BTRi Seminar Concluded - Building a Future-Ready Hong Kong: AI, Robotics, and Advanced Technologies for Infrastructure Development

The Building Technology Research Institute (BTRi) successfully hosted the BTRi Seminar, with the theme “Building a Future-Ready Hong Kong: AI, Robotics, and Advanced Technologies for Infrastructure Development” on 25 March 2026. The Seminar brought together more than 150 representatives from government, academia and industry to explore how advanced technologies can be applied in a practical, disciplined, and scalable manner, to support the delivery of infrastructure that is truly future-ready. 

Ir WONG Kwok Fai, Alfred, Chief Executive Officer of BTRi, stated in his speech: “BTRi, as an innovation proponent, is dedicated to translating advanced technologies — including artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics — into real-life application. We actively support Government policy directives and are driving AI adoption by turning policy into practice, shaping the technical standards for a safe, consistent, and scalable future for Hong Kong’s infrastructure.” 

Ir Wong Kwok Fai, Alfred, CEO of BTRi, delivered an opening speech at the Seminar 

The first panel discussion, “From Vision to Reality: Policy, Standards, and Industry Readiness”, explored how policy directions, technical standards, and procurement approaches can drive the widespread adoption of AI, robotics, and advanced technologies through collaboration across government, industry, and academia. A key takeaway emerged: beyond policy support, a standardised framework and a robust evaluation mechanism are essential for enabling the industry to adopt new technologies more broadly and reliably. 

Ir LEE Tai On, Section Head (Applied Research and Development), BTRi (First left); Mr POON Hiu Tung, Felix, Chief Assistant Secretary (Works) 1, Project Strategy and Governance Office, Development Bureau (DEVB) (Second left); Mr LAI Chun Fai, Alex, Chief Engineer (Digitalisation & Technology), Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (Third left); Prof LU Wilson WS, Chair Professor (Digital Construction) and Head, Department of Real Estate and Construction, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong (Middle); Ir Dr CHONG Wang Hei, Bruce, Fellow and Director, Climate & Sustainability Group, Arup (Third right); Mr Alvis KONG, Partner, Strategy and Economic Advisory, Deloitte China (Second right), Ir Wong Kwok Fai, Alfred, CEO of BTRi (First right). 

The second panel discussion, “From Challenges to Success: Practical Strategies for Advanced Technologies Adoption,” focused on the practical challenges associated with integrating AI and robotics into daily operations. Panelists emphasised that upskilling frontline teams, driving management-level change, and embedding new technologies into routine workflows are critical to moving beyond isolated pilot projects towards industry-wide adoption. 

Ar FONG Chi Hang, Colin, Section Head (Accreditation, Certification and Testing), BTRi (First left); Prof CHENG Chin Pang, Jack, Associate Head and Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (Second left); Mr Wisdom CHAN, Executive Director, Digital & Technology, Asia, Asia Infrastructure Solutions (Third left); Mr WONG Chi Pan, Billy, General Manager, ConTech & Innovation Division, Hip Hing Construction Company Limited (Middle); Mr SHAO Ruizhe, Assistant President, China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited (Third right); Dr LIANG Haobo, Associate Director, Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics (Second right), Ir Wong Kwok Fai, Alfred, CEO of BTRi (First right).

Building on the insights from the seminar, BTRi will strengthen collaboration across government, industry, and academia, bridging policy with practice to accelerate the real-world adoption of AI, robotics, and advanced technologies, and position Hong Kong as a global benchmark for infrastructure excellence. 

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