Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, began a visit to Vienna on September 24 (Vienna time) with a keynote speech at the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026, the Hong Kong SAR Government said. He used the address to invite Austria to partner with Hong Kong on artificial intelligence.
What Hong Kong told the conference
According to the government statement, Sun said Hong Kong has elevated AI into a core industry and is emerging as one of the world's most dynamic innovation and technology centres.
He said that, like Austria, Hong Kong sees AI as key to economic competitiveness, research excellence and public service modernisation, and pursues "industries for AI" and "AI for industries". He invited Austria to partner in shaping AI's next chapter.
Sun also said the Government's commitment to accelerating AI adoption, promoting industry upgrade and regulating AI ethics is firmer than ever following the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address.
Research base and computing capacity
The government said Sun pointed to the InnoHK research clusters, which it described as connecting over 30 leading universities and institutes across 12 economies, including the University of Oxford, Stanford University and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.
He said the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster will provide computing power of 180 000 PFLOPS by 2032, which the statement characterised as a 36-fold increase.
On infrastructure, Sun cited the Hetao Hong Kong Park, opened last December, and the San Tin Technopole, described as Hong Kong's flagship innovation and technology industries base. He said Hong Kong offers European enterprises a gateway to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ASEAN and the broader Asia-Pacific, citing its legal framework, low tax regime, intellectual property protection, ease of capital raising and logistics.
Meetings in Vienna
Sun met Austria's Federal Minister of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Peter Hanke, and the President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Margarete Kriz-Zwittkovits, to discuss expanding exchanges on start-ups and innovation and strengthening cooperation on AI applications and industrial digitalisation, the statement said.
He also met the Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Wolfgang Hesoun, and visited the Austrian Institute of Technology, touring its Technology Experience Lab to learn about its research and development capabilities in AI, digital transformation, molecular diagnostics and industry-oriented applications. The statement described AIT as Austria's largest non-university research and technology organisation.
At the conference, Sun held a brief exchange with start-ups from a Hong Kong Science Park delegation. In the evening he attended a National Day reception hosted by the Chinese embassy in Austria, where the statement said he discussed innovation and technology collaboration with Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Wang Tao and Ambassador Li Song. Sun was due to return to Hong Kong on September 25 (Vienna time).
Key facts and where they come from
- Sun Dong delivered a keynote at the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 in Vienna on September 24 (Vienna time).
began his visit to Vienna, Austria, on September 24 (Vienna time). In his keynote speech at the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026
- Hong Kong has made AI a core industry, Sun said.
he said that Hong Kong has elevated AI into a core industry and is emerging as one of the world's most dynamic innovation and technology (I&T) centres
- The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster is planned to reach 180,000 PFLOPS by 2032.
the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster will provide computing power of 180 000 PFLOPS by 2032—a 36-fold increase
- InnoHK links more than 30 universities and institutes across 12 economies.
The InnoHK research clusters connects over 30 leading universities and institutes across 12 economies
- Sun met Austria's innovation minister Peter Hanke to discuss AI and industrial digitalisation cooperation.
met with the Federal Minister of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure of the Republic of Austria, Mr Peter Hanke
- Sun visited the Austrian Institute of Technology's Technology Experience Lab.
visited the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and toured its Technology Experience Lab