Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, at the opening ceremony of Smart Airport – Technovation Conference and Exhibition 2018 today (November 28):
Jack (Chairman of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA), Mr Jack So), Fred (Chief Executive Officer of the AA, Mr Fred Lam), distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am extremely delighted to join you all here today at the Technovation Conference and Exhibition 2018. First, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our prestigious guests, speakers, industry practitioners and exhibitors from around the world who form the core of the event today.
In fact, this is my second time joining the opening of this annual event of the Airport Authority Hong Kong. Since the setting up of the Innovation and Technology Bureau in November 2015, I attended the Technovation Conference in 2016 and my Permanent Secretary attended in 2017. The Innovation and Technology Bureau is a staunch supporter of the Technovation Conference not only because it echoes our work to make Hong Kong a smarter city, the conference also helps to build a more vibrant ecosystem for Hong Kong talents to shine and thrive further with our robust fundamentals in city management.
In 2018, the Hong Kong International Airport was voted and ranked among the top five of the world's Best 100 Airports. Our Hong Kong airport is also one of the busiest airports, serving over 120 airlines and operating flights to over 220 global destinations. Our air cargo throughput continues to be number one in the world, reaching over 5 million tonnes in 2017.
Embracing innovation and technology is critical to improving the passenger experience and operational efficiency for airports. As I mentioned before, our airport has been consistently ranked top globally. I would say we did it because Airport Authority Hong Kong recognises the importance of the changes brought by digital transformation, and proactively upgrades itself using cutting edge technologies.
To enhance user experience, the Airport Authority Hong Kong has developed its official mobile app "HKG My Flight", which provides passengers with personalised information including real-time flight information and boarding alerts. With iBeacon technology providing data about walking routes, passenger location and flow, together with augmented reality technology, international users can navigate within the terminals of our airport easily. "MyTAG", which notifies passengers when their luggage arrives at the baggage claim carousel, helps reduce stress for travellers when waiting to collect their luggage.
Furthermore, Airport Authority Hong Kong has collaborated with our publicly funded R&D centres such as the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute and Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre to adopt innovative home-grown technologies in its operation. Using IoT technology, Real-time Trolley Supply Monitoring System has been deployed for maintaining steady supply of trolleys. This system won a gold medal at the 2018 International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. Barcode Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) scanner that allows passengers to print luggage tags at home and then check-in luggage themselves has already been widely adopted by 31 airlines. RFID and video analytics are also adopted in baggage sorting and reconciliation to improve operational efficiency.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong also partners with local technology start-ups and puts innovative proposals for trials. These include driverless tractor, queuing sensors, and the use of facial recognition for check-in, boarding pass checkpoints and boarding control. During my visit to the Hong Kong International Airport last December, I saw how high-speed imaging technology, coupled with big data analytics, is applied for precise and efficient inspection of airfield ground lighting. This award-winning system is developed by a local technology company at Hong Kong Science Park. Through collaboration with local R&D institutions and technology start-ups, the Hong Kong International Airport can continue to outperform its counterparts in other cities.
Ladies and gentlemen, the HKSAR Government will continue to strengthen our support to R&D for developing more innovative projects which can make our airport and other public facilities smarter. We need the concerted efforts of the Government, industry, academia and research sectors to build a smarter city together. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your support to join hands with the Government in promoting innovation, technology and smart city development in Hong Kong.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the Airport Authority Hong Kong for being at the forefront of adopting innovative technologies and contributing to the smart city development of Hong Kong.
I wish the conference and exhibition a great and most enjoyable success. Thank you very much.
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