Hong Kong’s innovators are making waves. So why is it so slow with its smart city plans?‘Need to get public on board too’ Hong Kong rolled out its smart city blueprint 2.0 in 2020, outlining more than 130 initiatives in six areas – mobility, living, environment, people, government and economy – and setting the target of improving livelihoods through innovation and tech. A government funding scheme provides matching grants to support at least 100 research and development teams from eight universities in the city with the potential to become successful start-ups. In May, the first batch of projects by 24 university research teams was accepted in the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, a HK$10 billion matching fund rolled out in 2022 for potential start-ups. The teams have to complete their projects within three years and then commercialise them within two years. The bureau hoped the scheme would encourage collaboration between the industry and the academic and research sectors to further promote the transformation of R&D outcomes and industry development, he added. Those in the city’s private sector have also been working on smart innovations in recent years. Jojo Xu Huafeng, 28, founded Libpet Tech in 2022 and with his team of 12 developed wheelchairs equipped with technology to let them go up and down stairs, and move smoothly over grass surfaces or beaches. “We prioritised functionality in terms of technology, flexibility and comfort, while considering the appearance,” said Xu, the company’s chief executive. His smart wheelchair, meant to improve the mobility of the disabled and elderly, uses AI to detect obstacles and has a phone application that automatically sends the user’s location to family members. Xu said the hardest part before commercialising was gaining public recognition after raising funds through competitions. At Kai Tak’s Airside shopping centre, Hong Kong’s first automatic bicycle parking system was introduced last September with space for 48 bikes. Users place their bikes on a designated track in the docking station, scan the QR code using their smartphone and the bikes are moved to an underground space. It costs HK$2 per hour, paid electronically too. The system showed how technology could be used to help make the city more bicycle-friendly and encourage e-mobility, said Amanda Lee Lok-man, deputy general manager of developer Nan Fung’s marketing and communications department. While such systems had been widely adopted in Japan, especially near train stations, this was the first in Hong Kong. Parking underground avoids the issue of bicycles occupying pavements, releasing more street-level space for landscaping and recreational use. ‘A smart city needs smart people’ Pong from the Smart City Consortium acknowledged advances in R&D by universities and the private sector, but stressed that authorities needed to ramp up public education. “A smart city needs smart people. But a lot of people in both the government and business sectors believe in avoiding hi-tech innovations to minimise risks and prefer sticking to existing methods if they are effective. Openness is definitely lacking,” he said. “This situation has led to a peculiar scenario in Hong Kong where many people bring these technologies to the city and promote them to attract investors. But if both the government and businesses do not lead by example and only adopt a passive attitude, how can you expect residents to accept new things?” Such frustration has resulted every time some embraced technology but others held back, with cashless payments being an example. In Hong Kong, mobile payments rose from accounting for almost half of all e-payments in 2020 to more than three-fifths in 2022, according to official data, with younger people preferring the method. But some merchants still preferred cash. “Progress is necessary for developing smart cities rather than remaining stagnant,” Pong said. Lawmaker Johnny Ng Kit-chong said he hoped the government would improve the digital literacy of public servants, aiming not only to provide new direction for industrial development but also to effectively implement the vision of a smart city. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3267295/hong-kongs-innovators-are-making-waves-so-why-it-so-slow-its-smart-city-plans (ICE HONG KONG)

Fonte notizia: South China Morning Post