AGP Executive Report

AI Infrastructure: Hong Kong plans to expand computing capacity as demand grows. The city has 5,000 PFLOPS, including 3,000 at Cyberport’s AI Supercomputing Centre, which is over 90% utilised. Cross-Border Data: Hong Kong and Chongqing launched a blockchain-based platform to verify financial data without transferring original documents, supporting services such as account opening and loan applications. Digital Trade: The Government plans to amend the Electronic Transactions Ordinance this year to support electronic trade documents and align rules with a UN model law. Climate Research: A PolyU study warns that cyclone rainfall is extending further inland, while warming nearshore waters may increase flood risks. Innovation Support: Hong Kong backed nine applications under its pilot scheme for innovation and technology accelerators.

AI Hub: AIsphere has opened a Hong Kong office at Cyberport, positioning it as a hub for local businesses, universities and creators, and plans to hire locally. Tech Showcase: Hong Kong’s Autumn Electronics Fair and electronicAsia opened with 3,200 exhibitors, featuring AI, robotics, smart living and advanced manufacturing; a new Future Industries Zone highlights emerging sectors. Digital Money: A second phase of the BIS’s digital-currency research, developed with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, explores privacy protections that limit what transaction details central banks can see. RMB and Gold: Hong Kong’s growing gold-trading infrastructure could give overseas investors another way to use yuan, with the city’s vault linked to Shanghai for yuan-denominated physical delivery.

Hong Kong’s Tech Showcase: Electronics fairs opened on Oct. 13 with more than 3,200 exhibitors highlighting AI, robotics and semiconductors. Electronics made up nearly 80% of Hong Kong exports in the first eight months of 2026, up 52.8% year on year. AI Devices: Alibaba has begun selling Qwen smart glasses in mainland China, with features including voice assistance, translation and meeting notes. AI in Public Services: Hong Kong police launched an AI-powered national security platform for school pupils. Tech Investment: Eswin Computing raised HK$2.5 billion in a Hong Kong listing, while the city is also expanding its cross-district autonomous-vehicle trial.

AI in Schools: Hong Kong police launched an AI platform that lets pupils create personalised stories about national security, developed with local firm Qianfan Technology. Robotics Listing: Changzhou Microintelligence has passed an HKEX listing hearing; the industrial robot maker says it held about 20% of China’s market in 2025. AI and Industry: Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary explored collaboration with Nanjing on AI and industrial development. Digital Finance: OSL has tokenised a USD-governed fund on Solana, with the Hong Kong firm handling custody. Autonomous Vehicles: Hong Kong is expanding its cross-district autonomous vehicle trial.

Smart Border: Rebuilt Huanggang Port opened with one-stop immigration checks and 184 KONE lifts and escalators; the new layout is designed to cut crossing times from 30 minutes to five and handle up to 300,000 passengers daily. Clean Energy: Hong Kong and Singapore renewed an energy cooperation pact covering AI, digital grids, renewables and energy efficiency. Startup Commercialisation: HKUST and Sino Group launched InnoBay 1M PLUS to help competition finalists test technologies, find industry partners and bring products to market. Digital Finance: OSL is providing custody for a Hong Kong fund tokenized on Solana, giving eligible professional investors access to its market-neutral strategy through the OSL app.

AI Listings: Moonshot AI executives are negotiating with a shareholder over allegations of misconduct as the startup prepares a planned Hong Kong IPO; the claims remain disputed. AI Funding: Manus has raised more than US$500 million in its first funding round since its proposed Meta acquisition collapsed, and may also consider a Hong Kong listing. Fintech Security: Hong Kong’s HKT Payment and Red Date Technology are developing blockchain-based digital IDs to verify AI agents making payments, in a regulator-backed pilot. Startup Support: Cyberport’s one-person-company hub has welcomed more than 30 firms since July, including a founder building an AI-powered building-management platform using government open data. Tech Links: Financial Secretary Paul Chan is leading a delegation to Nanjing to explore Hong Kong–Jiangsu cooperation in technology R&D and commercialisation, including green tech and biotechnology.

