Exclusive | Hong Kong picked by Chinese AI logistics firm Westwell to host international headquarters, research centre
- Company cites city’s strategic location, well-established infrastructure and status as an international finance centre as advantages
- Firm intends to collaborate with Hong Kong universities and research institutes to accelerate development of AI and autonomous driving technology
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI)-based logistics company Westwell inaugurates on Tuesday an international headquarters in Hong Kong as a springboard to global expansion.
The Shanghai-based company, which designs and develops AI chips and autopilot control systems for AI-powered autonomous vehicles for the logistics industry, will also set up a research centre in the city.
“Hong Kong’s strategic location, its well-established infrastructure and its status as an international finance centre enables innovation and technology companies to establish connections with the global markets,” said Kay Yang Ming, Westwell’s global strategic affairs vice-president. “And our major clients, such as Hutchison Port Holdings and China Merchants Ports, are also based in Hong Kong.”
At an opening ceremony scheduled for late Tuesday morning the new headquarters will be inaugurated by Westwell executives and government officials Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, and Lillian Cheong Man-lei, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry.
The Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (Oases), which works to attract high-potential and strategic enterprises to Hong Kong from industries including fintech, artificial intelligence and data science, facilitated the move.
Westwell launched its flagship product, the Q-Truck, an autonomous, battery-powered commercial vehicle, in 2018, two years after the company was formed.
