Leaders from multiple firms showed optimism about Hong Kong's increasing part in aiding China's artificial intelligence progress.

Hong Kong serves as an appealing regional center for Mainland China. artificial intelligence (AI) Startups aiming to establish a foothold for expanding into international markets, as stated by company leaders at a tech-focused conference on Wednesday.

CloudWalk Technology, an artificial intelligence firm based in Guangzhou, was established in 2015 as a seller of facial recognition technology Liu Jun, a co-founder and director, mentioned alongside the symposium focused on "The Greater Bay Area and Innovative Technology" that they were exploring setting up an entity in Hong Kong to support their international business growth.

He noted that the Greater Bay Area - which includes Hong Kong, Macau, and nine mainland cities - was known for an innovative environment rivaling that of Hangzhou, the eastern metropolis where firms such as DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics .

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Hong Kong offered Greater Bay Area companies several advantages, including access to high-quality talent, global influence and supportive policies for innovation, Liu said.

CloudWalk’s strategy to set up shop in Hong Kong mirrors a larger pattern where emerging Chinese artificial intelligence firms move into the region to secure funding, gather international expertise, and tap into worldwide markets. At the same time, Hong Kong sees AI technology as an opportunity to revitalize its established industries and boost the city’s growth potential.

Recently, the Hong Kong government declared its allocation of HK$1 billion (US$129 million) for setting up an artificial intelligence institute. This event on Wednesday was organized by the Bay Area Hong Kong Centre, led by ex-Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to foster regional integration, along with the Asia Pacific Taiwan Federation of Industry and Commerce.

The Chinese speech recognition company iFlyTek, which established its worldwide headquarters located in Hong Kong In July, it is also tapping into the city's marketplace to extend its global reach.

"At this event, Yan Qingxi, who leads operations in Hong Kong and Macau for iFlytek, stated that the company’s delivery standards for IT solutions match those considered top-tier globally,” he remarked. “Once we successfully cater to the demands of the Hong Kong market, serving any global marketplace will be within our reach.”

The firm has been putting significant resources into developing Cantonese-focused voice recognition technologies to cater to international companies working in Hong Kong, according to Yan.

The Guangzhou-based self-driving firm Pony.ai announced in January its plans to-launch its robotaxis in Hong Kong Mo Luyi, the vice president, expressed confidence in their technology. However, the company needed extra time to engage in discussions with the Hong Kong government to ensure proper preparation for local commercialization, as she further explained.

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