.png)
HONG KONG - The artificial intelligence boom is creating unprecedented demand for computing power and data centres, but it is also forcing technology hubs to confront a growing challenge: energy consumption.
For the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, sustainability is becoming as important as the technologies driving the next wave of innovation.
Chief Ecosystem Development Officer Eric Or said the organisation sees environmental challenges not as a constraint on growth but as an opportunity for new technologies to emerge.
“The first time I heard about supercomputing and how much energy it consumes, I thought, ‘Oh my God,’” Or told reporters during a media session on Monday.
“That’s why green technology has become one of our focus areas.” The shift reflects a broader strategy at HKSTP, which has traditionally focused on sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, microelectronics and financial technology. Following a recent review of its ecosystem, the science park identified green technology and advanced materials as areas that had gained momentum organically and now merit greater investment.
One of the most promising opportunities, Or said, lies in energy storage.
As renewable power generation expands, particularly from solar and hydropower, the challenge is increasingly moving from producing electricity to storing it efficiently.
“We have all kinds of new energy now. Once you generate all this energy, where do you put it? You need to store it,” he said.
The science park expects energy-storage technologies to become a significant area of research and commercialisation as governments and companies seek ways to manage intermittent renewable energy supplies.
At the same time, HKSTP is continuing to invest in artificial-intelligence infrastructure despite the high costs involved.
Or said the organisation knowingly committed capital to high-performance computing facilities that were not expected to be profitable on their own. The goal was to attract AI startups and technology companies that require advanced computing resources.
“We knew we would lose money on that investment, but the purpose is to attract more AI companies,” he said.
The strategy reflects a broader ecosystem approach: once companies establish operations within the park, they generate economic activity, create jobs and help build a deeper pool of technology talent.
HKSTP is also pursuing sustainability within its own operations. The organisation has set a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, with environmental performance incorporated into management key performance indicators.
“It’s one of our KPIs. If we don’t achieve it, it affects our bonuses,” Or said, jokingly.
He cited a recent example in which HKSTP avoided construction waste by connecting a new tenant with an outgoing occupant, allowing office furniture and fittings to remain in place rather than being discarded during refurbishment.
For Or, the growing focus on sustainability reflects a broader evolution in the technology sector.
Innovation, he said, is no longer measured solely by faster processors or more powerful algorithms. Increasingly, it will be judged by whether new technologies help solve environmental problems rather than intensify them.
“We do everything we can to be greener, and we know we still have a lot more to do,” he said.
