Arcadis welcomes 'The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address'

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26 Oct, 2023, 02:00 GMT

Building a liveable and vibrant city and digitalisation core focus areas for Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 creating a livable city and digitalisation as key cornerstones 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 continued investment in the 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, reliable 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 Hong Kong's position as the hub connecting the Chinese market and the world, according to the national strategies of the Greater Bay Area and The Belt and Road Initiative.

Drive investment in transport infrastructure and logistics hubs

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has continued to rank first in cargo throughout in 2022, demonstrating its long-standing and 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. Arcadis is fully supportive of the proposal, and is working on building Hong Kong as the Airport City and International Aviation Hub to help attract enterprises.

Accelerating digitalisation and Modular Integrated Construction (MiC)

Formulating and implementing a series of measures to strengthen the supply chain of MiC modules, along with the completion of the first batch of Ligh Public Housing in 2024 demonstrates the success of innovative construction methods and creating an enhanced safe construction site. Moreover, it is encouraging that by the end of 2023 there will be a roadmap on the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to support the preparation and submission of building plans for approval. The goal is to achieve full utilisation of BIM in preparing and approving plans for private development projects.

"Embedding digital technology industry-wide needs to be led by the government and supported by policy, so we are thrilled to hear that the HKSAR Government is accelerating the use of MiC and BIM to speed up productivity and improve skill levels in the industry, as well as optimizing the life cycle cost of the asset." Katherine Chan continued.

ABOUT ARCADIS
Arcadis is the leading global design & consultancy organization for natural and built assets. We maximize impact for our clients and the communities they serve by providing effective solutions through sustainable outcomes, focus and scale, and digitalization. We are 36,000 people, active in more than 70 countries that generate €4.0 billion in gross revenues.