Speech by SITI at third InnoHK research cluster launch ceremony
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the third InnoHK research cluster launch ceremony today (September 1):
(Deputy Director-General of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Lyu Feng), Cordelia (Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Ms Cordelia Chung), Kevin (Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Kevin Choi), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you all today at the launch ceremony of the third InnoHK research cluster.
InnoHK is the HKSAR Government's flagship platform for global research collaboration. Over the past several years, two Inno (InnoHK) research clusters have been established, namely Health@InnoHK focusing on healthcare technology, and AIR@InnoHK on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies. The initiative has connected over 30 leading universities and research institutions from 12 economies, bringing together some 3 000 local and international researchers and collaborators. Riding on the success of the first two clusters, we are now building the third one, namely SEAM@InnoHK, which expands our reach to four main areas, namely sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials.
With Government funding of around $2.5 billion under this new cluster, we are proud to set up eight R&D (research and development) centres and partner with about 30 collaborators from the Chinese Mainland and overseas, with research spanning next-generation semiconductors, sustainable energy and innovative materials, space manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies, as well as smart energy management. This initiative echoes the call to drive high-end manufacturing, accelerate growth of strategic emerging industries and deepen the green transition under the national 15th Five-Year Plan.
Hong Kong's unique advantages provide fertile soil for the launch of the SEAM@InnoHK new cluster. We are home to five of the world's top 100 universities and lead globally in several areas, such as engineering, material sciences, and environmental sciences. Hong Kong serves as the "super connector" and "super value-adder" between our nation and the world, attracting global technology enterprises, capital, and world-class talent. By integrating advanced technologies into our local industries, the third research cluster demonstrates our unwavering commitment to promoting cutting-edge research and real-world application of our excellent research outcomes, with a view to accelerating Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology centre.
I am confident that SEAM@InnoHK will generate tangible economic and social benefits, cultivate a new generation of research talent, and contribute to the sustainable development of Hong Kong, our nation, and the world. Thank you.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, today (September 1) speaks at the third InnoHK research cluster launch ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
BugHunting Campaign 2026 opens for applications
The BugHunting Campaign 2026, co-organised by the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force and Cyberbay, a local crowdsourced cybersecurity vulnerability detection platform, opens for registration today (September 1). The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data is the event’s Strategic Partner.
Launched in 2023, the BugHunting Campaign seeks to mitigate cybersecurity challenges stemming from rapid advancement of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) by offering free vulnerability detection services to a broad range of local organisations and enhancing their capacity to recognise and respond effectively to AI-related risks.
The 2026 campaign will run from October this year through February next year. In addition to continuing its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the campaign invites participation from organisations across diverse sectors and categories, with the objective of strengthening Hong Kong’s overall cybersecurity resilience. In the 2025 campaign, a total of 185 organisations participated, resulting in the successful identification of 223 system vulnerabilities.
With the extensive application of AI, a number of organisations have begun implementing Agentic AI solutions that possess the capacity to autonomously plan tasks, invoke tools, and integrate across multiple systems. Such deployments, however, may give rise to new risks. BugHunting Campaign 2026 will continue to adopt a bug bounty-based vulnerability detection model, intergrating AI-assisted screening technologies with the expertise of cybersecurity professionals to provide free vulnerability detection services for participating organisations. Security reviews will be conducted on AI-enabled applications, including chatbots, workflow automation, internal knowledge bases and tool-using AI agents. These measures will enable the organisations to identify risks at an early stage, thereby mitigating the risk of data leakage and exposure to cyber attacks.
The co-organiser, Cyberbay, will continue to adopt a real-name identity and credential verification mechanism that aligns with banking-grade security standards. All recruited cybersecurity professionals will be required to undergo technical assessments and background checks. Only those who are qualified will be permitted to deliver vulnerability detection services to participating organisations.
Participating organisations will receive comprehensive assessment reports together with complimentary one-on-one professional consultation services to facilitate a clear understanding of the findings and the implementation of recommended improvements, including security configuration, internal governance and risk controls for agentic AI deployments. In addition, employees of participating organisations may receive cybersecurity awareness training designed to strengthen their information security awareness and response capability, with particular emphasis on identifying AI-generated content, mitigating deepfake-related risks, and increasing vigilance against social engineering and investment scams.
BugHunting Campaign 2026 is now open for registration until October 31. SMEs and organisations are welcome to participate. Further details of the campaign and registration arrangements are available on the relevant websites: (cyberdefender.hk/en-us/bughuntingcampaign2026) and (cyberbay.tech/bughunting-campaign-2026).
BugHunting Campaign 2026 opens for applications Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
