The International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 opened today.
Themed on “Building Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure”, the conference takes place on two consecutive days at the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
Over 30 Mainland, overseas and local experts in road and railway development and industry leaders leading nearly 700 participants to jointly explore the latest worldwide practices and technological advancements of smart and green transport infrastructure, as well as the development direction of future major transport infrastructure in Hong Kong.
Officiating at the ceremony, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in the era of rapid technological advancement and growing climate urgency, the infrastructure has to be built smarter and greener, and the key strategy amidst is the planning approach of transit-oriented development which integrates high-density urban development with efficient public transport systems.
Mr Chan noted that Hong Kong is happy to share the experiences on professional knowledge and expertise in transport infrastructure with the world. Taking the Northern Metropolis as an example, he mentioned that the development of this future major innovation and technology hub of Hong Kong with a projected population of 2.5 million and over 650,000 new jobs will be infrastructure-led and capacity-creating.
He indicated that Hong Kong is committed to making the transport systems smarter and greener, and the Government also invests heavily in technology areas, including Artifical Intelligence (AI) and robotics, new energy and new materials, and more; they will contribute to enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the transportation system.
The finance chief also pointed out that Hong Kong is Asia’s leading green bond market, accounting for nearly half of the region’s total issuance. The city is also pioneering innovative financing models to unlock capital for global infrastructure development.
In her keynote speech, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan said that the vision of the Government is to be committed to establishing a diverse and highly efficient public transport and road system, and promoting cross-boundary integration with the Greater Bay Area through the planning principles of infrastructure-led and capacity-building.
She emphasised that the Government adopts a policy innovation and technological innovation dual-innovation mindset and approach in actively reviewing the regulatory frameworks, administrative procedures, design standards, guidelines, etc to enhance the efficiency and quality of transport infrastructure, and applying advanced technologies to reshape road and railway development, thereby enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of transport infrastructure development, with a view to realising the vision of building a livable, competitive and sustainable Hong Kong.
During the conference, Ms Chan also had an interaction session with young engineers to understand the visions and expectations of the new blood in the industry regarding infrastructure development in Hong Kong, and share with them experiences on formulation of related policies.
She also visited industry booths at the venue to understand the application of the latest technologies in construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure.
Furthermore, visits to the works sites of the Central Kowloon Route and the MTR Tung Chung Line Extension will respectively be arranged for the participants on June 14 to understand the unique challenges and solutions on planning and construction of major roads and railway systems.
Click here for the conference details.
