimately benefiting our airline customers with more efficient, innovative, and cost-effective technologies." Analysts are of the view that top IT services companies are establishing these tech centres in a bid to compete with the GCCs that are being set up by MNCs. "GCCs are taking away a portion of the business from traditional IT services, so building such centers for their clients gives an edge to IT services players. Some of these could be in a BOT or Build Operate Transfer Model," a Bengaluru-based IT analyst said.
