BUS News

HKBU Elevates Low‑Altitude Economy: Fusing AI, Business and Social Innovation for Societal Impact

27 Feb, 2026

The Summit is officiated by Ms Mable Chan, JP, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Government of the HKSAR (centre); The Hon Elizabeth Quat, BBS, JP, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance (4th right); Ms Agnes Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (2nd left); Mr Bond Law, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (1st right); Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU (5th right); Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU (5th left); Professor Martin Wong, Provost of HKBU (4th left); Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School of HKBU (3rd left); Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU (2nd right); Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business at HKBU (3rd right); and Professor Shan Xiaowen, Chair Professor, Institute for Advanced Study at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (1st left). The Summit is officiated by Ms Mable Chan, JP, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Government of the HKSAR (centre); The Hon Elizabeth Quat, BBS, JP, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance (4th right); Ms Agnes Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (2nd left); Mr Bond Law, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (1st right); Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU (5th right); Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU (5th left); Professor Martin Wong, Provost of HKBU (4th left); Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School of HKBU (3rd left); Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU (2nd right); Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business at HKBU (3rd right); and Professor Shan Xiaowen, Chair Professor, Institute for Advanced Study at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (1st left).
The Summit is officiated by Ms Mable Chan, JP, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Government of the HKSAR (centre); The Hon Elizabeth Quat, BBS, JP, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance (4th right); Ms Agnes Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (2nd left); Mr Bond Law, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (1st right); Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU (5th right); Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU (5th left); Professor Martin Wong, Provost of HKBU (4th left); Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School of HKBU (3rd left); Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU (2nd right); Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business at HKBU (3rd right); and Professor Shan Xiaowen, Chair Professor, Institute for Advanced Study at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (1st left).

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) marked its Platinum Jubilee with the inaugural “Intelligent Altitudes: The HKBU Low‑Altitude Economy Summit 2026” on 27 February at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organised by the School of Business, the Summit convened government officials, academics and industry leaders to examine the technical, commercial and societal dimensions of the emerging low‑altitude economy.

The programme showcased HKBU’s transdisciplinary approach, fusing artificial intelligence, business strategy and art technology to address implementation challenges, capital formation, regulatory design and social impact. Co‑organised with the HKSAR Working Group on Developing Low‑Altitude Economy, the Summit was 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.

HKBU signed two MOUs with the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance and X Social Group Limited to nurture talent across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area through professional training and knowledge exchange. The University also pledged to apply its data‑analytics and AI expertise to develop the “Drone Take‑off Reliability Index” (DTORI), a regulatory sandbox initiative to create scientific, quantified safety standards for drone operations.

Professor Shan Xiaowen delivered the keynote, “Opportunities and Challenges of Low‑Altitude Mobility in the AI Era,” which prefaced panel sessions on investment trends and Greater Nay Area integration, AI applications in low‑altitude business, regulatory sandbox projects, urban art‑tech futures and “tech for good.” Panels convened regulators, investors, technologists and academics to map pathways for safe, scalable and commercially viable urban drone services.

A Summit highlight was the ARTOPIA charity drone show, a service‑learning project produced by BBA students in collaboration with X Social Group and a charitable partner. In January 2026, the students staged a Victoria Harbour drone performance that visualised child patients’ drawings. The School has since expanded ARTOPIA in partnership with the Hong Chi Association to reach children with intellectual disabilities.

Honourable officiating speakers included Dr Kennedy Y. H. Wong, Chairman of HKBU’s Council and Court, who emphasised the University’s role in supporting the nation’s drive to cultivate “new quality productive forces” by nurturing talent and pioneering research in the Greater Bay Area. Ms Mable Chan, JP, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building an internationally competitive low‑altitude ecosystem and urged cross‑sector coordination. The Hon. Elizabeth, BBS, JP, Quat outlined a “Hong Kong Model” based on regulatory sandboxes to enable safe, high‑density drone operations and position the city as an Asia‑Pacific hub.

Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice‑Chancellor of HKBU, reiterated the University’s commitment to integrating arts, humanities and technology in transdisciplinary research and whole-person education. Professor Zhang Han, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Business, highlighted the School’s endeavours to cultivate future‑ready business leaders with creativity and social responsibility.

The Summit concluded with the “HKBU Symphony of Light” drone show featuring the HKBU Orchestra over Victoria Harbour that commemorated HKBU’s 70th anniversary and demonstrated low‑altitude technology’s community applications. Intelligent Altitudes affirmed the University’s vision for a human‑centred low‑altitude economy where advanced technology, cross‑sector collaboration and social innovation create economic opportunity and societal impact.

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