In pictures: from factory floors to AI – the evolution of innovation in Hong Kong
A visual journey through the city’s industrial evolution, from 1960s textile factories to AI pioneers such as SenseTime and DJI
From bustling 1960s workshops to next-generation AI labs, Hong Kong’s industrial landscape has undergone a remarkable evolution.
In the mid-20th century, the city established itself as a global light-manufacturing hub, driven by crowded factory floors where textiles, plastics and consumer electronics were produced by hand. As production migrated across border to the mainland cities of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong pivoted towards finance and trade while keeping its inventive edge. Home-grown breakthroughs in the 90s – such as Group Sense’s handheld translators and the ubiquitous Octopus card – revealed a knack for practical tech long before smartphones redefined daily life.
Industrial high-rises were retrofitted and government-backed hubs such as the Hong Kong Science Park took shape to facilitate research. Today, enterprises such as SenseTime and Lalamove carry that legacy forward, alongside robotics giant DJI, which traces its roots to research at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, before its headquarters and manufacturing facilities were established across the border, in Shenzhen.
Here is a look at how South China Morning Post photographers have captured this dynamic evolution over the decades.