Hong Kong Launches First Smart Catering Robot for Automated Meal Services

InvestHK and FEHD collaborate to support Mainland enterprise in launching Hong Kong's first smart catering robot

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (March 15) announced that the department has collaborated with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to facilitate China Resources Enterprise Property Investment Company Limited (CREP) in launching Hong Kong's first smart catering robot. The robotic system provides instantly prepared hot meals around the clock, with fully automated operations that handle ordering, reheating and meal dispensing, applying AI technology to local food and beverage retail scenarios.

The Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "InvestHK has always maintained close communication and collaboration with government bureaux and departments to continuously enhance Hong Kong's business environment. The latest Budget emphasises on promoting the industrialisation of AI and encouraging its wider adoption. We are very pleased to see these technologies being adopted in the catering industry, opening up new directions for smart retail. This project also fully demonstrates the result of cross-departmental collaboration in facilitating the successful implementation of innovative technologies while ensuring compliance with local regulations and food safety requirements. I look forward to seeing more companies leverage Hong Kong's business advantages to further expand its presence in the city and across the Asia-Pacific region."

The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Donald Ng, said, "The FEHD has always encouraged and facilitated innovation in the catering industry to bring more diverse dining experiences to the public, while safeguarding food safety and public hygiene. For this project, the FEHD maintained close communication with the relevant companies, providing guidance on legal requirements and hygiene standards to facilitate their acquisition of the necessary food business licences. I am pleased to see the smooth implementation of this project and look forward to more technological applications in the catering industry in the future to continuously elevate service standards."

Deputy General Manager of CREP Mr Zhang Linjun said, "CREP is committed to building a one-stop overseas expansion service platform to help Mainland brands establish a presence in Hong Kong and explore business opportunities. Leveraging our two decades of resources and experiences in Hong Kong's commercial market, we have assisted Mainland companies in establishing their technological and business operations in Hong Kong. We have also developed a deep partnership with InvestHK to promote the application of innovative technologies in the catering sector, while tackling daily challenges in the industry. This initiative will offer Hong Kong residents more diverse dining options in various scenarios, including remote areas, busy districts and late-night hours. Going forward, we will further expand the scope of co-operation to help the smart catering business form a scaled operational network."

Named the "Hey Food Smart Catering Robot", the initiative is officially launched in Hong Kong by CREP, integrating innovative technological solutions from the Mainland with local business expertise. Founded in 2000, CREP currently owns a portfolio of commercial properties in core business districts and community neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. The company has continuously optimised its property portfolio and has actively explored investment and operational opportunities in retail real estate. In recent years, by building a one-stop overseas expansion service platform, CREP has assisted Mainland enterprise brands and products in going global, while providing higher quality services and products for Hong Kong.

For more information about the smart catering robot, please visit CREP at: www.crep.com.hk.

InvestHK and FEHD collaborate to support Mainland enterprise in launching Hong Kong's first smart catering robot Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK and FEHD collaborate to support Mainland enterprise in launching Hong Kong's first smart catering robot Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

InvestHK and FEHD collaborate to support Mainland enterprise in launching Hong Kong's first smart catering robot Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Remarks by SFST on enhanced regulation of licensed money lenders at media session

Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (March 15):

Reporter: About the money lenders regulations, so what are the impacts of these new measures that you are expected? The second question is regarding the Middle East situation. Can you recap in English, what's the situation's impact on Hong Kong's, especially financial and family office business? And how would it affect the foreign investment? Thank you.

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury: In response to your first question about the measures that we put together in the money lenders regime. I would say that the proposed measures that we have are very targeted in terms of issues that we need to deal with. I think one of the issues that we come across very often is that many households are being used as referees in some of these lending activities of their domestic helpers. So that's why from August 1 this year, we require that no more such requirement can be imposed on in the lending activities, in a sense that no referee will be required in such lending activities with a view to protecting our citizens.

Secondly, I would say, in terms of the overall approach that we take to deal with this money lending regime is that we are applying a rather equivalent requirement, not just to domestic helpers but everybody with a monthly income below $12,000. In this regard, we have applied a ratio which is applicable to the proportion of money on a monthly basis that need to repay the debt, and at the same time to make sure that all the lenders in this regime will be able to share information such that there's no one single individual who try to borrow from different lenders can circumvent the requirement.

In response to your second question about how we see the Middle East. As you all can see, on the financial services side, the stability, the safety and also sophistication of financial centre are more robust than ever in terms of how we are being viewed internationally and also domestically. That's why against this backdrop, we are proposing some measures to strengthen our role as an asset and wealth management centre in the current regime where many investors would like to diversify their investments. And that's why we have a law in place to be proposed to the legislature with a view to extending the tax concession that we are going to give to family offices and also to the funds that are eligible, in such a way that they will be qualified for tax concession for a wider spectrum of products. At the same time, in two weeks' time, we are going to launch our annual Wealth for Good Summit for family offices such that we can bring these advantages to the international family office ecosystem. As we gather from Invest Hong Kong, in fact a few of the Middle Eastern families are already in town, trying to anticipate our event and at the same time to know more about what we have to offer for family offices and also corporate investors in terms of our asset management businesses.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: AI-found images