Chan Mei Po: Amendments to the low-altitude economy regulations are expected to be implemented in July, aiming to develop Hong Kong into a low-altitude economic hub in the region.

On June 25th, the Director of Transportation and Logistics of Hong Kong, Chen Meibao, stated at the Legislative Council that the government highly values the development of the low-altitude economy. They are currently implementing a regulatory sandbox pilot project to promote breakthrough applications of drone technology in various fields, expanding the regulatory scope of drones, and opening up legal space for manned aircraft trials. The proposed revisions to relevant legislation have been submitted to the Legislative Council with the aim of taking effect on July 18th this year. The government's inter-departmental coordination mechanism will support the industry and nurture talent to establish Hong Kong as a hub for the low-altitude economy in the region. Chen Meibao agreed that data sharing is crucial for enhancing urban management efficiency. The authority will learn from mainland China's practices and explore models of data sharing and collaborative management. They will study the sharing of flight routes, real-time flight data, no-fly zones, geographic information, and three-dimensional geographic spatial data for various purposes such as airspace management, weather forecasting, and monitoring. She also mentioned that the first batch of regulatory sandbox pilot projects, including the sharing of drone data collection, will provide important references for the construction of a unified platform. Chen Meibao acknowledged that the development of the low-altitude economy requires talent from various fields, including those in the innovation and technology industries. The government is taking multiple measures to expand the local pool of talent in the innovation and technology sector, such as launching STEM internship programs to encourage university students to participate in work experiences related to innovation and technology, or through a "talent pool" to fund eligible institutions and companies to hire graduates in STEM subjects for research and development work. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport are also committed to providing internship and entrepreneurial opportunities for talent in the innovation and technology sector.