HKICT Awards 2024 Celebrates Innovation and Introduces Best Use of AI Award

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 (with photos/video)

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 today (November 22):

Professor Qin (Chairman of the Grand Judging Panel of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 and the President of Lingnan University, Professor Joe Qin), 萬寧副部長 (the Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning), Dong (Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong), ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. I am pleased to join you tonight, for the annual, and much anticipated, Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards Presentation Ceremony. Let me first congratulate the winners, and finalists of this prestigious award. Your dedicationandachievementsare an inspiration to practitioners, entrepreneurs and students, to the innovation and technology industries, and to us all.

For 18 years now, the HKICT Awards has celebrated the exceptional achievements of individuals and organisations in a diversity of sectors and businesses.They put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable talent, creativity and dedication of people seeking to harness technology to reinvent products and services, to improve efficiency, to offer better care to the needy, and ultimately to make our lives and the world better.

In just a few minutes, we'll know all about those elite achievers - and their innovative applications and solutions.

This year's award, I'm pleased to note, introducesa new "Best Use of AI Award" in all eightcategories,to recognise and honourthe efforts of those harnessing the power of AI (artificial intelligence) to transformourbusinesses andways of living.

The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government, too, believes in the vast potential of AI. It is a sweeping force in boosting productivity and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy. We believe AI can become a strategic pillar of our innovation and technology sector. Andwe have been working on multiple fronts to make it thrive.That includessupporting R&D (research and development), nurturing start-ups, fostering cross-boundary and cross-industry collaboration, attracting strategic enterprises,and building the related infrastructure, includinga supercomputing centre.

But above all, it is people and talent thatmatter,if we are to realise this vision. We mustraise the AI literacy and preparedness of ourcommunity. That has to take a whole-of-society approach,starting withchildren’s education,integrating AI into school and university curricula, and supporting the training of professionals and continuous learning.

My thanks to the organisers of the Hong Kong ICT Awards,andto the high-profile judges of the eight award categories. Your expertise and commitment to excellence can only inspire the continuing growth and success of our innovation and technology industry - and the economy, and community, of Hong Kong.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy this very special evening and the good company all about you.

Thank you.

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police kick off fifth cohort of Leadership Institute on Narcotics

The Hong Kong Police Force today (March 7) launched the fifth cohort of the Leadership Institute on Narcotics (L.I.O.N.), a dedicated programme to nurture young anti-drug leaders.

Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, said that the abuse of etomidate in recent years has posed challenges to anti-drug efforts, reflecting the ever-changing drug scene. As such, the programme curriculum of L.I.O.N. must keep abreast of the times. In addition to training courses covering leadership skills, drug-related legal and medical knowledge, publicity and media response techniques, and adventure-based training, L.I.O.N. has also incorporated generative artificial intelligence training this year to equip mentees with skills to apply innovative technologies for creating impactful anti-drug projects. The Chinese Mainland exchange tour will also be extended to three days and two nights this year, enabling mentees to engage in in-depth exchanges in the Greater Bay Area and broaden their horizons.

He added that this year marks the fifth anniversary of L.I.O.N.’s establishment, and a series of large-scale promotional activities will be launched, including the “L.I.O.N.–mobile”, an anti-drug short video competition, and a large-scale anti-drug carnival, showcasing the creative achievements of mentees of the current and past cohorts, and further promoting a drug-free culture to the community.

Mr Chow expressed his appreciation to the Hong Kong Youth Development Alliance, executive committee members of the past cohorts, professional trainers, as well as school principals and teachers for their support and contributions to L.I.O.N.. He encouraged mentees of the new cohort to cherish every learning opportunity, and work together with all sectors to build a drug-free society.

At the ceremony, awardees from the fourth cohort shared their valuable insights from the exchange tour to New Zealand in February. They said that the trip deepened their understanding of how anti-drug messages were disseminated there through publicity, education and community involvement, which would help them continue to fulfill their mission as anti-drug leaders in the future.

Established by the Police Narcotics Bureau in 2021, L.I.O.N. brings together various community sectors and annually recruits 80 secondary students and 20 undergraduates as mentees. Through various training activities, visits, as well as exchange tours, L.I.O.N. nurtures young people as anti-drug leaders to disseminate anti-drug messages in the community.

Police kick off fifth cohort of Leadership Institute on Narcotics Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police kick off fifth cohort of Leadership Institute on Narcotics Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police kick off fifth cohort of Leadership Institute on Narcotics Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police kick off fifth cohort of Leadership Institute on Narcotics Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases