Digital Transformation in the New Era: Practicing Low Carbon Smart Construction

In the new era of big data, all industries rely on digital upgrades and transformations. 5G, cloud computing technology, various network technologies, and related solutions have become indispensable parts of the industries. Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), and Mrs. LO LEE Oi-lin, member of the CIC, visited the Huawei Hong Kong office earlier to understand how the industry can drive innovative development and digital transformation of Hong Kong's smart construction through digital technology, and move towards a liveable smart city.

While digitalisation of the construction industry is imperative, networking support is paramount. When massive amounts of information are flowing through, the ability to analyse big data is path to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety. Some of the more advanced construction sites will use video and artificial intelligence to examine safety conditions in all aspects to achieve automated real-time monitoring. With more and more data collected through the Internet of Things (IoT) and monitoring systems, building information simulation can be achieved through a data lake with a powerful computing platform for data governance. Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart. The approach of HUAWEI CLOUD is all-digital, all-cloud, AI-driven, and providing everything as a service. By using intelligence and digitisation, Industrial enterprises can effectively extract and make use of the value generated by processing vast amount of data. The AI technology of HUAWEI CLOUD can be used to process the "Common Information Model", such as data collection through Digital Twins, drones, optical images, radar, etc., and then conduct data processing to generate various types of reality modeling. This technology can be used from interior design to entire city planning, and even to protect world cultural heritage such as the Great Wall.

Life First Regulating Technology to Monitor Engineering Vehicles

The extensive application of Huawei's 5G and fiber optic technologies in various industries could be taken as a reference for Hong Kong. Through communication technologies, production process could be divided into different parts that dangerous tasks could be performed at manufacturing plants or indoor workplaces. For example, the coal mining industry uses 5G to remotely control machinery from a remote office which greatly enhances work safety and improves the image of the industry; in Shenzhen, the technology is also used on public transport to help improve traffic safety, and an alarm will be set off immediately potential abnormal driving behavior is detected. Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the CIC referred to several accidents that occurred earlier in Hong Kong related to construction vehicles and believed that this technology can be used as a blueprint, according to the situation of transport vehicles in Hong Kong, and then adjust and trial. The new technology allows engineers to detect and remotely control the speed of concrete trucks or similar construction vehicles in the control room to reduce the chance of accidents, saving a life means saving a happy family.

Advancement of Development

Officials Witnessed the Signing of Memorandum of Understanding

To further expand the digitalisation of the construction industry, CIC and Huawei Hong Kong signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Promotion of Innovative Technology Development and Digital Transformation of Low Carbon Smart Construction in Hong Kong" during the Construction Innovation Expo2022. The MOU is an important cross-sector collaboration as a joint effort to promote the upgrading and transformation of the construction industry and to further enhance professional standards. The agreement was signed by Mr. DENG Shui-gen, CEO of Huawei Hong Kong, and Ir Albert CHENG, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Council, being witnessed by the distinguished guests, including Mr. John Lee, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR; Ms. LU Xin-ning, Deputy Director, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R., Mr. ZENG Xian-xin, Director-General, Department of Construction Market Supervision of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Michael WONG; Deputy Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR, Ms. Bernadette LINN, Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong SAR, Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, Mr. LIU Xinfeng, Director-General, Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, and Mr. Boham SUN, President of Huawei Digital Power Asia-Pacific.

Strong Partnership to Build a Low-Carbon Smart City

The CIC is devoted to promoting sustainable development. Ir Thomas HO said, "We are pleased to sign the MOU with Huawei Hong Kong in promoting low-carbon construction innovation technology development and digital transformation of the big data generation in the industry. The cooperation between the two parties will focus on decarbonisation, automation, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence technology, coupled with the combination of technology of big data and 5G, it can greatly improve engineering efficiency and construction safety. By the joint effort of the two parties, new initiatives will be implemented to inspire the industry to make good use of technology to reduce carbon emission and enhance transformation, contributing Hong Kong's transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

"We look forward to working with our partners in the Hong Kong construction industry to promote clean energy development and digitalisation by integrating digital and e-power technologies through technological innovation," said Mr. Boham SUN. "In this strategic partnership, Huawei will further collaborate with the Construction Industry Council to create low energy consuming and low carbon emission buildings, low carbon emission construction sites, and zero carbon parks to help Hong Kong develop into a low carbon smart city.”

The Mainland has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and Hong Kong is striving to do the same by 2050, in which the construction industry's participation is particularly important. A new campus of Huawei adopting near zero-carbon approach is under construction in Futian District, Shenzhen. It is expected to produce 1.5 million kWh of green photovoltaic electricity per year, saving 51% of electricity and reducing carbon emissions by 63% per year. As a pioneer in the industry, CIC will adopt various solutions, including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and the global search for new technologies, to move towards a low-carbon smart city.