(S423+424, Level 4, HKCEC)

- Young people, with their curiosity, adaptability, enterprising spirit and creativity, are naturally poised to lead technological innovation. The generations born in the 1990s and 2000s, often hailed as the “Internet Generation” and “Digital Natives”, have emerged as the true trailblazers of technological innovation in the era of the Internet and artificial intelligence.

- This roundtable will bring together youth delegates from governments, enterprises, research institutions and academia to discuss the current state, challenges, trends, and potential risks of technological innovation. From a youth perspective, they will put forward feasible suggestions and solutions on how to strengthen global technology governance, guide the formulation of rules for emerging technologies, advance the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), bridge the digital divide, and promote international cooperation.

Moderator

- Duncan CHIU, President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council (HKITJC)

Speakers

- Askar SHAIKIDINOV, Head, Youth Policy Department, Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic

- Ei Cho Zin LATT, Deputy Director, Foreign Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, Myanmar

- Zu Li Li WIN, Staff Officer, Investment Promotion Department, Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), Myanmar

- Hafiz Hamza Mahmood RAJA, Assistant Director in the China Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan

- Sameeah ALVI, Assistant Director, Human Resource Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan

- Saidah Sakinah binti Sho KHAIMIN, Assistant Secretary, Policy and Strategic Planning Division, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia

- Ngai Chee FOONG (Jasper), National Secretary General, Junior Chamber International Malaysia; Business Development Manager Tech Maker, Malaysia

- Mimala CHANTHASONE, Academic official, the Coordination and Compilation Division, Institute of Foreign Affairs, Laos

- Vilayphone INTHILAT, Academic official, ASEAN-ISIS and international Cooperation Division, Institute of Foreign Affairs, Laos

- Viet Truong LY, Researcher, Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam

- Quynh Thuy Linh NGUYEN, Official, the International Cooperation Division of Central Committee of the Youth Union, Vietnam

- Aashish PANT, Founder of Attorneys Alliance-Law Firm and Adjunct Faculty of Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal

- Gurban Tirkishevich MYRADOV, Responsible Secretary of the Electronic Magazine“Arkadagly Ya?lar”, Central Council of the Magtymguly Youth Organization of Turkmenistan

- Conrad Alwin HO, Chairman of Coho Group

- Pablo Morales NAVARRETE, CEO of Atom Semiconductor Technologies Limited

- Joe Lam, Founder & CEO, ISPAY CO., LIMITED (Hong Kong); Serial Internet Entrepreneu; Hybrid Finance (HyFi) Architecture Designer

(S421, Level 4, HKCEC)

- Quantum technology is regarded as another cutting-edge technology that could change the destiny of humanity. However, over the past four decades, its development has been lingering in the early stage of research and development and application, being merely "looking good but not yet practical". Since 2024, several countries and regions have successively announced major breakthroughs in the field of quantum computing. Some optimists believe that humanity will enter the quantum age within three years. How will the quantum age change our work and life? How will the most valued quantum computing and quantum communication disrupt the "rules of the game" in computing and communication?

Moderator

- YANG Yanqing, Chief Strategy Officer, Shanghai Academy of AI for Science; Professor of Economics, Fudan University

Speakers

- JIA Jinfeng, Vice President, Southern University of Science and Technology; Executive Director, Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; CAS Member

- XU Feihu, Deputy Dean of School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China; Awardee of the Xplorer Prize; Winner of the International Quantum Technology Early Career Scientist Award

- Giulio CHIRIBELLA, Professor of School of Computing and Data Science, the University of Hong Kong

(S421, Level 4, HKCEC)

- The Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report points out that science and technology innovation is highly concentrated, and innovation clusters are the main form of spatial distribution of innovation activities. The scale and quality of innovation clusters will determine the development of industrial clusters, which are also emerging industries, and further determine the high-quality development of regional clusters.

