Constructing Hong Kong Stories: Professionalism & Innovation, Young Talents & Vitality, Sustainability and Liveability

Every day in my first year as Chairman of CIC in 2022 has been very enriching. My diary was filled with stakeholder meetings and visits to construction sites and breeding grounds for innovation and technology. In 2023, all business sectors in Hong Kong are expected to go back to normal gradually. I am sure you all share my hope for having another fruitful year of the construction industry.

CIC Sustainable Construction Award Opens for Application

Sustainable construction is an important issue in addressing climate change. The CIC Sustainable Construction Award targets to recognise good practices in sustainable development of our industry. The Third CIC Sustainable Construction Award is supported by nearly 30 organisations, including the Development Bureau, Environment and Ecology Bureau, Transport and Logistics Bureau and many other government departments, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, industry organisations, enterprises, professional associations, chambers, environmental organisations and more. Application will open early this month, please join us!

Construction Innovation Expo 2022 Recorded Over 21,000 Visits

The Construction Innovation Expo 2022 (CIExpo) , jointly organised by the CIC, the Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government and the Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China (MOHURD), was held in mid-December last year. The Triennial event successfully brought the latest construction technologies to Hong Kong. The 5-day expo had over 170 exhibitors from 15 countries/regions and recorded more than 21,000 visits. The Grand Opening Ceremony was officiated by Mr. John LEE, the Chief Executive of HKSAR, Ms. LU Xinning, Deputy Director, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Mr. ZENG Xianxin, Director-General, Department of Construction Market Supervision of MOHURD, Ms. Bernadette LINN, Secretary for Development, Mr. Ricky LAU, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr. YE Shuiqiu, Deputy Director-General, Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Mr. LIU Xinfeng, Director-General, Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development of MOHURD, together with representatives from the CIC.  Students from Hong Kong Construction Institute and secondary schools attended the event to experience the advanced technology adopted by the industry. They also learnt about the achievements of Hong Kong's public works and the bright prospect of our industry.

The CIExpo venue was divided into 4 thematic zones: “Industrialisation”, “Digitalisation”, “Automation” and “Modernisation”. A wide range of products and technologies were demoed, such as carbon neutrality cloud platform, smart site platform, VR cave automatic virtual environment, MR headsets, robotic dogs, large electric-powered machines, a show flat built using the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) method and pre-approved items sponsored by the Construction Innovation & Technology Fund, they all caught the eyes of the visitors. Site visits were organised to assist industry practitioners in understanding the innovative technologies applied on 8 outstanding local cases, including the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant and the Kai Tak Sports Park.

A total of 7 summits and international conferences were organised during the CIExpo. Renowned experts from Mainland China and overseas were invited to be speakers, they shared their insights and technical knowledge on topics like MiC, construction digitalisation, construction safety & health and green construction. The highlight of the discussions was about the experience of applying MiC in the UK, Singapore and the Greater Bay Area. Memorandums of Understandings were signed with the MOHURD, Cyberport and Huawei Hong Kong respectively during the CIExpo, for the sake of delineating frameworks for cooperation in technological innovation and generating synergy. The conclusion of CIExpo marked a perfect ending for the CIC events in 2022.

Review of CIC’s Works in 2022

The scope of CIC’s work is extensive, here I feature key areas that our industry practitioners care about. I hope we can keep up the efforts and move forward together.

Professionalism and Revitalisation : Raising Standards & Nurturing Talents

• The new registration requirements of “Integrity Management” under the Registered Specialist Trade Contractors Scheme were implemented. New designated trades were included in the scheme: suspended ceiling, tower crane (erecting, dismantling and altering height), and building drainage installation; these measures would promote professional development and create a healthier business environment.
  
  
• A series of master classes were curated to enhance skill sets of industry practitioners. Courses on temporary works and design for safety were offered to increase awareness of site safety; training on Common Data Environment (CDE) and MiC method were also provided to equip our talents with innovative construction techniques. These learnings would brush up on productivity, sustainability and safety.
  
  
• Young talents from the construction industry were invited to participate in the “Hong Kong Youth Development Blueprint Seminar", they were engaged and consulted on future development of the industry. To offer a youth-friendly working environment, their opinions were consolidated into a comprehensive action plan with short, medium and long-term action items.
  
  
• A year-long “Hong Kong Construction Industry Promotion Campaign” was launched to promote a positive image of the industry and attract young talents to join our profession.  Tailored messages were crafted to suit the needs of different groups, activities under the umbrella campaign included school talks, STEAM education portal and establishment of the "Construction Industry Volunteer Team".
  
  
• The first course on “National Affairs for Construction Young Persons” was launched to deepen participants’ understanding of our country’s recent developments and macro policies, broaden their horizons and foster their sense of belonging and national pride.
  
  

Innovation and Digitalisation：Utilizing Technology for Better Quality and Higher Quantity

• The CIC engaged a consultancy firm to draw up the "Improving Time, Cost and Quality Performance of the Hong Kong Construction Industry" recommendation report, and would follow up by drafting action plans according to the 13 strategies in the 4 focus areas of “High Productivity Construction”, “Streamline of Approval Process”, “Driving Adoption of Innovative Technologies” and “Enhancing Project Management & Procurement”.
  
  
• Co-launched the “ConTech Accelerator” with Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, a line-up of 20 leading construction organizations and companies joined as incubatees, aiming at proliferation of sector-wide research, innovation, testing and adoption in construction technology.
  
  
• To enhance the competitiveness of our industry, “CIC Construction Innovation Award 2022” granted 25 awards and certificates of merit to recognise industry practitioners who had great contributions in innovation, productivity, safety enhancement and sustainable architecture.
  
  

Sustainability: Outline Implementation Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality & Strengthen Zero Carbon Public Education

• Key stakeholders were approached to set up the implementation roadmap towards carbon neutrality, collaborating with bodies such as Hong Kong Green Building Council, BEAM Society and Business Environment Council to promote carbon reduction measures to reach the goal of carbon neutrality for Hong Kong in 2050.
  
  
• CIC-Zero Carbon Park co-organized the “ZCP Outdoor Electric Vehicles Exhibition“ with the electric vehicle industry. As the first outdoor electric vehicles exhibition in Hong Kong, it educated the public on zero emission practices.  "CIC-ZCP Minecraft Competition" and "ZCP Green Heroes" Award Badges Programme were introduced in particular to students to motivate participation in carbon reduction activities and learning of carbon neutrality.
  
  

Reviewing the CIC's works done in 2022 is like reading the formula to Hong Kong's future success: professionalism & innovation, young talents & vitality, sustainability and livability. In this new chapter of Hong Kong story, every builder plays the dual role of an author and a protagonist. In 2023, I believe we will continue to work hard and together tell the wonderful story of our beloved city.