Smart city solutions, 150 start-ups, AI and voice recognition take centre stage
Hong Kong, April 14, 2019: The 16th HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and the HKTDC International ICT Expo, both organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Some 3,600 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions have gathered at the four-day events, running from 13 to 16 April, to showcase an impressive array of smart city solutions and the latest electronic products.
Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “Moving forward in step with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region [HKSAR] Government’s Smart City Blueprint and its aspirations to develop Hong Kong into a world-class smart city, this year’s ICT Expo adopts the theme of Smart City, Smart Living and showcases cutting-edge solutions in Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Government and Smart Economy.”
More than 610 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions are featured at this year’s ICT Expo. Highlights include:
* The Smart Government Pavilion (Booth: 3F-G04), presented by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) of the HKSAR Government, showcases a series of innovation and technology initiatives, including the first public exhibition of a smart lamppost that can monitor traffic and collect environmental data, electronic identity (eID), the Post-dispatch Advice System, the Single E-lock Scheme, Health Signs Monitoring System, e-Channel pre-fetch kiosk, a voice recognition chatbot, the use of virtual reality technology for training, and in-vehicle unit to facilitate traffic management. The upcoming Smart Government Innovation Lab and the city dashboard are also introduced at the pavilion.
* The “So French So Innovative” Pavilion (Booth: 3G-B04) has been formed by more than 30 French multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and tech start-ups, including Capgemini, Schneider Electric and STMicroelectronics. Some of the participating companies will host themed seminars and demonstrations on 15 and 16 April.
* The debut Hangzhou Government Pavilion (Booth: 3G-C04) showcases Hangzhou’s City Brain platform that uses big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to offer solutions for city management, traffic, healthcare and more. Dr Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Cloud and the Chief Architect of this revolutionary platform, will host a seminar on 15 April to share his insights.
* The Xiamen Pavilion (Booth: 3G-D16) gathers nine smart technology companies to present the smart city infrastructure that applies big data and AI to real-world scenarios for the first time. Some of the solutions include “Meitu”, a photo and video processing App and social media platform; “Meet You”, an app serving as a networking platform for women; and a smart tourism big data and public service platform provided by Xiamen Information Group.
* SenseTime (Booth: 3G-A14), Hong Kong’s first AI unicorn (technology company valued at more than US$ 1 billion) headquartered at Hong Kong Science Park, showcases an array of innovative solutions. These include the company’s facial recognition technology that can be used for intelligent video analysis, identity authentication and driver fatigue monitoring. Hailong Shang, Managing Director of SenseTime Hong Kong, will attend the concurrent Internet Economy Summit on 16 April to introduce the company’s latest AI developments.
* Several top-notch exhibitors feature AI and robotics demonstrations. Xiao-i (Booth: 3F-G20), a Shanghai AI company who has set up its Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Hong Kong, showcases the application of AI in smart city solutions such as city management, economic development, as well as public services in areas like healthcare and education. It demonstrates a robot that has been deployed at numerous mainland hospitals to provide services such as consultation, triage and medical guidance.
* Airport Authority Hong Kong (Booth: 3F-E12) has brought the multifunctional robots that have been deployed at Hong Kong International Airport. The robots can collect data such as the temperature, brightness and WiFi details of the terminal environment to enhance the operation efficiency of the airport.
* JETCO (Booth: 3F-E13) presents JETCO APIX, Hong Kong’s first cross-industry open application programming interface (API) exchange platform. Since the launch of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Open Application Programming Interface (API) Framework, JETCO has developed this pioneering platform to provide more than 200 APIs from 13 banks. The platform is designed for customers that include banks, third-party service providers and application developers.
* Other major exhibitors include Cyberport, Microsoft, NEC, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and the Smart City Consortium, as well as local research and development centres such as the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM), the Automotive Parts and Accessory Systems (APAS) R&D Centre, and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI).
* The Smart City Seminar Series explores hot topics such as developments in the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), data security, and how technology can enable smarter living and smarter SMEs. In addition, the winners of the OGCIO’s Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019 are onsite to demonstrate their groundbreaking products and solutions.
