Hong Kong, 26 October, 2023 – Arcadis, the leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets, welcomes the proposal set out by ’The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address’ on Wednesday, October 25, which placed livable city and digitalisation as a cornerstone for Hong Kong’s competitiveness on both regional and global levels.
In response to the Policy Address, Katherine Chan, Greater Bay Area Growth Director & City Executive at Arcadis, said, “Arcadis welcomes the numerous commitments outlined by the Government that place high importance on land and housing supply, together with the continued investment in construction industry. By launching the Northern Metropolis action agenda and the development plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao, we look forward to working together with the Government to create a Hong Kong of the future.”
Guiding the future development of Hong Kong
Outlined as a key initiative in the Policy Address, the plan is to move ahead with the Northern Metropolis as the new engine for growth. This will bring opportunities for the construction industry to support the ongoing development of the region through smart buildings, transport, reliant utility infrastructure and the creation of desirable spaces that attract top domestic and international talent. Arcadis is pleased to see the Government is taking steps to solidify our position as the hub connecting the stunning Chinese market and the world under national strategies of Greater Bay Area and The Belt and Road Initiative.
Drive investment in transport infrastructure and logistic hub
The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued to rank first in cargo throughput in 2022, demonstrating its long-standing leading position as an international aviation and cargo hub. The Government is pressing ahead with the Three-Runway System and various projects under the "Airport City" vision, including SKYCITY, the premium logistics centre at the South Cargo Precinct, and the smart airport, for developing core passenger and cargo transport services. We are fully supportive of the proposal by building Hong Kong as the Airport City and International Aviation Hub to attract enterprises.
Accelerating digitalisation and Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) of the construction industry
Formulating and implementing a series of measures to strengthen the supply chain of MiC modules and the completing the first batch of Ligh Public Housing in 2024 demonstrates the success of this innovative construction method and the enhanced safe environment of the construction site. Moreover, promulgate by end-2023 a roadmap on the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for preparation and submission of building plans to departments for approval. The goal is to achieve full utilisation of BIM in preparing and approving building plans for private development projects.
“Embedding digital technology industry-wide needs to be led by the government and policy, so we are thrilled to hear that the HKSAR Government is accelerating the use of MiC and BIM to speed up productivity and skill levels in the industry, as well as optimizing the life cycle cost of the asset.” Katherine Chan continued.
