The Shanghai-Hong Kong AI Innovation Forum, themed "Smartly Orienting the Future: AI Convergence," was held at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 8.
Yang Jing, CFO of Lingang Group, attended and delivered opening remarks. Keynote speeches were given by Guo Yike, Provost of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and Chen Lei, Dean of the Information Hub at HKUST (Guangzhou).
Yang highlighted the strong cooperative potential and complementary advantages of Shanghai and Hong Kong, driven by their unique positions as international innovation and technology hubs with robust industrial foundations. She expressed hopes that this forum would spark more cross-industry collaborations, elevating the partnership between HKUST and Lingang Group in AI towards a smarter and more sustainable future.
In his keynote, Provost Guo shared HKUST's unique approach to innovation and the supporting ecosystem. He noted that HKUST has nurtured over 1,700 startups, including 10 unicorns. Guo hopes to leverage resources and strengths from both Shanghai and Hong Kong to build a global network for innovation and entrepreneurship, expanding opportunities for Hong Kong's higher education institutions and supporting Shanghai as a technology innovation center.
Dean Chen discussed AI’s role in driving scientific discovery and technological innovation, describing "AI for Science" as not just a problem-solving tool but a transformative, systematic way of scientific thinking. This approach revisits historical scientific questions and achievements, potentially illuminating unknown scientific domains.
During the panel session, participants included Sun Wei, Assistant General Manager of Caohejing Management Company; He Yunqiu, Product Market Lead for AIGC at Transwarp Technology; Dong Peng, Strategic Solutions Expert at Rockwell Automation; and Yang Jingxin, Founder and Creative Director of MateZ Lab. They shared insights on establishing global AI industry hubs.
HKUST is planning to establish a “Shanghai Industry-Education Integration Center” focused on AI talent development and innovation incubation. Earlier this year, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Xuhui District and Caohejing Hi-Tech Park. In October, HKUST Council Chair Harry Shum and President Nancy Ip Yuk-yu met with Weng Kaining, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Lingang Group, to discuss topics such as infrastructure, operational models, ecosystem development, and international collaboration. The center's location and implementation plans have been finalized, with the incubator expected to be completed next year and operational by September, initially training around 150 postgraduates annually and facilitating talent exchanges for thousands.
The forum was hosted by Lingang Group and organized by Caohejing Hi-Tech Park and HKUST, with officials from Caohejing Management Company in attendance.
