Press Release

HKBU’s inaugural Low-Altitude Economy Summit explores the transformative potential of low-altitude economies

Friday, 27 February 2026

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) organised the inaugural “Intelligent Altitudes: The HKBU Low-Altitude Economy Summit 2026” today (27 February) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Leveraging HKBU’s advantages of adopting a transdisciplinary approach in artificial intelligence (AI), business, and art technology, the event brought together government officials, academics and industry leaders to conduct in-depth discussion and analysis on the essential aspects of low-altitude economy and its transformative potential in Hong Kong, ranging from technical implementation, capital strategy, business opportunities, regulatory framework to social impact.

The Summit was a signature event in celebration of HKBU’s 70th anniversary in 2026. It was co-organised by the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and supported by the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.

Officiating guests of the event included Ms Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Government of the HKSAR; The Hon Elizabeth Quat, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance; Ms Agnes Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Dr Wingco Lo, President of The Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong; Mr Bond Law, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association; Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Professor Martin Wong, Provost of HKBU; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School of HKBU; Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU; Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business at HKBU; and Professor Shan Xiaowen, Chair Professor, Institute for Advanced Study at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University.

In his address at the Summit, Dr Kennedy Y H Wong said that in alignment with the nation’s strategic imperative to cultivate “new quality productive forces”, Hong Kong continues to play a unique and pivotal role in the global arena. “At HKBU, we leverage our extensive network across various sectors in Hong Kong. Supported by the dedication of our stakeholders and our robust research capabilities, we position ourselves as a leading reservoir of talent and a hub for pioneering scientific inquiry in the low-altitude economy within the Greater Bay Area,” he added.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms Mable Chan pointed out that: “The Government has been pressing ahead with building an internationally competitive low-altitude economy (LAE) ecosystem, deeply integrating into the national strategy of developing new quality productive forces and injecting new impetus to the economic growth of Hong Kong. The promotion of LAE requires also the concerted efforts of the academia, industries and ancillary sectors such as finance and insurance. Today’s Summit is such an opportune occasion for experts and enthusiasts from different fields to come together and exchange views on the way forward for LAE development in Hong Kong.  Leveraging its academic niches in artificial intelligence, creative arts and interdisciplinary studies, HKBU brings a unique perspective among our local universities and research institutions in pushing the knowledge frontier in LAE.”

The Hon Elizabeth Quat shared her insights into Hong Kong's low-altitude economy development and the construction of the "Hong Kong Model." This model, centred on a regulatory sandbox, aims to create a global standard for high-density urban drone operations, promoting Hong Kong as an Asia-Pacific low-altitude application hub, and as an international rule-establishment centre. It also allows Hong Kong to join hands with other cities in the Greater Bay Area to lead the global low-altitude economy development, making Hong Kong a model city for our nation's low-altitude economy and a base for going global.

In his remarks, Professor Alex Wai reaffirmed HKBU’s commitment to integrating arts, humanities, and technology through innovative transdisciplinary research, teaching, and curriculum development, as well as delivering practical solutions that benefit society and beyond. “By integrating artificial intelligence, business principles, and innovative methodologies, the School of Business has been addressing the complex challenges of today’s global landscape while driving social impact through diverse initiatives and partnerships.”

In today’s Summit, HKBU concluded two memoranda of understanding with the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance and X Social Group Limited, a leading company in Hong Kong's drone performance industry, respectively. The two memoranda aim to foster collaboration in nurturing talent for the development of low altitude economy in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) by providing internship and professional training opportunities, as well as organising knowledge exchange activities.

The memorandum of understanding between HKBU and X Social Group Limited also established an ongoing collaboration on the “ARTOPIA” charity project, which leverages drone technology and HKBU’s transdisciplinary knowledge to empower communities. On the other hand, HKBU will showcase its expertise in data analytics and AI for the development of the “Drone Take-off Reliability Index” (DTORI), a regulatory sandbox project aimed at establishing a scientific, quantified set of international safety standards to assess risks of drone flight in different environments.

Professor Shan Xiaowen delivered a keynote speech on the “Opportunities and Challenges of Low-Altitude Mobility in the AI Era”, followed by panel discussion sessions on related investment trends and GBA integration; powering AI applications in low-altitude business; the insights from the development of sandbox projects; and the future of mega events and urban art tech.

There was also a presentation and sharing session on the ARTOPIA charity project, a collaboration between HKBU’s School of Business and X Social Group Limited. The project integrated service-learning and other elements into HKBU’s course curriculum, with students being arranged to visit child patients with chronic diseases. Earlier, they organised a drone show blending art tech with humanities and caring to present the children’s stories and dreams in the sky above Victoria Harbour, demonstrating the spirit of “Tech for Good – Empowering Communities”. During the Summit, HKBU also shared the project’s latest collaboration with Hong Chi Association, aiming to extend its benefit to children with intellectual disabilities.

The Summit concluded with a spectacular drone show over Victoria Harbour, featuring themes including HKBU’s 70th anniversary, the vision of low-altitude economy in urban innovation, and the application of related technologies in charities for social good.

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