Editorial | Opportunity to seize I&T edge with new Hong Kong hub must not be lost
Head of chip giant Nvidia has urged cities comprising the Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong, to capitalise on their AI and tech strength
When the head of the most valuable company in the world, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaking giant, lets you know you have an edge worth exploiting, it is time to take heed. Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, says there is a huge opportunity right here in the Greater Bay Area.
The edge, according to the Taiwanese-American business leader, lies in capitalising on the strength of the mainland in AI and the growing strength of the region in mechatronics, which integrates mechanical systems with electronics and computer software to create more functional and efficient products and processes.
It has helped to produce everything from systems that manage car engines, cutting-edge robotics and autofocus cameras to washing machines. Leveraging AI will further speed breakthroughs in the field.
“This is just an extraordinary opportunity for China and for this area,” Huang said. The region connecting Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong province cities was “where mechatronics technology and AI technology simultaneously reside”.
Even Japan, where mechatronics emerged in the late 1960s, and rival powerhouse in the field Germany, lagged behind, he said, adding that Nvidia would retain its mainland presence despite geopolitical tensions.
The words are reassuring coming from Huang, who founded Nvidia 25 years ago and built it into a global leader in computer engineering and graphics processing unit technologies.
