HKSTP and RTHK Expand Data-driven Ecosystems to Fuel Technology Breakthroughs and Nurture Future AIR Talent via ABU Robocon

(Hong Kong, 5 January 2024) – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has agreed to a three-year Smart Broadcasting partnership to join forces with Hong Kong’s sole public service broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) to forge a data-driven ecosystem to promote cross-sector innovation and build Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub.

The goal is to sharpen Hong Kong’s competitive edge from three perspectives: advance Hong Kong in the global I&T talent race through the international ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ABU Robocon) in 2026; data collaboration through combining RTHK’s rich historic data with HKSTP’s Digital Living Lab; and driving new cross-sector technology solutions scouting.

Jointly organising International ABU Robocon in 2026

Global investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at an all-time high, with AI skills becoming a critical foundation for a thriving digital ecosystem. HKSTP and RTHK will tap into Hong Kong’s AI and Robotics (AIR) talent by jointly organising the International ABU Robocon in 2026. By hosting the regional competition, HKSTP and RTHK hope to nurture cross-disciplinary expertise in AI and robotics among education institutions. The hope is to inspire the next generation local and overseas I&T talent to fulfil their AI ambitions in Hong Kong, boosting the city’s standing as a hub for world-class AI and broader I&T development.

Broadcasting data to elevate city’s digital ecosystem

As an esteemed and sole public service broadcaster, RTHK has committed to achieving business and operational excellence through digital innovation. It will share its ample and historic broadcasting data with HKSTP’s Digital Living Lab to drive cross sector data sharing and unlock Hong Kong’s digital economy potential. The extensive dataset, spanning television and radio programs from its archives, including text, audio and video, will be a rich resource for Hong Kong’s tech ventures. By requesting, accessing, and leveraging the data, qualified HKSTP Park companies can access the data to train AI models and advance other cutting-edge technologies.

A rich data-driven ecosystem featuring trusted data exchange capabilities will help deliver accelerated breakthroughs in technology such as AI, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), real-time translation, sign language, and more. This will boost cross-sector innovation, particularly in untapped sectors such as arts, culture and entertainment.

Solution scouting to accelerate digital adoption and industry transformation

Under the partnership, RTHK will also share their specific business and operational challenges with HKSTP for tech ventures to explore business matching opportunities. Through HKSTP’s scenario-based validation services as well as its network of local and overseas tech ventures, it will help RTHK identify potential solutions and find opportunities to co-create proof-of-concepts (PoC). This virtuous cycle of matching, collaboration and innovating is a conduit to the continued success of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, as well as a way to transform the broadcasting and media landscape with digital innovation.

Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said, “I am delighted that HKSTP and RTHK will jointly organise the ABU Robocon 2026. Such large-scale international competitions will surely enhance the I&T atmosphere in Hong Kong and nurture the city’s I&T talent. The Government has adopted a data-driven approach to encourage government departments and organisations to open up and share data, ultimately developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub. I believe the collaboration between HKSTP and RTHK will serve as a good example for government departments to follow, encouraging more of them to make good use of I&T to improve efficiency and bring convenience to the public. This also capitalises on Hong Kong's role in connecting the Mainland and overseas and its advantages in internationalisation.”

Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said, “This partnership with RTHK will create unique I&T opportunities for Hong Kong by addressing two critical challenges – unlocking the value of data and nurturing top tech talent. We are jointly organising the ABU Robocon 2026 to put Hong Kong on the map as a destination for global AIR talent. RTHK’s past and current rich programme content provides a vital data foundation for tech ventures to advance AI development, explore a myriad of new technology solutions and fuel the growth of Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem.” 

Eddie Cheung, Director of Broadcasting, said, “RTHK will jointly organise with HKSTP the ABU Robocon 2026, which will send a signal that Hong Kong is embracing new technologies such as AI and robotics and is serious about innovation. RTHK is also excited to collaborate with the city's largest innovation network led by HKSTP to fuel new value, growth and R&D opportunities from our historical broadcasting datasets.”

Dr Crystal Fok, Head of STP Platform, HKSTP, said, “Data truly is the lifeblood of today’s digital innovation, but seamless data access and collaboration is the heart that will drive a thriving I&T ecosystem towards success. By unlocking RTHK’s rich historical datasets via HKSTP Digital Living Lab, we are empowering tech ventures to embrace the power of public data and explore innovative new solutions and value to transform business and industry.”