- The Global Innovation Index Report shows that China's science and technology clusters are developing vigorously. At present, China has 24 science and technology clusters in the top 100 list, surpassing the United States for the first time and ranking first globally.

- As the world's second-largest innovation cluster, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has become a model and leader of China's innovation clusters. What successful experiences and best practices does the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have in promoting the integration of innovation chain and industrial chain?

- Innovation clusters are featured by being groundbreaking, pioneering and disruptive, and are important incubators for future industries, which are crucial to the survival and development of future industries. What plans and measures will the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have in following the frontier trends of global science and technology development, steering the direction of future industries, and building a new engine for China's industrial upgrading?

- How could Hong Kong leverage its strengths in science and technology innovation and join hands with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to enhance collaborative innovation among enterprises, universities and research institutions to support the ‘innovation clusters’ in growing stronger and better?

- Unilateral and protectionist trading practices are disrupting the multilateral trading system and the global economic order in a way unseen in decades. How will the global innovation, supply and industry chains be impacted? What can be done to minimize such disruption?

Moderator

- LEONG Vai Tac, Former Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao Special Administrative Region, China; Executive Chairman of International Science and Technology Innovation Forum (ISTIF)

Speakers

- BATEER, Executive Vice Governor of the Hainan Provincial Government

- Andrew STAINES, Assistant Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

- Lillian CHEONG Man Lei, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

- LIN Yiwen, Vice President of South China University of Technology

- Carl FEY, Professor of Strategy, BI Norwegian Business School

(S421, Level 4, HKCEC)

- From 2010 to 2021, the total number of global drug research and development projects involving AI increased from 6 to 158. In 2024, such tendency was even more obvious. The rapid development of AI pharmaceutical technology has accelerated certain stages of new drug research and discovery by a hundred times. Some believe that the development of medicine in the next five to ten years will exceed that of the previous fifty to a hundred years. The use of AI will lead to more medical discoveries in a way that corresponding treatments for most cancers could be found, most diseases could be cured, and humanity will achieve "biological freedom".

- What exciting changes are made possible by AI technology in accelerating medical research, improving the efficiency and quality of medical services, and accelerating the intelligent and targeted transformation of the medical system? What are the specific application scenarios?

- Is there a "boundary" for the application of AI in life sciences and the medical field? What should be done to deal with data security and ethical and legal challenges?

Moderator

- Albert Cheung Hoi YU, Chairman of Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization

Speakers

- MA Jie, Director of National Center for Clinical Laboratories; Director of Beijing Hospital Biotherapy center

- Wibool PIYAWATTANAMETHA, Director, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkraban

- ZHANG Xueji, Vice President, Shenzhen University

- Philip CHIU Wai Yan, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

- TAN Jiaying, Deputy editor, Cell Press

- WU Shan, General Manager, AstraZeneca China Hong Kong & Macau

-  LIU Yiwei, Head of Biomap HK InnoHub, Biomap

(Hall 3G, Level 3, HKCEC)

- Located at the heart of Asia, Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantages of “One Country, Two Systems” and has all along been an international hub in areas such as finance, trade and transportation, etc. Being the most international city in China, Hong Kong pools local and overseas science and technology talent and enterprises, and serves as an international collaborative innovation platform of the industry, academic and research sectors. The Hong Kong Forum explores how Hong Kong fully leverages its unique advantages of connecting with both the Mainland and the world to foster efficient collaboration among the government, industry, academia, research, and investment sectors in order to promote global innovation and technology co-operation and development.

Opening remarks

- Dong SUN, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Moderator

- Sunny CHAI Ngai-chiu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Panelists

- Sunny TAN, Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council

- Dennis LO Yuk-ming, President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong

- Clara CHAN Ka Chai, CEO of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited

- LI Zexiang, Professor of Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

- Alex ZHAVORONKOV, Chairman of the Board, Executive Director and CEO of Insilico Medicine

(Hall 3G, Level 3, HKCEC)

- Can artificial intelligence become the driving force for the third industrial revolution following the Industrial Revolution and the Internet Revolution? What are the fundamental differences between "AI Plus", which has moved from theory to practice, become down-to-earth and focused on application, and "Internet Plus", which is already a familiar concept and inevitable in everyday lives and work?

