On 12 and 13 October 2023, the Division of Public Policy (PPOL) hosted the International Aviation and Business Conference (IABC) at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), HKUST, with Prof. Pengyu Zhu, Associate Professor of PPOL and Director of the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER), as the Conference Executive Chair. This conference was co-organized with CASER, Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission (HKITC), Hong Kong Aviation Industry Association (HKAIA), and Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA). Over these two days, scholars, stakeholders and representatives from various sectors and different parts of the world gathered at the beautiful campus of HKUST to join this important platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange in aviation technology and business. In the opening session on the rst day of the conference, Prof. WANG Yang, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, Chair Professor of the Department of IEDA and of Mathematics, Director of the Big Data for Bio Intelligence Laboratory, Associate Director of HKUST BDI, HKUST gave a warm welcome to all the participants, emphasizing that Hong Kong is at a critical juncture to reconnect with the world and HKUST has put great effort and plenty of resources into space technology and sustainability, he foresaw more collaboration through the conference. Mr. LAM Sai-hung GBS, JP, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, HKSAR Government, introduced the role of HKIA, the cutting-edge technology and innovation that the HKIA has implemented by the Airport Authority and Civil Aviation Department, and wished the conference every success. Mrs. Stefanie Seedig, Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, introduced to the audience the achievement and commitment to green aviation initiated by the German government, especially in zero-emission aircraft, R&D regulations, and its efforts in establishing collaboration with China in the eld, and wished all a thought-provoking, inspiring and fruitful conference that would serve as an impetus for new ideas and innovations. In the keynote speech session, Mr. Duncan Chiu, LegCo Member and President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council, shared with the audience the topic, “Is Hong Kong's Aviation Industry Hovering on the Runway to Recovery?” about Hong Kong’s aviation recovery in the post-pandemic era, the future development of Hong Kong’s aviation industry and net zero, indicating that there is an overall recovery of air traf c and cargo business remained strong after the pandemic as Hong Kong ranked number 1 in cargo traf c. He demonstrated how Covid-19 affected the pro tability of the world’s most valuable airline companies and introduced the airport-city development strategy and the ef cient cross-GBA sea-air cargo transshipment pilot scheme that Hong Kong is building. Prof. Xi Liang, Professor of Sustainable Transitions in Construction and Infrastructure, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL, delivered the speech “Carbon Market and Net Zero Transition of Aviation Industry” from the angle of carbon pricing and market and its transition to the aviation industry. He gave an overview of CO2 emission and per-capita consumption-based CO2 emission worldwide; and introduced the carbon emission trading system and global carbon pricing and its linkage to energy and International Aviation and Business Conference CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 25
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