The Housing Authority signs a memorandum of cooperation with the University of Hong Kong to promote the application of innovative building technologies in public housing

The Secretary for Housing, Mr. Ho Wing-hin, and the President of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Zhang Xiang, today (31st) signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish a collaborative framework for promoting research and practical applications of innovative construction technologies in public housing development. This collaboration combines the research capabilities of a world-class university with the full-cycle functions and comprehensive practical scenarios of the Housing Authority, from planning, design, construction, operational management to maintenance, bringing world-class innovative results into local construction practices, becoming a pioneer in the industry, and accelerating the Hong Kong construction industry towards high quality, intelligence, and sustainability.

In her speech at the signing ceremony, Ms. Ho expressed that the Housing Bureau is pleased to sign the memorandum with the University of Hong Kong, which ranks first in the QS Asia University Rankings and eleventh in the QS World University Rankings. She pointed out that the Housing Bureau and the Housing Authority have always adhered to the goals of "speeding up, increasing quantity, improving quality, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring safety," actively introducing innovative construction technologies. Public housing projects, due to their large supply, standardized design, and high repetitiveness, are ideal scenarios for the practical application and large-scale use of new technologies; the Housing Authority's comprehensive sustainable functions covering planning, design, construction, community development, estate management, maintenance, and reconstruction provide a solid foundation for establishing comprehensive, interdisciplinary research cooperation with the University of Hong Kong.

Professor Zhang stated in his speech that the University of Hong Kong has researchers from multiple faculties, departments, research centers, and laboratories conducting various forward-looking and innovative research applicable to the field of public housing development. In October 2024, the University of Hong Kong will establish the Hong Kong branch of the National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Center, further demonstrating its leadership in the field of digital construction. He noted that the signing of this memorandum marks a new milestone in interdisciplinary collaboration, committed to building high-quality public housing more quickly and safely to respond to the urgent housing needs of society. (ec/)