- Which industries and fields will be the first to test and benefit from "AI Plus"? How should traditional industries respond? Should they proactively "add AI" or passively wait and be "added by AI"?

Moderator

- YANG Yanqing, Chief Strategy Officer, Shanghai Academy of AI for Science; Professor of Economics, Fudan University

Speakers

- SHEN Jinsheng, Director-General of the Strategic Development Department, China Association for Science and Technology

- Yike GUO, Provost, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

- Tamas HAJBA, Senior Advisor for China, Head of Beijing Office, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

- Ken WONG, President, Solutions and Services Group, Lenovo; Executive Vice President, Lenovo Group

- ZHOU Wei, Vice President & Vice President of OS Product at vivo; Head of vivo Global AI R&D Institute

- RUAN Fang, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

- YU Zhonghao, Vice Chairman & Executive Director, the Fourth Paradigm Data & Technology Co., Ltd.

(S421, Level 4, HKCEC)

- Technological innovation is an exploratory and creative endeavor. While investments in this field may not always yield returns, lack of investment will no doubt entails no progress. How can financial institutions, instruments, and systems effectively support technological innovation, where prospects, returns, and risks remain highly uncertain?

- Traditional financial institutions and banks often struggle to understand and engage with tech-driven enterprises. What are the best practices and proven strategies for addressing these challenges?

- Equity investment remains the primary funding source for start-up technology companies. How can we expand the medium- and long-term funding sources for venture capital and encourage them to invest early and small, enhance risk management capabilities, and diversify exit strategies?

- How can Hong Kong leverage its unique advantages as a global financial hub to provide more abundant, higher-quality, and more patient capital and financial support for technological innovation?

Moderator

- LEONG Vai Tac, Former Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao Special Administrative Region, China; Executive Chairman of International Science and Technology Innovation Forum (ISTIF)

Speakers

- Lareina WANG, Chair of the Board, FinTech Association of HK

- Sopnendu MOHANTY, Group CEO, Global Finance & Technology Network

- Calvin FU, Chairman, China Innovation Finance Institute

- Bénédicte NOLENS, Head of BIS Innovation Hub Hong Kong Center, Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

- Joel RUET, Chairman, The Bridge Tank

- Matthew ASTILL, CEO of Cavendish Group of UK

- Pauline KANCHANALAK, Board of Advisors of RS Asset Management; Advisor to Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand

(S421, Level 4, HKCEC)

- The advent of hyperloop systems, autonomous vehicles, and urban air mobility solutions is driving transformative changes across transportation modalities and infrastructure development. Technological advancements are reshaping mobility paradigms while introducing unprecedented opportunities and systemic challenges. This forum focuses on intelligent and sustainable transitions in transportation systems and infrastructure, addressing cutting-edge domains including rail transit innovation, transoceanic engineering, and low-altitude airspace economy. Discussions will examine synergistic approaches integrating technological breakthroughs with policy frameworks to advance a safer, more efficient, and decarbonized transportation ecosystem.

- What paradigm-shifting technological breakthroughs are anticipated within the 5-10 year horizon? How will these innovations challenge existing transportation governance models, infrastructure maintenance paradigms, and operational frameworks? What strategic methodologies should be implemented to enable proactive adaptation?

