The 48th WorldSkills Competition recently drew to a successful close in Shanghai. This year, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) dispatched nine young competitors across eight trades, bringing home three Medallions for Excellence—the best-ever result for the CIC. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our award-winning competitors and thank all participants for their dedication and perseverance. Not only have they proven that Hong Kong’s younger generation is more than capable of reaching international standards, but they have also showcased the true spirit of craftsmanship on the global stage. As these young talents grow, their pursuit of excellence will be carried onto construction sites, where it will merge with technology to build a smart future for Hong Kong’s construction industry.
WorldSkills Success: Championing the Artisans of Tomorrow
Across four days of intense competition, CIC’s competitors demonstrated exceptional expertise, ultimately clinching Medallions for Excellence in three trades: Concrete Construction Work, Painting and Decorating, and Welding. Notably, this marks Hong Kong’s first-ever WorldSkills honour in Concrete Construction Work, while our Welding talent secured a Medallion for Excellence for the third consecutive time. Watching from the sidelines in Shanghai, I witnessed our competitors keeping their cool under immense pressure, executing every single step with pinpoint precision. Their refined skills and unyielding grit are a testament to the world-class standards of Hong Kong’s construction industry. I am immensely proud of these young professionals; they are the driving force behind our sector’s future innovation. I look forward to seeing them become role models for their peers, inspiring a new generation to contribute to national development through professional skills.
Seeing the professionalism and artistry of the competitors first-hand reinforced my deep conviction that skilled talent remains the bedrock of the construction industry. After all, technology is only as effective as the people who wield it. The experience our competitors gained in the arena will be brought back to our jobsites, serving as a catalyst for the practical adoption of new technologies. They have also sent a resounding message to society: vocational skills can forge a rewarding career, and skilled artisans hold a vital place in our community. Through WorldSkills, we hope to elevate public recognition of professional trades, empowering more young people to carve out their own paths to success through talent and hard work, while injecting fresh perspectives and new momentum into the industry.
CIC also leveraged the WorldSkills platform to showcase a wide array of Hong Kong’s construction technologies to the world, placing traditional craftsmanship side by side with cutting-edge innovation. This synergy between human skill and smart technology is precisely where the future of Hong Kong’s construction industry lies.
Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Construction Robotics Competition: Accelerating On-Site Adoption
To fast-track the adoption of robotics on site, CIC once again joined hands with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Intelligent Construction Industry Development Alliance—under the guidance of the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province and the Development Bureau—to co-organise the “Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Construction Robotics Competition 2026”. The Hong Kong leg concluded successfully in late September at the Hong Kong Institute of Construction (HKIC) Sheung Shui Campus. The event attracted 28 enterprises from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and overseas, putting 34 construction robots through their paces across nine categories: drilling robots, welding robots, material-handling robots, painting and spraying robots, robotic dogs, drones (indoor inspection), drones (outdoor inspection), surveying and setting-out robots, remote control tower crane systems.
The judging panel comprised government representatives and industry veterans. I also had the pleasure of serving as a judge for the welding and drilling categories, observing the robots in action first-hand. Robots competed in a simulated site environment. For example, in the welding category, robots were required to meet the same welding standards applied on construction sites, with completed welds verified through Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) by an accredited independent laboratory to confirm their suitability for engineering applications. In the drilling category, a simulated work-at-height environment was used to assess the robots' automated construction capabilities and their ability to detect and respond to reinforcement bars. The competition evaluated not only operational speed, but also whether the robots could meet industry standards in construction quality, precision, safety performance, and the execution of critical construction processes. Herein lies the true value of the competition: it prioritises real-world application, moving robotics from the exhibition floor onto actual construction sites to boost safety, productivity, and efficiency in live projects.
Hailing from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and overseas, many of the competing robots have already been deployed in major engineering works—ranging from key infrastructure projects in Mainland cities to public works and private developments in Hong Kong. This underscores Hong Kong’s unique position as both a “super-connector” and a “super value-adder”. As technology continues to reshape how we build, CIC will keep championing the practical deployment of construction robotics, helping outstanding solutions tap into the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF), and driving the alignment of industry standards. Doing so will help more robotics and smart technologies take root locally and expand into global markets, propelling our sector’s digital transformation.
Running alongside the competition was the “Construction Robotics Interactive Themed Exhibition”, which drew over 1,000 registered visitors throughout the day, including nearly 600 industry stakeholders and professionals, as well as over 360 students. Guided by specialist docents, visitors explored the functions and real-world applications of various robots and tried them out first-hand. It is truly encouraging to see such keen interest from the industry, academia, and the public—an enthusiasm that is vital for both popularising technology and nurturing future talent.
The rise of robotics does not pit humans against machines. On the construction sites of tomorrow, skilled personnel will work hand in glove with smarter tools. Robots are there to take on high-risk and repetitive tasks, freeing up our frontline workers to focus on areas that require human judgement and seasoned experience. CIC will continue to champion human-machine collaboration, turning robots into trusted partners for our frontline workers as we build a safer, smarter construction industry together.
