We are creating some awesome events for you. Kindly bear with us.

HK Smart LAB holds first tech forum

Image Credits: Hong Kong Government, Press Release

The Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart LAB) under the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) held its first technology forum on 26 June 2019.

The theme of the forum was “Smart City Infrastructure”. The event was organised in collaboration with Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science Park, attracted over 230 participants from government departments and the IT sector.

To be conducted at quarterly intervals, these technology forums aim to connect the service needs of individual departments with quality solutions from the IT sector.

A total of 14 companies focusing on networking technology and biometric technology joined today’s forum at Cyberport and presented their solutions and products – in an exhibition and on stage – to help government departments grasp the latest trends.

A representative from the Architectural Services Department shared details of the department’s experience in adopting innovative information technologies for service improvement and their way forward in engaging technology in services.

The OGCIO also briefed the audience on the Government’s pro-innovation procurement policy to enlighten the industry on the operational procedures of government departments.

The Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Dr David Chung, said in his opening address that the new government procurement policy gives quality solutions with innovative suggestions a better chance of success.

In alignment with this new policy, the Smart LAB was established to actively connect government departments with the IT sector, so as to foster close partnerships and inspire more novel innovation and technology (I&T) ideas which are conducive to building a strong and vibrant I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong.

The next forum is themed “Intelligent Transport System and Traffic Management” and will be held on September 25 at the Hong Kong Science Park.

Hong Kong’s Smart City infrastructure goals

According to the Smart City Blueprint, Hong Kong is working to promote retro-commissioning and building-based smart/IT technologies.

Moreover, the Government aims to install LED lamps in public lighting systems progressively under the LED Public Lighting Replacement Programme of the Highways Department starting from 2017-18 and encourage retrofitting LED lighting for existing government buildings.

In addition, the goal is to continue to include requirements, such as green building design, provision of smart water meter system, electric vehicle charging facility and real-time parking vacancy information for new land sale sites in Kowloon East, with a view to developing a green and smart community.

The Smart LAB

Hong Kong’s visionary Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart LAB) was reportedly launched in Hong Kong, with the aim of supporting tech SMEs and start-ups to develop products that can help improve public services.

IT firms will be able to pitch technologies such as big data analytics, blockchain and robotics to the Smart LAB – which is located in Cyberport, a government-run business park housing 1000 digital tech companies. As well as helping SMEs to develop products for government, the LAB will also work to raise awareness across Hong Kong’s administration about technologies that might be useful to public servants.

Alongside the physical Smart LAB, there will also be a dedicated website where public bodies can post details of challenges that SMEs might be able to help them address. Businesses will be encouraged to pitch their ideas, allowing government departments to use it as a resource to find potential solutions and suppliers.

The opening ceremony showcased several innovations already in place – including sensor technology for monitoring tree stability in built-up areas. The sensor alerts the relevant authorities if a tree begins to tilt and could potentially present a danger to pedestrians or vehicles.

A “city dashboard” presenting open data in the form of interactive charts and maps for the general public, expected to go live later this year, was also on display.

Other technologies showcased at the launch included virtual reality technologies for assisting the design of construction sites, the monitoring of construction processes and urban development planning, as well as innovations related to the Internet of Things, blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and big data.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Send this to a friend