Moderator

- Yujiang MIAO, Associate Dean of the School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology & Founder of CFC Tech Group

Speakers

- LENG Zhen, Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University & Deputy Director of Carbon Neutral Resource Engineering Research Center

- FWA Tien Fang, Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Engineering; Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

- Vivian CHEUNG Kar-fay, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong

- LAW Ka Chun, Managing Director, CLP Power Hong Kong

- WU Yachen, Vice President, EHang  

- ZHAN Zhangsong, General Manager of Changan Prospective Technology R&D Institute; Executive Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technology

 (Hall 3G, Level 3, HKCEC)

- Technology is a double-edged sword. While bringing convenience to human society, it also comes with many uncertain risks, such as privacy breaches, algorithmic bias, and bioethical issues. With the deepening of globalization in science and technology, the problems and impacts associated with technology development have transcended national boundaries, posing gave challenges to global science and technology governance. The environment of governance has become more complex, and the competition for governance rules is increasingly intense. There is yet to be a globally recognized standard for risk management, nor an effective framework and approach for global governance.

- What principles and consensus were reached at the United Nations Summit of the Future regarding global science and technology governance? How can political and ideological biases be excluded in practice to maintain cooperation in areas such as climate change, environmental protection, public health, and sustainable development, and jointly take countermeasures against the risks brought about by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and gene editing?

Moderator

- WANG Huiyao, President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG)

Speakers

- Danilo TURK, President of Slovenia (2007-2012); President of Club de Madrid

- Anek LAOTHAMATA, Former Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation

- Carme ARTIGAS, Senior Fellow at Harvard Belfer Center; Former Spanish Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence; Former Co-Chair of UN AI Advisory Body

- Anderson SHUM Ho-cheung, Vice-President (Research) of City University of Hong Kong

- Tamas HAJBA, Senior Advisor for China, Head of Beijing Office, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

- ZENG Yi, Founding Director, Beijing Institute of AI Safety & Governance; member of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Body on AI

- ZHANG Linghan Professor, China University of Political Science and Law

- Phillip Graeme EVERSON, Partner or Principal (PRT)in Technology& Transformation, Deloitte China

(Hall 3G, Level 3, HKCEC)

- The latest UN research report indicates that humanity has seriously "gone off track" in achieving the sustainable development goals and addressing climate change. Global social (poverty reduction, gender equality), economic (development and low-carbon transformation), and environmental (pollution prevention and control, biodiversity) development are all facing severe challenges. The goal of keeping global warming within 1.5°C is becoming increasingly remote. Unsustainable human development has exacerbated climate change, and the intense climate change, in turn, has led to more extreme weather and natural disasters, further hindering the process of sustainable development.

- The Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report holds that science and technology innovation is key to promoting sustainable development and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In particular, digital, intelligent, and green technologies are not only the direction and focus of technology innovation, but are also the hope and potential for sustainable development.

- From geo-engineering and climate engineering, carbon capture and storage, artificial photosynthesis, methane recovery and utilization and reduction, to green hydrogen, ocean and tidal energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green buildings, which green technologies have the greatest potential to become the main force in carbon neutrality? What roles could intelligent technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data play in energy management, resource utilization, intelligent transportation, and smart cities?

- How could humanity prevent the further widening of technology gap, digital divide, and development gap, and ensure that the benefits of technology and development are more accessible to low and middle income countries and vulnerable groups?

- Unilateral imposition of tariffs and trade frictions have undermined the rules-based multilateral trading system and global economic order. How will this impact global science & technology governance and sustainable development? What we can do to meet the challenges?

Moderator

- ZHANG Jun, Secretary General of Boao Forum for Asia

Speakers

- Esko AHO, Former Prime Minister, Finland

- Don PRAMUDWINAI, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

- Emil BOLONGAITA, Program Head of Knowledge Innovation and Solutions Program, Asian Development Bank

- TANG Limei, Scientist, Second Institute of Oceanography, MNR

- Yonghua SONG, Rector (President) of University of Macau

- Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

- Youngsuk 'YS' CHI, President of Public Affairs, RELX; Chairman of Elsevier

-  Olivier GUISE, Global Leader of Technology Operations & Innovation Excellence, SABIC