Mr Hong-Eng Koh is the Global Chief Public Services Industry Scientist at Huawei, with more than three decades of experience in the public services industry. As a thought leader, he engages top public services agencies globally to help them with their intelligent transformation initiatives and strategic ICT design to better serve the citizens, visitors and businesses. He also advises Huawei’s product and solution teams to develop state-of-the-art ICT solutions. He is well-sought after internationally as a keynote speaker, panel chairperson, and workshop facilitator.

He joined the Singapore Public Services in the late 80s after graduating from a government scholarship. He subsequently took an active role in the early years of the Singapore Government’s computerization initiatives, including the international award-winning Public Services Online, the first-generation e-government project of Singapore. Before joining Huawei in 2016, he worked in US MNCs for more than 16 years in various regional and global leadership roles in the government, education, and healthcare segments. Till date, he has personally supported the transformation of public services agencies in over 70 countries.

Synopsis

Readying Hong Kong for the Intelligent World

As the world accelerates toward an AI-driven future, Hong Kong must prepare to harness artificial intelligence across all sectors — such as finance, logistics, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, healthcare, education, and public services — to sustain its competitive edge as a global innovation hub. The intelligent world demands not only advanced technologies but also robust data infrastructure, skilled talent, and regulatory readiness. To stay ahead, Hong Kong must invest in AI adoption, strengthen industry–academia collaboration, and create policies that encourage ethical and transparent use of data. Equally vital is safeguarding digital, data, and AI sovereignty amid growing geopolitical complexities and a multipolar technological order. Protecting critical data assets, ensuring local control over AI systems, and maintaining trust in digital infrastructure are essential to resilience and autonomy. By building a secure, open, and innovation-friendly AI ecosystem, Hong Kong can position itself as a trusted leader in the intelligent era.