NTT Sparks Collaboration on AI, Drives Smart City Development at Innovation Summit

Sophia, the local humanoid, shines at the Summit, sparking excitement for Hong Kong's smart city future.

The NTT Innovation Summit, the flagship annual event of the Innovation Alliance Program, ignited excitement for Hong Kong's transformation into a leading smart city. With the theme "Reimagined Journey to the Heart of Innovations," the one-day event brought together over 100 of Hong Kong's brightest minds — including government and business leaders, academics, and tech experts — to collaborate and envision a smart future with groundbreaking advancements. Organised by NTT Com Asia (NTT), part of NTT Group, a world-class leader in telecommunications and ICT services, the Summit fostered discussions and strategies to achieve breakthroughs in digital innovation, especially for smart city development and transforming the construction industry.

The NTT Innovation Summit brought together over 100 of Hong Kong's brightest minds — including government and business leaders, academics, and tech experts — to collaborate and envision a smart future with groundbreaking advancements.

The photo features (from the left)

1. Prof. Jolly Wong, Policy Fellow, Center of Science and Policy, University of Cambridge, & Strategic Adviser (Technology Business), ATAL Engineering Group;

2. Dr. Poon Lok To, Otto, Founder and Executive Director, ATAL Engineering Group;

3. Dr. Jacob Mok, Senior Manager, Electronics and AI, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology;

4. Dr. Mak Kin Wah, Executive Director and Chairman, ATAL Engineering Group;

5. Mr Kelvin Wong, Director, Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;

6. Mr Takashi Hara, General Manager, New Business Development, NTT DOCOMO;

7. Professor Ray Cheung Chak-Chung, Associate Provost (Digital Learning), City University of Hong Kong and Chairman, IEEE Hong Kong Section;

8. Sophia, Social Humanoid from Hanson Robotics;

9. Mr. Eric Tong, Associate Director, Regional Partnerships and Channel Development, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation;

10. Taichi Hiramatsu, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, NTT Com Asia Limited;

11. Mr Henry Li, Head of Ecosystem Development, Cyberport;

12. Mr Kazuhiro Mori, Senior Manager, Global Business Department, NTT Holdings;

13. Mr Simon Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre;

14. Joyce Luk, Director, Revive Tech Asia;

15. Dr. Alan Cheung, Chief Director, Artificial Intelligence and Trust Technologies, ASTRI;

16. Ir Prof Alan Lam, JP, CEO, Gravity Capital Partners Co. Ltd

Sophia, Hong Kong's very own social humanoid*, captivated the audience with her opening remarks, offering a unique perspective on the evolving relationship between humans and AI. Her presence underscored the Summit's focus on pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and exploring the significance of the underlying technologies of advanced AI, robotic and humanoid development.

"The NTT Innovation Summit is more than just an event; it's a catalyst for collaboration. We're standing at the cusp of a new era, where AI is no longer a concept but a driving force shaping our future," said Taichi Hiramatsu, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, NTT Com Asia Limited. "By bringing together diverse perspectives and fostering open dialogue, we're igniting the spark of tech innovation and empowering Hong Kong to become a true smart city leader."

Sophia, the social humanoid said, "It is truly a pleasure to be here at the NTT Innovation Summit to explore the significance of a collaborative community to drive innovation. I'm so happy to be able to share my perspective from a "robot's eye view" on how humanoids and humans can collaborate within the ecosystem, for the benefits of a bright digital future."

The photo features Taichi Hiramatsu, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, NTT Com Asia (left), Sophia, the social humanoid (middle), and Stephen Tsang, Chief Revenue Officer, NTT Com Asia (right).

Collaboration and Co-creation: The Cornerstone of Smart City Development

Collaboration took centre stage at the Summit, with the NTT Innovation Alliance Program demonstrating its unwavering commitment to fostering dynamic partnerships between public organizations, business leaders, academics, and tech visionaries. Key presentations and discussions emphasised the power of co-creation in developing groundbreaking solutions with IoT, Edge AI, and mobile technologies, which are vital for accelerating smart city development and the construction processes that shape them.

Interactive co-creation workshops provided a platform for enterprises to tackle pressing challenges head-on in various industries. During the Technology Showcase session with startups, NTT experts demonstrated the end-to-end smart city platform, with highlights on how Private 5G networks could revolutionise construction safety by enabling real-time data analysis and AI-powered platform to minimise risks and enhance worker well-being. Participants also explored data-driven sustainability, brainstorming innovative ways to leverage advanced analytics and smart sensors for optimizing performance in the construction industry.

Key Learnings: Shaping the Future of Smart Cities

The Summit provided a wealth of insights, shaping the dialogue around the future of smart cities and Hong Kong's potential use of AI:

• Infrastructure as the Foundation: NTT emphasised its commitment to providing a robust end-to-end smart city infrastructure — from data centres to high-speed networks — that underpins Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem. This solid digital foundation, powered by AIoT, data analytics, edge computing and Private 5G, is essential for supporting technological advancements and ensuring seamless connectivity and data flow.

• Reimagining the Construction Environment: The Summit showcased NTT's award-winning Smart Building Management System, demonstrating how deep learning and large language models can contribute to a more sustainable and efficient urban landscape.

• Cultivating a Collaborative Ecosystem: Fostering partnerships between research institutions, industry players, and government agencies was a recurring theme, emphasising the need for a collaborative approach to drive innovation, break down silos and foster a connected ecosystem.

• Humanoids on the Horizon: Discussions on the convergence of chips, cloud, and data centres highlighted the rapid advancements in humanoid robotics, with Sophia serving as a compelling example. They also highlighted how humanoids can redefine construction and smart city management while creating new human-machine collaboration possibilities.

The Summit wasn't all work and no play. A lively Sunset Fiesta provided the perfect backdrop for networking and informal discussions. Engaging fireside chats explored the transformative potential of AI and humanoids in the retail sector. At the same time, attendees had the unique opportunity to interact with Sophia, the social humanoid, and experience firsthand the future of human-machine interaction.

The NTT Innovation Summit: Deepening Roots and Driving Hong Kong's Smart City Evolution

The NTT Innovation Summit solidified the Innovation Alliance Program's position as a critical driver of the city's smart city evolution. It is shaping a future where technology empowers a more connected, sustainable, and innovative Hong Kong by fostering collaboration and co-creation. NTT's long-standing commitment to Hong Kong and its global expertise in telecommunications and ICT services uniquely position the company to contribute to the city's smart future.

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• Sophia was created, designed, and built in Hong Kong by Hanson Robotics. She debuted in 2016 and has been improving her knowledge and skills ever since.

• The Technology Showcase at the Innovation Summit demonstrated NTT's capabilities in establishing an end-to-end smart city platform powered by AIoT, data analytics, edge computing and private 5G technologies.

• The participating startups showcased their latest technologies, covering smart construction, infrastructure, property and retail.

• The ten startups joining us include A-POP, Carnot Innovations, ConnectAR Limited, Innocorn Technology Limited, Karta-X Technologies Limited, LifeSparrow Solutions Limited, Mapxus, RaSpect Intelligence Inspection Limited, SmartRetail Technologies Limited and Team Concepts Limited.