You are here: silicon.com > Research > Special Reports > Tech Hotspots

No.16 Tech Hotspots 2008

, China

Why?

Agree with panel rating?

Too High Too Low

What's so special about Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is an international financial hub: most of the world's biggest banks have a presence in a city that has been described as the most economically free in the world - both during its years as a British colony and after the Chinese handover in 1997.

Certainly a lot of money is made and traded in Hong Kong. And nothing oils the wheels of tech like truckloads of cash.

Since handover, the Chinese government has gone to a lot of trouble to propel the city into the internet age - publishing a digital strategy every three years since 1998 setting out plans for comms infrastructure, ecommerce, e-government and more.

These days Hong Kong has one of the highest broadband penetrations in the world and mobile phone penetration exceeds 100 per cent, as hotspot judge Eileen Yu notes.

One example of how technology has been successfully integrated into the city's infrastructure is the Octopus contactless card that has been up and running for more than a decade, enabling residents to ditch cash when paying for public transport and goods from shops, vending machines, cafés and more - putting London's much more recent Oyster card system to shame.

The Octopus system was ground-breaking at the time it was introduced, as judge John Higgins points out, and "remains a world beacon".

Key tech companies BT, China Mobile, Hutchison Whampoa, IBM, Lenovo.

Key institutions Hong Kong Stock Exchange, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute.

Local salaries Senior software engineer, $42,000.

Famous faces Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa; Wang Jianzhou CEO of China Mobile.

Population 6.9 million.

iPod cost $148 Source: CommSec, Apple.

Time zone GMT +8 hours.

Voltage and plugs 220V 50Hz three-pin UK-style, also rounded three-pin.

How to get there Fly in to Hong Kong International Airport - Chek Lap Kok Airport.

Watch out for Smog.

Places to stay, eat or drink Island Shangri-la, Intercontinental Hong Kong.

What you might not know The name Hong Kong translates as 'fragrant harbour' but air quality and pollution is a serious problem in the city. Hazy conditions are caused by vehicle emissions and smog from power plants and industry in the neighbouring Pearl River Delta region of China.

Closest Hotspots

  1. Chennai, India
  2. Pune, India
  3. Singapore, Singapore
  4. Helsinki, Finland
  5. Moscow, Russia
  6. , China
  7. Hyderabad, India
  8. New York, US
  9. Sydney, Australia
  10. Shenzhen, China

Tech innovation goes global

Tech innovation goes global

Introducing the silicon.com Tech Hotspots list more

Bumpy landing for Bangalore's airport dream

Bumpy landing for Bangalore's airport dream

Leave three hours to get there… more

Editor's Blog: Global winners

Editor's Blog: Global winners

...and tomorrow's losers more

Where will the Silicon Dragon swoop next?

Where will the Silicon Dragon swoop next?

Q&A: Rebecca Fannin, author and China expert more

What scores in the global tech league?

What scores in the global tech league?

And how do you choose an overseas location... more

Hong Kong International Airport Engages Datacraft Experts to Keep Airport Systems in Peak Condition

The smooth operation of Hong Kong International Airport is underpinned by a series of sophisticated IT solutions that handle the flow management of passengers, cargo, capital and information. The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) needs the dedicated... more

Emagine Case Study: CSL Hong Kong

Hong Kong CSL is a pioneer in the mobile communications market in Hong Kong. The challenge was to create a mobile phone customer loyalty program. To efficiently create a perception of real value in the '1010' offering and have them stay as loyal... more

Microsoft and Hong Kong Telecom in multimedia deal

Microsoft has joined forces with Hong Kong's largest Internet service provider (ISP) as part of a £1bn project to offer multimedia and software over the Web. Under the terms of the partnership with Hong Kong Telecom -known as Zoom - the software... more

Hong Kong Telecom seeks out alternative markets

Hong Kong Telecom is set to open up new sources of revenue with a $2bn investment in mobile phone services in China, and plans to expand into property development. Linus Cheung, CEO of Hong Kong Telecom, a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless, said... more

Corporate Portals as Extranet Support for the Construction Industry in Hong Kong and Nearby Regions of China

This paper presents the corporate portals for the construction industry with an aim of solving the collaboration problem in the construction industry in Hong Kong and nearby regions of China. Customized and personalized corporate information... more


Quick Sitemap Links: