Hong Kong’s logistics sector eyes smart digital technology to maintain city’s stature as international trading centre
- Sector needs more smart technology to thrive, experts say ahead of annual Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference
- Chief Executive John Lee highlighted logistics in his recent policy address, saying it is ‘vital to our status as an international trade centre’
Hong Kong’s logistics industry needs to adopt more smart, digital technology to thrive despite challenges and help the city retain its position as a premiere international trading centre, experts said ahead of the annual Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) kicking off on November 21.
Hong Kong is a free port characterised by fast customs clearance, high efficiency and strong international connectivity, Legislative Council member Frankie Yick Chi-ming said at a press event on Monday introducing the conference. “That is why cargo ships will berth in Hong Kong even if they know we are more expensive than other nearby ports,” he said.
However, the logistics industry in Hong Kong faces high costs for both land and human resources, said Yick, who represents the transport constituency. To maintain Hong Kong’s position as an international logistics hub, “we need to become more smart and digitalised”, he said.
In an action plan for logistics development, to be published later this year, the government will help formulate strategies and action measures to realise smart development, modernisation, sustainability and internationalisation “with a view to promoting high quality and development of the logistics industry”, Lee said in the policy address.
In the first phase, the government said it will promote upgrades to capture advances in smart logistics and develop an information platform, which will facilitate the interconnection of local logistics data to smoothe the flow of goods and information across the Greater Bay Area.