Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, addressed the launch ceremony of Galbot Store in Hong Kong on August 31, where he highlighted the city’s unique position amid the global robotics revolution. He noted that while the robotics sector is still in its infancy, its transformative power is already spreading across the world, and Hong Kong is set to play a distinctive and vital role in this wave.

Chan outlined three key pillars that define Hong Kong’s contribution: a proven application field, a robust research and development ecosystem, and a dependable capital chain. Firstly, he emphasized the importance of international and commercial application scenarios. Galbot Store has already established approximately 200 retail locations across nearly 50 cities in mainland China, and today marks its first overseas expansion with three robotic retail stores launching in Hong Kong. Chan attributed this choice to Hong Kong’s dense population, efficient and diverse settings, and high degree of internationalization, making it an ideal testing ground for cutting-edge technology and products seeking to expand globally.

Secondly, Chan highlighted Hong Kong’s thriving R&D ecosystem, which he described as essential for turning breakthroughs into scalable innovations. By leveraging the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is well-positioned to become a hub for next-generation embodied intelligence research and manufacturing. The city offers robust intellectual property protections, strong upstream research capabilities, and access to international data, alongside several world-class universities that cultivate top talent. Meanwhile, neighboring Greater Bay Area cities provide some of the most comprehensive advanced manufacturing capabilities globally, exemplified by Shenzhen’s "half-hour supporting circle" for the robotics industry. This synergy allows ideas to flow seamlessly from research and development to prototyping, testing, and mass production, ultimately reaching the market.

Thirdly, Chan underscored the importance of full-chain funding support for innovation and technology. Hong Kong possesses a diverse funding ecosystem, ranging from angel investment and venture capital to the stock market, but its true strength lies in a patient capital environment anchored by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation. This willingness to take risks and provide long-term support is particularly crucial for rapidly evolving frontier technologies and emerging industries, where patience is a valuable commodity.

Chan also reflected on the recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, noting the rapid iteration of large language models and the surge in AI agents, which are transforming digital spaces into powerful tools for writing, research, and learning. In the physical world, embodied intelligence is turning robots into highly efficient personal assistants, combining language models, machine vision, motion control, precision manufacturing, and data application to bring AI to life. Some predict that robots will become as ubiquitous as smartphones, with research estimates suggesting that by 2050, there could be 10 billion humanoid robots globally, driving an industry worth five trillion US dollars. China, as a leader in this race, is expected to account for 300 million of these robots. When technology finds real-world applications and R&D ecosystems receive patient capital support, a clear picture emerges: with capital as a bridge, ecosystems as a foundation, and talent as a driver, Hong Kong is poised to participate fully in shaping the future technological landscape—from capital allocation and industrial deployment to cutting-edge research and talent cultivation.