Business of Innovation and Technology Week to be held in April

The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) will organise the Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week) in April, which includes the government-funded innovation and technology (I&T) signature events, the Digital Economy Summit and the InnoEX, as well as the much celebrated inaugural Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference.

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, "We look forward to an array of I&T mega events in April in Hong Kong. The BIT Week brings together local talent and those outside Hong Kong covering some 20 regions and over 3 000 exhibitors to showcase to the world Hong Kong's unique edge and strong I&T capabilities through a series of seminars, exhibitions, business networking, talent matching and industry events. It is a key policy of the country to develop 'new quality productive forces' driven by technological innovation. The series of events under the BIT Week aims to promote the upstream, midstream and downstream development of the local I&T ecosystem chain, accelerating the formation of 'new quality productive forces' and scaling new heights for our I&T sector, thereby propelling Hong Kong's advancement into an international I&T centre."

Organised by the ITIB and Cyberport, the Digital Economy Summit (DES) will be held on April 12 and 13 with the theme "Smarter Technovation for All: Forging a Sustainable Future". The two-day Summit will feature over 100 renowned speakers from Hong Kong, the Mainland and a number of overseas countries including the United States and Germany, as well as those from the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Summit will cover eight thematic forums on topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), business innovation, smart industrialisation and supply chain, smart mobility, new energy, smart finance, Web3.0, smart living and inclusion.

The second InnoEX co-organised by the ITIB and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) that immediately follows the DES will be held from April 13 to 16. Themed "Innovations for A Smarter World", the exhibition will bring together exhibitors from more than 10 regions and different technology sectors, including organisations from Hong Kong, 16 Mainland provinces and cities, and countries such as France, Canada, India, Singapore and the United Kingdom. By showcasing cutting-edge technology solutions and promoting dialogue at various seminars and exchanges, the exhibition seeks to promote cross-sectoral and cross-territory I&T development and collaboration. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer will also set up the "Smart Hong Kong Pavilion" to showcase over 100 I&T solutions closely related to people's day-to-day life, and winning entries from local innovators and students, to demonstrate the latest progress in promoting I&T and smart city development by the Government and various sectors in Hong Kong. An ASEAN Roundtable will also be organised during the exhibition whereby government representatives from ASEAN countries will share experiences related to smart city development and ways to achieve sustainable development through multi-sectoral collaboration.

In addition, the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities will organise the inaugural Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and the Xianjiang Nobel Forum 2024 on April 13 and 14 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the full support of the ITIB. The event will gather top-notch I&T talent and renowned scientists including laureates of the Nobel Prize and Turing Award to tap into global wisdom on critical issues in the areas of Big Data, AI, quantum computing, biology and new materials, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's status in the international scientific arena. The organiser will also arrange a memoranda of understanding signing ceremony at the event signifying the intention of I&T enterprises from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Xiongan area to land in Hong Kong, as well as the launching ceremony of the Hong Kong Joint Development Fund for Innovation and Technology to promote quality development of Hong Kong via investment in I&T enterprises.

Other major industry events during the BIT Week include HKTDC's Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and Smart Lighting Expo, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s Elevator Pitching Competition, and the Hong Kong Web3 Festival co-hosted by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and HashKey Group and organised by W3ME, all contributing to the prosperous development of Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem and greater synergies.

Details of the BIT Week events can be found at bitweek.hktdc.com/en.

Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Sha Tin today

The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened on a construction site in Sha Tin this morning (November 5). While washing vehicle tyres on the vehicular lane at a site entrance, a female worker was run over by a grab lorry to death. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to the deceased’s family members.

The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending any work on the vehicular lane at the site. The contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."

The spokesman added, "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if any violations are found during the investigation."

To prevent workers from being struck by vehicles, the LD reminds employers to take adequate precautionary measures, including placing suitable barriers to segregate workers from vehicular lanes. If setting up barriers is not feasible, employers shall ensure that workers keep a safe working distance from vehicles. In addition, employers shall provide reflective vests to workers and ensure their proper use.

The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.

In regard to today's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application "OSH 2.0", website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should also co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

Source: AI-found images