LEAP East 2026 Launches in Hong Kong, Showcasing Global Innovation and Technology Collaboration

2026-07-08 21:22 Last Updated At：21:38

LEAP East 2026 opens to deepen I&T co-operation between Middle East and Hong Kong

LEAP East 2026 officially opened today (July 8) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, attended the opening ceremony alongside Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alswaha, to welcome more than 35 000 participants in the conference, including 340 speakers and 450 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions.

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LEAP East 2026 opens to deepen I&T co-operation between Middle East and Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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LEAP East 2026 opens to deepen I&T co-operation between Middle East and Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In his remarks, Mr Chan welcomed the inaugural LEAP East to Hong Kong, marking the first LEAP conference held outside Saudi Arabia. He said the event underscored the deepening partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, and highlighted Hong Kong's role as a unique gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland with the world. He is pleased to note that LEAP East will continue to be held in Hong Kong for the next three years.

Mr Chan outlined Hong Kong's strengths as an ideal base for innovation, including its common law system, strong intellectual property protection, free flow of capital, goods, talent and data, simple and low tax regime, and safe and stable business environment.

He set out three key strategies underpinning Hong Kong's innovation development: leveraging "Finance+" through vibrant capital markets, venture capital and private equity, and government investment support; advancing "AI+" by developing artificial intelligence as a strategic industry and applying it across sectors; and integrating technology, talent, education and industry through the Northern Metropolis and deeper collaboration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Mr Chan also invited Saudi and Gulf enterprises to use Hong Kong as an international fundraising and risk-management platform, and expressed HKSAR's commitment to further strengthening co-operation with Saudi Arabia in innovation, infrastructure, green technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and professional services. Mr Chan remarked that he plans to lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia again later this year, bringing leading companies in infrastructure, green tech, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, plus professionals in the finance, investment and professional services sector, to explore concrete projects and further partnership.

The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) is the Hong Kong Government Partner of LEAP East 2026. Professor Sun in his speech thanked Saudi Arabia for extending the technology conference to Hong Kong, recalling his 2024 visit to Riyadh that sparked I&T collaboration.

Professor Sun mentioned that Hong Kong is building a comprehensive I&T ecosystem with strategic focuses on life and health technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as advanced manufacturing and energy. He highlighted the city's strong R&D capabilities, for instance, the flagship InnoHK platform's 38 laboratories are in collaboration with over 30 top-notch research institutions from around the world. He also cited rapid digital infrastructure development, including the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, which is set to provide 180,000 PFLOPS of computing power by 2032 — a 36fold increase from the current level that will position Hong Kong as an international data hub. To accelerate R&D commercialisation and new industrialisation, the Government has committed over USD3.8 billion through three HK$10 billion funding schemes.

Professor Sun highlighted Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" for international exchanges. Emphasising Hong Kong's unparalleled advantages of strong support from the Motherland while remaining closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems," he positioned the city as an ideal gateway for both Mainland enterprises going global and Saudi and Middle Eastern firms accessing Chinese and other Asian markets, reaffirming Hong Kong's readiness to partner globally for a sustainable, innovative future.

After the opening ceremony, Mr Chan and Professor Sun toured the LEAP East's exhibition and visited the Hong Kong Pavilion. Professor Sun also met with Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alswaha, to exchange views on I&T collaborations between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.

The three-day LEAP East 2026 will be held from July 8 to 10, featuring a diverse range of technological fields including artificial intelligence, deep tech, smart cities, and new energy industries. The event aims to build an integrated ecosystem for investors and startups and to promote cross-border industrial collaboration. The ITIB set up the Hong Kong Pavilion to showcase the I&T development and achievements of Hong Kong.

Singapore-Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries Exchange Program Fosters Collaboration on Key Policy Areas and Development Opportunities.

8th Singapore-Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries Exchange Programme concludes successfully

The 8th Singapore-Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries Exchange Programme, attended by the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Ms Shirley Lam, together with six Permanent Secretaries of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, successfullyconcluded today (July 8). The Permanent Secretaries who also attended included the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li; the Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands), Ms Doris Ho; the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Kevin Choi; the Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms May Chan; the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Angela Lee; and the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Vic Yau.

This morning, the delegation met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore, Mr Gan Kim Yong, and the Coordinating Minister for Public Services of Singapore, Mr Chan Chun Sing, respectively. They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, such as on development projects of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Northern Metropolis, which present further cooperation opportunities between Hong Kong and Singapore.

Upon arrival in Singapore the day before yesterday (July 6), Ms Lam had a meeting with the Head of Civil Service of Singapore, Mr Chan Heng Kee, to exchange views on civil service management. The Permanent Secretaries of the delegation also had separate meetings with several Permanent Secretaries of Singapore to discuss respective policy areas such as youth development, land planning, innovation and technology, education, trade and transport.

Yesterday (July 7), the delegation had a roundtable discussion with a number of Permanent Secretaries of Singapore to share their latest policies and experience on three key topics, namely AI, citizen engagement and urban planning. Ms Lam said that Hong Kong and Singapore share many similarities, and that the roundtable discussion provided an important platform for civil service leaders of both sides to engage in in-depth and candid exchanges on the common challenges and opportunities, draw reference from each other and explore new areas for collaboration.

While in Singapore, the delegation also visited Punggol for on-site inspections of the Punggol Digital District and One Punggol. They toured the Dawson Estate, a public housing project, and the Gardens by the Bay.

Summing up the three-day Exchange Programme, Ms Lam expressed her gratitude to the Singapore Government for its meticulous arrangement, which enabled the civil services from both sides to engage in in-depth andfrank discussions across various policy areas and to gain inspiration from one another. Following the 7th Exchange Programme hosted by the HKSAR Government in 2023, this delegation visit to Singapore underscores the solid collaborative relationship between the civil services of both places and marks a key milestonein their shared pursuit of excellence in public service. She noted that amid today's ever-changing geopolitical environment, it is particularly important for the two governments to continue deepening their co-operation. She said she looks forward to sustaining this positive spirit of collaboration with Singapore through the Exchange Programme and across various policy domains and occasions, thereby propelling both places to new heights of development.

The delegation of Permanent Secretaries of the HKSAR Government departed for Singapore on July 6, and completed the itinerary before departing for Hong Kong this afternoon.

LEAP East 2026 Launches in Hong Kong, Showcasing Global Innovation and Technology Collaboration

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