Speech by CE at Construction Innovation Expo 2022 Grand Opening Ceremony
13.12.2022

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Construction Innovation Expo 2022 Grand Opening Ceremony today (December 13): Deputy Director Lu Xinning (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Director-General Zeng Xianxin (Director-General of the Department of Construction Market Supervision of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, Mr Zeng Xianxin), Mr Thomas Ho (Chairman of the Construction Industry Council), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I'm very delighted to welcome you, in person or online, to the Construction Innovation Expo in Hong Kong. This five-day international exposition - featuring conferences, summits and a major product exhibition - spotlights one of the world's largest and most consequential industries. What we build, after all, ends up building us: our economies, our communities, our families. Our future. Construction is Hong Kong's fifth-largest employer, contributing more than 4 per cent of our GDP. And those numbers are destined to soar, down the road. Hong Kong's annual construction volume is expected to grow to more than HK$300 billion, equivalent to around US$38 billion, in the years ahead. If we are to realise the value of construction, innovation must drive its future. This Expo puts a big, bright spotlight on innovation - on the materials, methods and technologies applied, on the products and services used, on the productivity and sustainability we bring to construction. I am pleased to note the signing, in just a few minutes, of two MOUs (memorandums of understanding) on industry innovation, both involving our Construction Industry Council. The first, with the Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, targets innovative construction technology; the second, with Huawei, promotes technological exchange in construction. The GBA Construction Summit, later this afternoon, will examine opportunities to advance industry co-operation between Hong Kong and the cities of the Greater Bay Area. The discussion will, no doubt, touch on Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis. This infrastructure-led city will be built on innovation and technology, and for innovation and technology. It will surely fast-track the development of the Greater Bay Area. Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) will play a role in the rise of the Northern Metropolis, and in our high quality development overall. Indeed, MiC is essential to delivering future housing for the people of Hong Kong. The Development Bureau is establishing a cross departmental steering committee on MiC and will work to strengthen our MiC supply chain and build collaboration with other cities of the GBA. MiC will also be the approach we take in building our brand new Light Public Housing. MiC provides the means for us to, expeditiously, build 30 000 units of this innovative form of public housing in the coming five years. It will play a big part in achieving our goal of shortening the waiting time for public housing from six years to 4.5 years in four years' time. Indeed, the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government spares no effort in boosting the supply of affordable housing for the people of Hong Kong. We look beyond soulless figures, and put ourselves in the people's shoes to enhance the quantity, quality, speed and efficiency of our construction of public housing. All in all, we endeavour to build a liveable Hong Kong for everybody. Digitisation is certainly our priority to boost efficiency. For the past two years, all capital works contracts exceeding HK$300 million, or US$38 million, have been required to adopt the Digital Works Supervision System. Construction practitioners must be trained in these emerging technologies. The Development Bureau is working with the industry to provide engineering and architectural content in our primary and secondary schools. The Government is also boosting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education in our post-secondary institutions. I am confident that these will help nurture a new generation of adept and tech-savvy practitioners for the industry. Alongside innovation and education, we're building a foundation committed to industry safety. Last month, the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council organised a Construction Safety Summit. At the Summit, more than 100 industry representatives and experts signed a "Safety Charter", pledging to drive a culture of construction safety and realise our vision of "zero accidents". Before I close, I would like to express my thanks to the organisers of the Construction Innovation Expo: the Development Bureau, the Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Construction Industry Council, together with numerous supporting organisations. Ladies and gentlemen, they've put together a construction industry week that can shape our future. I know you will enjoy it, and I wish you all the best of business and health in the new year. Thank you. Ends/Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Issued at HKT 17:06 NNNN