AI Payments: Hong Kong firms are testing ways to make AI transactions safer. HKT Payment and Red Date Technology are developing blockchain-backed digital IDs for AI agents in a regulator’s sandbox, while HSBC and Ant Digital are testing agent payments using tokenised deposits. Tech Trade: The Global Sources Hong Kong Shows opened at AsiaWorld-Expo, bringing more than 2,100 suppliers and over 4,000 booths focused on consumer electronics, gaming and power products. Startup Support: Cyberport’s one-person company hub has welcomed more than 30 ventures since July, including a startup building an AI-powered building management platform. Autonomous Mobility: Hong Kong is expanding its cross-district autonomous vehicle trial. Greater Bay Area Links: Financial Secretary Paul Chan will lead a delegation to Nanjing to promote cooperation in technology research, commercialisation, green tech and biotechnology.

Autonomous Vehicles: Hong Kong reviewed an expanded self-driving car trial linking Airport Island, Tung Chung and Sunny Bay, as officials assess how the vehicles perform on public roads. Payment Oversight: Authorities warned unlicensed payment platforms they could face enforcement; the HKMA received 16 complaints about suspected illegal stored-value services since 2024 and substantiated one case. Biotech: Hong Kong-listed Everest Medicines hired two former Moderna cancer-vaccine scientists to advance its mRNA programmes and global research. Crypto Markets: Local brokers’ virtual-asset trading commissions fell 13.5% in the first half of 2026, even as securities-industry profits rose 21%. Digital Policy: Hong Kong outlined an AI strategy to support digital-economy growth, while pausing copyright-law changes for AI in favour of operational guidelines. The city also set a record with its latest government digital bond issuance.

Autonomous Transport: Hong Kong is extending self-driving car trials across Tung Chung, Airport Island and Sunny Bay, with officials and researchers reviewing how the vehicles perform on public roads. Fintech: HSBC and Ant Digital tested AI agents making real-time micropayments using tokenised bank deposits on a test network; the trial had no live customers. Visa also found 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers may use stablecoins within five years, despite widespread confusion about how they work. Local Research: A study co-authored by Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers maps where crop and forest waste could support bioenergy, while warning that its sustainability benefits vary by region. Science: HKUST researchers have revealed how deep-sea organisms adapt to life in chemosynthetic ecosystems, offering new insight into survival in extreme environments.

AI Payments: HSBC and Ant Digital tested AI agents that found digital services and paid for them with tokenised bank deposits; the sub-$2 micropayments ran on a test network, with no live customers or commercial use. Robotics Research: A robot-action model developed by the University of Hong Kong’s MMLab and international partners topped the RoboDojo benchmark, leading in generalisation, precision and memory. Hong Kong Markets: Technology shares led Friday’s Hang Seng rebound, with the Hang Seng Tech Index up 3.06%; Xiaomi rallied after its new EV lineup drew more than 70,000 orders. Digital Finance: OSL brought a market-neutral fund on-chain for Hong Kong investors, while HSBC is preparing a stablecoin launch and mainland AI firms are exploring Hong Kong IPOs.

Hong Kong AI Talent: At a Science Park career dialogue, Innovation and Technology Secretary Sun Dong said the government aims to make AI a core industry and expand its use across sectors. Rescue Technology: A mountain-rescue exercise tested a water-dropping drone, AI fire analysis and digital tools to locate hikers and coordinate teams. Waste Infrastructure: A HK$21.9 billion contract will fund I·PARK2, designed to process 6,000 tonnes of household waste daily, with construction expected to take about four and a half years. Water Innovation: Hong Kong’s water advisory committee backed plans to develop the city as an international hub for water technology testing and deployment. AI Adoption: China Telecom says its workplace agent TeleAgent has reached 1.5 million registered users, reflecting growing interest in AI tools that complete tasks, not just answer questions.

