Hong Kong Launches Low Altitude Economy Forum to Explore Innovation and Collaboration Opportunities

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (June 27) hosted the inaugural Hong Kong Low Altitude Economy Forum themed "Dream to the Sky". The forum brought together leaders from government, industry, academia and research sectors to explore policy direction, technological development and application prospects of the low-altitude economy (LAE). Topics discussed included regulatory frameworks, cross-boundary collaboration and infrastructure support, showcasing Hong Kong's progress in innovation and new industrial development. The forum attracted over 250 local and international stakeholders.

The LAE is one of the key policy initiatives announced in the "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address". The Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy was established under the leadership of the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, to promote institutional innovation, technology implementation, and industry ecosystem building.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Wong said that developing a low-altitude economy has to be a joint effort. The Government will act as a facilitator and enabler, and will continue to move at a fast pace. He noted that the low-altitude economy has strong synergy with other sectors of the economy, stimulating growth and driving positive changes. The total impact and benefits to society, he said, will be greater than the sum of its parts.

The forum featured updates on multiple policy initiatives, including the launch of the first batch of Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects, and the direction of upcoming legislative amendments to civil aviation regulations covering higher-payload and passenger-carrying unmanned aerial systems, to fuel the future development of Advanced Air Mobility.

The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan said, "Our LAE Regulatory Sandbox, covering a wide range of fields, including emergency rescue, logistics, infrastructure inspection and surveillance, is more than just a testing ground. It is a launch pad for transformative technologies that will shape the future of urban mobility, logistics, and public services. These diverse applications demonstrate the remarkable versatility of low-altitude technologies and showcase how unmanned systems can solve unique urban challenges while creating new economic opportunities. Hong Kong's unique strengths, such as our professional services in airspace management, technology integration and specialised insurance, make it an ideal hub for the development of LAE. Looking forward, we will continue to leverage these advantages to create a regional ecosystem where businesses and researchers in the LAE field can thrive."

The forum also highlighted the immense growth potential of the low-altitude industry value chain and the critical role of government-industry-academia-research collaboration in driving innovation. Three thematic panel discussions explored topics such as low-altitude technology and innovation, infrastructure development and safety management, as well as diverse application scenarios including logistics, emergency response and urban planning, fostering cross-sector knowledge exchanges and partnerships.

The Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "The LAE represents not only a strategic emerging industry; it showcases the harnessing of new quality productive forces. It will be a new growth engine for Hong Kong, and we have taken bold steps to realise this vision. Through this forum, we will illustrate how low-altitude solutions are reshaping industry paradigms, from smart logistics to urban air mobility. InvestHK will continue to attract and support overseas and Mainland companies, leveraging Hong Kong's role as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' to jointly build a forward-looking and competitive low-altitude economy ecosystem."

Speakers at the forum included representatives from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Cyberport, and CLP Power Hong Kong. Participants shared insights on cutting-edge research and real-world applications. Many noted that Hong Kong’s strong research foundation, sound institutional support, and mature cross-sector collaboration provide a solid base for advancing industrial applications and regional integration in the low altitude sector, further positioning the city as a driving force for low altitude innovation across Asia.

Deputy Dean, Lower Air Space Economy Research Institute, International Digital Economy Academy, Mr Victor Chen remarked, "The low-altitude economy offers vast potential in transportation, emergency services, and logistics etc. We prioritise synchronised research and development alongside policy innovation, particularly in cross-border collaboration and regulatory standards, where Hong Kong's position as an international hub makes it a pivotal catalyst for industry growth."

Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Division of Integrative Systems and Design and Director of the Low Altitude Economy Research Center, HKUST, Professor Mo Li, stated, "The advancement of the low-altitude economy is heavily dependent on sophisticated artificial intelligence and automation systems. At HKUST, we are actively researching drone navigation, airspace management, and cross-platform collaboration technologies. Through close partnerships between academia and industry, we aim to drive the practical application of low-altitude technologies, injecting fresh impetus into the development of smart cities."