* The fourth edition of the Internet Economy Summit will be held concurrently with the ICT Expo on 15 and 16 April at the HKCEC, jointly organised by the HKSAR Government and Cyberport. The summit will examine how businesses can capture the opportunities presented by data-driven innovations and will feature leading experts and technology thought leaders from companies such as Amazon Web Services, Alibaba, Twitter, Microsoft, AXA, ZhongAn, Tencent, IBM and HP, who will discuss the immense business opportunities generated by the digital economy.
Held concurrently with the ICT Expo is the Spring Electronics Fair, which features some 3,000 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions, making it the largest spring electronics event in Asia. Today, the first anchor conference, Tech Trends Symposium 2019 – Roadmap to the Future, invited an array of industry experts to examine the latest trends in consumer electronics and the latest developments in AI and IoT, edge computing, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).
Other highlights at the Spring Electronics Fair include:
* The new AI & Voice Recognition zone in the Tech Hall (Hall 5F-G). Catering to the growing application of AI technologies across different industries, the zone features products that include a 3D-vision, anti-spoofng facial recognition access control system (Booth: 5F-G14) that offers top-level security for corporations, banks and financial institutions; and the world’s first Auto-Director AI Camera (Booth: 5F-G20) that uses AI and a gimbal to automatically track, record and capture a pre-determined subject’s movements in high-definition 4K video.
* The Asia-Pacific AI Business Alliance (AIBA) pavilion (Booth: 5F-G02), presented by Tuya and its global partners, showcases a series of smart home products that are empowered by a global AI IoT platform, including voice- and cloud-controlled electric window blinds, temperature and humidity sensors, air purifiers and kitchen smoke detectors.
* Four other thematic zones at the Tech Hall include the AR, VR & MR zone, Connected Home zone, Robotics & Unmanned Tech zone, and the e-Health & Wearables zone.
* The debut pavilion from Alibaba.com (Booth: 5G-A02) promotes selected suppliers from its e-commerce platform, which present their latest smart products in an online-to-offline format to help them reach a wider international market.
* Tesla (Booth: 5G-B02) presents its latest product, Model 3, showcasing the car’s key features such as a pure electric drivetrain and “autopilot” with convenience features. Participants can also sign up to test-drive two other Tesla cars, the Model S and the Model X, along a predetermined route to experience the electric vehicles’ superb performance.
* The Hall of Fame has gathered more than 600 world-renowned electronics brands, including Bourgini, Desay, ezviz, Garmin, Greatwall and SKROSS.
* An expanded Startup zone highlights Hong Kong’s thriving start-up ecosystem. The HKTDC has enlarged this promotional platform at the two fairs to showcase 150 start-ups from around the world, including outstanding local start-ups such as dokiPal (Booth: 3CON-G01). The company is displaying the world’s first 4G-enabled children’s smartwatch that is equipped with features such as an integrated AI voice assistant, location tracking, two-way video calling and fitness tracking. During the fairs, a series of start-up themed events will be held to give exposure to start-ups and enable them to pitch their solutions or products to potential investors, buyers and the media. These events include a Pitching Competition, the Media Pitch Day and “Startup, Smart Launch” sessions, an Investment Matchmaking session, and the Makers’ Clinic.
* Several promising companies from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which is presenting new opportunities in many industries. Various pavilion-based Product Demo and Launch sessions (including by Zhuhai and Dongguan) will be organised to enable exhibitors and buyers to tap into Greater Bay Area opportunities through the HKTDC’s exhibitions.
To generate more business opportunities for exhibitors, the HKTDC is organising more than 180 buying missions, comprising more than 13,000 representatives from 9,500 companies from across the globe, to source at the two fairs. Participants include major retailers, importers and distributors.
During the two fairs, buyers and exhibitors can use the e-Badge offered through the HKTDC Marketplace App to enjoy seamless access to the events and reduced waiting time. In addition, the app has added the e-Business Card feature that allows buyers and exhibitors to instantly exchange name cards and information by scanning QR codes. This convenient feature will enhance connections between fair participants and generate more business opportunities.
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