Export-Security Breach: Sensitive F-35 components were routed through Hong Kong after a shipping worker missed an export warning email, prompting US investigations into how the parts moved. AI and Digital Policy: Hong Kong outlined plans to use AI to support digital growth, while reviewing oversight of new payment platforms and expanding scam-call controls. Research: HKUST researchers developed a self-sustaining seawater-to-hydrogen system, while separate work examined how deep-sea organisms adapt to their environment. Digital Finance: Hong Kong’s government issued a record HK$20 billion in digital green bonds, highlighting the city’s growing use of digital financial infrastructure. Tech Business: AAC Technologies was the only Hong Kong-listed technology manufacturer named in TIME’s 2026 World’s Best Companies ranking, as it expands its AI-related business.

AI & Digital Policy: Hong Kong has outlined an AI strategy to support digital-economy growth and put proposed AI copyright-law changes on hold, opting for operational guidelines instead. Tech Markets: The Hang Seng Tech Index will grow from 30 to 50 stocks in December, potentially giving smaller AI companies more visibility, though the new additions will make up only about 10% of the index. AI Funding: Manus’s parent has raised more than US$500 million after unwinding Meta’s acquisition; the startup is considering a structure that could pave the way for a Hong Kong listing. Local Research: HKUST researchers reported new findings on deep-sea ecosystems, while a separate team developed a seawater-to-hydrogen system. PolyU has also proposed a blueprint for wireless energy conversion.

AI & Copyright: Hong Kong has put planned copyright-law amendments for AI training on hold, opting to develop practical guidance for a proposed opt-out system first. Research: HKUST researchers have reported a tiered adaptation strategy in deep-sea ecosystems, while a PolyU professor presented AI research analysing speech patterns linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Digital Finance: Hong Kong says it has set a record with the world’s largest digital bond issuance and outlined preparations for T+1 cash-market settlement. Innovation & Skills: The government has opened applications for Hong Kong–Mainland technology cooperation funding and announced plans to expand aerospace education and talent development.

Digital Safety: Hong Kong is tightening telecom fraud controls, with providers using AI and big data to flag suspicious calls and messages. The Government is also reviewing oversight of emerging payment platforms, while clarifying liability and insurance rules for autonomous vehicles. Fintech: Ant International has expanded its tokenized-deposit partnerships with HSBC and OCBC; its treasury platform supports real-time transfers in more than 17 currencies, including Hong Kong dollars. Deep-Sea Science: HKUST researchers found that flexible bacterial metabolism and careful regulation of symbiont populations help deep-sea clams withstand changes in energy supply, offering new insight into cold-seep ecosystem resilience. Climate Research: HKUST is coordinating an international effort to improve urban weather forecasting and hazard warnings as cities face growing climate risks.

Hong Kong as Russia’s gold gateway: Russian-origin bullion is rerouting to Hong Kong at record speed, with imports jumping to 112.7 tonnes in the first seven months of 2026—far above 2025’s full-year total—highlighting how sanctions reshape trade routes. Stablecoins go mainstream (Hong Kong angle): Visa reports 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers may use stablecoins within five years, while HSBC is preparing a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin under the “RedCoin” brand, starting with retail payments via PayMe and its mobile app. Agentic economy on Nasdaq: First Digital signed a definitive deal to combine with Nasdaq-listed KOYN, aiming to become a publicly listed company and build infrastructure tied to the agentic economy. AI + markets momentum: Wall Street hit fresh records on AI optimism as oil eased; Asia followed with mostly higher trading, keeping investors focused on yields and energy. Local tech & science education: Hong Kong’s Education and Youth Development Bureau launched an online space science quiz running to Nov 5, tied to aerospace interest. Conservation tech in the city: HK Cockatoo Watch is installing monitored nest boxes for yellow-crested cockatoos in Hong Kong, using cameras to study breeding behavior. Business & events: HKCEC is hosting hundreds of new exhibitions and conferences, and iFX EXPO Asia 2026 is set to gather trading-industry players in Hong Kong.