LEAP East 2026 opens to deepen I&T co-operation in between Middle East and Hong Kong (with images)
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LEAP East 2026 formally opened today (July 8) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, participated in the opening event along with Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alswaha, to invite more than 35 000 individuals in the conference, consisting of 340 speakers and 450 exhibitors from 30 nations and areas.
In his remarks, Mr Chan invited the inaugural LEAP East to Hong Kong, marking the very first LEAP conference held outside Saudi Arabia. He stated the occasion highlighted the deepening collaboration in between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, and highlighted Hong Kong’s function as a special entrance linking the Chinese Mainland with the world. He is delighted to keep in mind that LEAP East will continue to be kept in Hong Kong for the next 3 years.
Mr Chan detailed Hong Kong’s strengths as a perfect base for development, including its typical law system, strong copyright defense, totally free circulation of capital, products, skill and information, basic and low tax program, and safe and steady service environment.
He set out 3 crucial techniques underpinning Hong Kong’s innovation advancement: leveraging “Finance+” through lively capital markets, equity capital and personal equity, and federal government financial investment assistance; advancing “AI+” by establishing expert system as a tactical market and using it throughout sectors; and incorporating innovation, skill, education and market through the Northern Metropolis and much deeper cooperation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Mr Chan likewise welcomed Saudi and Gulf business to utilize Hong Kong as a global fundraising and risk-management platform, and revealed HKSAR’s dedication to even more enhancing co-operation with Saudi Arabia in development, facilities, green innovation, health care, advanced production and expert services. Mr Chan said that he prepares to lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia once again later on this year, bringing leading business in facilities, green tech, health care and advanced production, plus experts in the financing, financial investment and expert services sector, to check out concrete tasks and additional collaboration.
The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) is the Hong Kong Government Partner of LEAP East 2026. Teacher Sun in his speech thanked Saudi Arabia for extending the innovation conference to Hong Kong, remembering his 2024 check out to Riyadh that triggered I&T partnership.
Teacher Sun pointed out that Hong Kong is constructing an extensive I&T community with tactical concentrates on life and health innovations, expert system and robotics, in addition to sophisticated production and energy. He highlighted the city’s strong R&D abilities, for example, the flagship InnoHK platform’s 38 labs remain in cooperation with over 30 first-class research study organizations from worldwide. He likewise pointed out fast digital facilities advancement, consisting of the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, which is set to supply 180,000 PFLOPS of calculating power by 2032– a 36‑fold boost from the present level that will place Hong Kong as a global information center. To speed up R&D commercialisation and brand-new industrialisation, the Government has actually devoted over USD3.8 billion through 3 HK$ 10 billion financing plans.
Teacher Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s function as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” for worldwide exchanges. Stressing Hong Kong’s exceptional benefits of strong assistance from the Motherland while staying carefully linked to the world under “one country, two systems,” he placed the city as a perfect entrance for both Mainland business going worldwide and Saudi and Middle Eastern companies accessing Chinese and other Asian markets, declaring Hong Kong’s preparedness to partner worldwide for a sustainable, ingenious future.
After the opening event, Mr Chan and Professor Sun visited the LEAP East’s exhibit and went to the Hong Kong Pavilion. Teacher Sun likewise consulted with Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alswaha, to exchange views on I&T cooperations in between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
The three-day LEAP East 2026 will be held from July 8 to 10, including a varied series of technological fields consisting of expert system, deep tech, wise cities, and brand-new energy markets. The occasion intends to develop an incorporated environment for financiers and start-ups and to promote cross-border commercial cooperation. The ITIB established the Hong Kong Pavilion to display the I&T advancement and accomplishments of Hong Kong.