HKICT Awards 2024 Celebrates Innovation and Introduces Best Use of AI Award

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 (with photos/video)

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 today (November 22):

Professor Qin (Chairman of the Grand Judging Panel of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 and the President of Lingnan University, Professor Joe Qin), 萬寧副部長 (the Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning), Dong (Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong), ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. I am pleased to join you tonight, for the annual, and much anticipated, Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards Presentation Ceremony. Let me first congratulate the winners, and finalists of this prestigious award. Your dedicationandachievementsare an inspiration to practitioners, entrepreneurs and students, to the innovation and technology industries, and to us all.

For 18 years now, the HKICT Awards has celebrated the exceptional achievements of individuals and organisations in a diversity of sectors and businesses.They put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable talent, creativity and dedication of people seeking to harness technology to reinvent products and services, to improve efficiency, to offer better care to the needy, and ultimately to make our lives and the world better.

In just a few minutes, we'll know all about those elite achievers - and their innovative applications and solutions.

This year's award, I'm pleased to note, introducesa new "Best Use of AI Award" in all eightcategories,to recognise and honourthe efforts of those harnessing the power of AI (artificial intelligence) to transformourbusinesses andways of living.

The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government, too, believes in the vast potential of AI. It is a sweeping force in boosting productivity and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy. We believe AI can become a strategic pillar of our innovation and technology sector. Andwe have been working on multiple fronts to make it thrive.That includessupporting R&D (research and development), nurturing start-ups, fostering cross-boundary and cross-industry collaboration, attracting strategic enterprises,and building the related infrastructure, includinga supercomputing centre.

But above all, it is people and talent thatmatter,if we are to realise this vision. We mustraise the AI literacy and preparedness of ourcommunity. That has to take a whole-of-society approach,starting withchildren’s education,integrating AI into school and university curricula, and supporting the training of professionals and continuous learning.

My thanks to the organisers of the Hong Kong ICT Awards,andto the high-profile judges of the eight award categories. Your expertise and commitment to excellence can only inspire the continuing growth and success of our innovation and technology industry - and the economy, and community, of Hong Kong.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy this very special evening and the good company all about you.

Thank you.

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sample taken from wild pig tests positive for ASF virus

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (November 22) announced that a sample taken from a wild pig tested positive for the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

The AFCD mounted a wild pig capture and dispatch operation yesterday (November 21) at Fung Yuen Road, Tai Po. Samples were collected from the four wild pigs captured for testing under the surveillance programme for ASF. A sample collected from one wild pig tested positive for the ASF virus. The AFCD will report the findings to the World Organisation for Animal Health and maintain surveillance in the wild pig population.

There is no pig farm located within 3 kilometres of Fung Yuen Road. At the moment, no pig farms are found affected by this case. All local pig farmers will be notified of the case and advised to enhance farm biosecurity to prevent intrusion of wild pigs and introduction of the ASF virus into their farms. The AFCD has been closely monitoring the health condition of pigs on all local pig farms. Local pig farmers are also reminded to notify the AFCD if their pigs show any health issues.

An AFCD spokesman said, "ASF is a highly contagious disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. However, it is not a zoonotic disease and does not infect humans and hence does not cause any food safety risk. Well-cooked pork is safe for consumption. The case will not affect the supply of live pigs to the local market."

The spokesman stressed that for personal safety and prevention of foods contaminated with the ASF virus to be introduced to wild pigs, members of the public should keep away from them. Do not feed any wild animals, including wild pigs, and ensure that outdoor garbage is disposed of properly. If any dead wild pig is found, please report via 1823.

With a view to strengthening the surveillance of ASF on local wild pigs, the AFCD has been working with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on a surveillance programme for ASF since late 2019. This has involved testing of the ASF virus in wild pig carcasses reported by the FEHD. The programme includes the New Territories and Kowloon. Other areas found with a large number of wild pig deaths are also included. To enable early detection, samples collected from wild pigs captured by the AFCD are also tested for the ASF virus.