The Hong Kong Science Park has entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with the "WAIC UP! Global Year-End Gala" to jointly kick off a new chapter in global AI collaboration.

In the Hong Kong Science Park, an innovation hub that brings together cutting - edge technologies and a global perspective, a profound dialogue about the future of artificial intelligence is taking place.

On the event day (January 16th), over a thousand industrial guests, scientific researchers, investors, and political representatives from around the world gathered at the Hong Kong Science Park. More than 40 international technology experts took the stage to share their insights. From cutting - edge technologies to industrial practices, from regional cooperation to global layouts, the "WAIC UP! Global Year - End Summit" outlined a clear picture of cross - border cooperation in the AI era through high - density and high - quality exchanges.

This is an important extended event of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held in Hong Kong for the first time, and it is also a concentrated presentation of the joint efforts of WAIC and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to promote global AI cooperation. As the exclusive strategic partner, HKSTP not only provided a foothold for the conference but also enabled global guests to directly experience Hong Kong's unique position and real - world impetus in the international innovation and technology landscape.

01 From Urban Vision to Real - World Implementation: Hong Kong's AI Blueprint is Being Realized

During the conference, Mr. Li Jiachao, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered an important video speech. He pointed out that "we must make good use of the power of AI, not only for innovation but also for building a more inclusive economic system, a more resilient social community, and creating a more sustainable future for all mankind."

He further stated that the 15th Five - Year Plan proposal has clearly supported Hong Kong in building an international innovation and technology center and an international high - level talent hub, with AI development as the core strategy. To achieve this goal, Hong Kong is promoting the construction of the AI ecosystem through government investment, top - notch scientific research capabilities, strategic infrastructure, and an open and active market environment.

This macro - vision from the city level also provides a clear background for the year - end summit to be held in Hong Kong: Hong Kong is not only discussing AI but also providing a real - world foundation for its growth.

02 Hong Kong Science Park: The Key Node Connecting Vision and Industry

Under this development blueprint, the Hong Kong Science Park is becoming an important carrier for the implementation of the AI industry.

As the core engine of Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem, HKSTP has built a complete innovation system covering fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, robotics, fintech, and smart cities. It has gathered approximately 2,600 technology companies and over 16,000 scientific research talents from 25 countries and regions, and has nurtured several unicorn companies.

Hong Kong Science Park, Image source: hkstp.org

Relying on the planning of the Xintiandi Technology City in the Northern Metropolis, HKSTP is promoting the construction of the "INNOPOLE" project. Centered around "AI +", it focuses on strategic directions such as artificial intelligence, life - health technology, and new energy, and connects the complete chain from original innovation to industrial implementation. This also gives the Hong Kong Science Park an irreplaceable hub value in AI startup incubation, cutting - edge technology transformation, and cross - border cooperation.

03 Responding to the Call of the Times with Park Practices: Insights from the Hong Kong Science Park

In the opening speech of the conference, Mr. Huang Bingxiu, the Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP, delivered a speech on Hong Kong's innovation and technology development. He pointed out that as an important innovation and technology flagship in Hong Kong, HKSTP has over two decades of experience, forming a highly active innovation and technology ecosystem. The SAR government has allocated approximately 20 hectares of land in the Xintiandi Technology City of the Northern Metropolis to HKSTP for development and operation, named INNOPOLE, which will focus on "AI +", combine digital technology with traditional industries, and fully cultivate new - quality productivity.

Huang Bingxiu said that China's continuous breakthroughs in AI patents, scientific research talents, and application scenarios are due to the country's long - term forward - looking layout. In the first year of the 15th Five - Year Plan, technological self - reliance and self - improvement have been placed in a prominent position, which also clarifies the direction for Hong Kong - focusing on source innovation, overcoming key core technologies, and accelerating the transformation of results and industrial applications. In his view, "the golden age of Hong Kong's innovation and technology has arrived," and AI is the most strategically significant track among them.

04 From Technological Breakthroughs to Real - World Implementation: The Hong Kong Sample of AI in Healthcare

If the urban vision and park ecosystem depict a macro - blueprint, then the sharing from front - line scientific research and industrial practices makes the value of AI concrete and tangible.

In the round - table discussion, Professor Liu Hongbin, the Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Innovation Center of the Hong Kong Institute of Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, shared the team's practical experience in the direction of neurosurgical robots around the latest progress in the field of AI in healthcare. The minimally invasive flexible neurosurgical robot system (MicroNeuro) independently developed by the team has completed multiple clinical verifications.

When talking about technology commercialization, Liu Hongbin proposed the key concept of "system balance": The implementation of AI healthcare products is not only about algorithm or performance breakthroughs but also requires multi - dimensional collaboration in the supply chain, production testing, clinical processes, etc. It must truly address "sufficiently painful" clinical pain points and establish a value model that benefits doctors, hospitals, and patients to successfully promote the commercialization of products.

He pointed out that relying on the international platform of the Hong Kong Science Park, the collaborative model of "Hong Kong research + mainland manufacturing + Greater Bay Area clinical" provides a real - world path for the rapid implementation and global expansion of AI healthcare technologies and constitutes a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate in the short term.

Three park companies in the science park focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics research and development, including Digital Domain, Chuangfa Lian Co., Ltd., and IG Inno Limited, also demonstrated cutting - edge solutions to guests, promoting technological exchanges and business connections.

05 Looking to the Future: In Hong Kong, AI is Going Global

From urban strategy to park ecosystem, from cutting - edge scientific research to industrial practices, the 2026 "WAIC UP! Global Year - End Summit" clearly presented the development logic and real - world progress of AI in Hong Kong.

For WAIC, Hong Kong is not only an important international foothold but also an important strategic fulcrum for connecting global AI resources. Looking to the future, WAIC will continue to deepen its cooperation with HKSTP. Relying on its mature ecosystem and international network, it will accelerate global layout and promote the implementation of more cutting - edge AI technologies in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, and urban governance.

We believe that with the continuous empowerment of the Hong Kong Science Park, more innovative achievements originating from here will go from Hong Kong to the world, injecting continuous and powerful impetus into the global development of artificial intelligence.

About WAIC and WAIC UP! The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) is a top - level event in the global artificial intelligence field. It has been successfully held for eight sessions and is committed to exploring the frontiers of AI technology and promoting innovation and development in this field. Since its establishment, the conference has gathered more than 8,100 top scientists, experts, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders from around the world to exchange ideas, share breakthrough results, and explore cooperation opportunities. In December 2024, WAIC's first publication, "WAIC UP!", was officially launched. It is a guide for evolution in the AI era and an extension of the WAIC spirit. In the digital wave, the fragmentation, homogenization, and isolation of information make us eager for depth and connection. The original intention of founding "WAIC UP!" is to solve this problem of the era. What we want to create is such a multi - voice platform, a window for wisdom resonance, and a tool for ideological inspiration. WAIC UP! WAKE UP MORE! aims to wake up more people and explore the infinite possibilities related to technological leap, self - boundaries, and future civilization.