Sun Dong, the technology chief, states that the project will strengthen the city’s prominent role as a data connection hub linking China with the global community.
Work has started on a significant data center in Northern Metropolis, with the Hong Kong minister for innovation and technology stating that the initiative will boost the city’s computational capabilities and support the country’s artificial intelligence efforts.
A ground-breaking event took place on Saturday at the Range (Hong Kong) Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, covering over 110,000 square meters.
The head of Innovation, Technology, and Industry, Sun Dong, stated that the project marked a significant advancement in the city’s innovation and technological progress.
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He mentioned that this action marked a significant step in the city’s role in the country’s high-quality development and its participation in China’s AI Plus program.
“The cluster is a crucial initiative for innovation and technological advancement in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis, and will reinforce the city’s status as a leading data connection hub linking China with the global community,” he stated.
The group will enhance the deep integration of artificial intelligence and industrial growth, aligning with our nation’s strategy of applying AI Plus.
Sun mentioned that once operations begin in 2029, the cluster would take on three responsibilities, among them serving as a data center linking mainland China with the global community, offering secure, efficient, and dependable infrastructure for data exchange.
The center was also anticipated to serve as a central driving force for advancing Hong Kong’s artificial intelligence sector and drawing in companies and skilled professionals, while synchronizing with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan from 2026 to 2030.
The data center complex is situated in Northern Metropolis, a large-scale project designed to transform 30,000 hectares of land into a driver for economic development and a residential area.
The Bureau of Innovation, Technology, and Industry recently stated that the site has been granted to Hong Kong Range Intelligent Computing Technology Company for the purpose of establishing an advanced data center cluster under a 50-year land lease. It was the only company that submitted a bid for the project.
Zhou Chaonan, the chairperson of the ultimate holding company Range Intelligent Computing Technology Group Company, mentioned that Hong Kong’s excellent education system and skilled workforce drew the company to this location.
“Today, we have reached Hong Kong with determined steps, and we hope that through our work, we can transform Sandy Ridge into Hong Kong’s and even China’s ‘Silicon Valley’ and a center for innovation,” she stated.
A company listed in Shenzhen, founded in Hebei in 2009, focuses on creating premium data centres and has managed these kinds of facilities and major data port projects within mainland China.
Range plans to start activities at the location within 42 months and will allocate HK$23.8 billion (US$3 billion) during the initial three years.
The initiative is anticipated to produce an economic value of approximately HK$4.6 billion and establish roughly 180 specialized job opportunities within the initial three years of functioning.
By 2032, the cluster is projected to deliver 180,000 petaflops of computational power, which equals 36 times the city’s present capacity.
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan places the AI Plus program at the highest level of national focus.
Initially revealed in 2024, the AI Plus program aims to incorporate artificial intelligence into 90 percent of China’s economy by 2030, the concluding year of the 15th Five-Year Plan.
The strategy aids Hong Kong in becoming a global center for innovation and technology.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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