The Managing Director of GODO Innovation Technology HK Limited, Ms Joanne Wu, commented, "Hong Kong's strengths in regulatory support, testing environments, and market connectivity, particularly through the regulatory sandbox, enable swift implementation and validation of innovative solutions, providing opportunities for product optimisation and commercial expansion. We look forward to collaborating with government and research institutions to build a world-class low-altitude innovation ecosystem."

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK hosts inaugural Low Altitude Economy Forum - government, industry, academia and research join forces to drive development of Hong Kong's low-altitude innovation ecosystem Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Housing Authority's estimated PRH allocation for 2026/27 records yearly increase of over 6 000 flats with estimated number of flats to be allocated to PRH applicants reaching 10-year high

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

The Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (June 18) approved the estimated public rental housing (PRH) allocation for 2026-27 and noted the actual allocation in 2025-26.

Estimated allocation surges as public housing production heads for breakthroughs

A spokesman for the HA said that the HA's actual allocation in 2025-26 has reached a total of 28 280 flats. Under the current-term Government's unremitting efforts to "enhance speed, quantity, quality and efficiency", the PRH production forecasts in 2026-27 will significantly increase by 44 per cent (i.e. about 6 900 flats) as compared with the previous year, bringing the estimated number of PRH flats available for allocation to approximately 34 500 (including about 14 600 new flats and about 19 900 recovered flats). The overall estimates are over 15 per cent higher than the estimates in 2025-26, of which the number of new flats has increased by 66 per cent (i.e. about 5 800) in comparison with the previous year.

Among the flats available for allocation in 2026-27, 26 750 flats (i.e. 77.5 per cent) will be allocated to PRH applicants. This represents an increase of over 70 per cent as compared with the annual average of 15 700 flats for the past three years before the current-term Government assumed office. Meanwhile, the estimated number of flats to be allocated to PRH applicants has reached a 10-year high.

Sufficient flats reserved for clearance and redevelopment

As regards other categories of applicants, the HA will reserve 1 300 flats for rehousing residents affected by clearance projects planned by various departments, and residents affected by other Government's squatter clearances, emergency clearances, unauthorised rooftop structure clearances and so forth. Among them, 300 flats will be set aside for rehousing residents affected by the Urban Renewal Authority's redevelopment projects scheduled for 2026-27.

Meanwhile, the HA will also reserve 1 150 flats under the category of the HA's Estate Clearance and Major Repairs to facilitate the clearance programmes of Wah Fu Estate, Choi Hung Estate, Sai Wan Estate and Ma Tau Wai Estate.

Making every effort to cater for Compassionate Rehousing and flexibly reserve flats to meet transfer needs

In the past, the HA has long handled all demands for Compassionate Rehousing (CR) as recommended by the Social Welfare Department without setting any upper limit. The HA will reserve 300 flats for allocation under the CR category in 2026-27.

Under the category of Transfers, an estimate of 4 000 flats will be reserved for various transfer purposes in 2026-27, among which a quota of 1 300 will be used for the transfer of under-occupation households so that more large flats can be recovered for easing the pressing demand of applicants with four or more household members. Moreover, the HA will reserve around 1 000 flats for the Transfer Scheme for Improving the Living Environment. The remaining 1 700 flats will be flexibly deployed for other transfer purposes, including Special Transfer, the Harmonious Families Transfer Scheme and transfers under the Full Rent Exemption Scheme for Elderly Households.

For the category of Junior Civil Servants, the HA will continue to reserve 1 000 flats under the Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme in 2026-27.

Efficient use of resources for flexible allocation

The HA makes annual projections of the supply of PRH flats that can be allocated in the coming year and how such flats will be allocated to the various categories of demands. The HA will closely monitor any changes in society and maintain flexibility in the allocation of PRH flats to optimise the use of resources.

The breakdown of estimated allocations for various categories in 2026-27 is available in the Annex.

Source: AI-found images