Smart Cities Forum

There is no shortage of opinion as to what constitutes a smart city. Hong Kong could be seen as one of the finest examples of a smart city, planned and built around good civic design, an integrated land use and transport masterplan, with a high level of interconnectivity between systems and services. However, best practice in this area continues to advance and Hong Kong is in danger of lagging behind its competitors.

Smart cities need to be places for people (“Cities with a Soul”) as well as places for tech., each with its own flavour, memorable in an Asian and a world setting.

To create a platform for discussion about what would make Hong Kong a smart and liveable city today and in 2050, requires a range of views, opinions and specialisms. This diversity of expertise and opinion exists across the Chamber and the Forum is aimed at bringing this together.

This forum, relatively informal in nature, will focus in particular on what needs to be done to make sure that Hong Kong is adopting the right policies, and making the right investments to ensure it is as smart, and liveable, as it can be. 

The Forum will provide:

  • A network in the Chamber for sharing and bringing together information, knowledge and technologies/services, not just in the GBA but from leading practice in other world cities
  • A platform to inform the Chamber’s policy work in this area, including in relation to its policy advocacy with Government and other relevant bodies
  • A programme to showcase overseas expertise through the British Government and British Council, and their respective programmes of engagement
  • A point of institutional focus within the Chamber to facilitate collaboration with other business and government bodies
  • Opportunities to see smart city development in the context of the Greater Bay Area
  • Support to a series of events (4 – 6 a year) focussed on smart city issues

Join the Committee


Saraansh DaveChair CLP Read moreRead less Saraansh is Head of New Business Development for CLP Holdings where he is responsible for developing new opportunities across all of CLP’s regions in Asia-Pacific. This includes; new business models, project development, partnerships, accelerators and joint-ventures. Prior to CLP, Saraansh worked for SSE Plc in the UK within their commercial division where he held a number of roles from strategy to business development which included areas such as electric vehicles, storage, and energy services. Saraansh also worked for Toshiba Corporate Research & Development where he focused on Smart Grid projects across Europe. He holds a first class masters degree in Engineering from the University of Oxford and an Engineering Doctorate from the University of Bristol.
Anne KerrMember Mott MacDonald Hong Kong LtdRead moreRead less As Chairman of the Environment and Energy Committee (2007 – 2016), Anne has assisted in the preparation of submissions to the government on climate change, air and water quality objectives, sustainable development, the CE's policy addresses and participated in the debates on a wide range of topics of interest to Committee Members and the Community at large. She took up the Vice Chair role on the General Committee in 2016 and has continued to support various Committees including Environment and Energy Committee. In recognition of the cross-cutting nature of the smart cities agenda which is being promulgated by HK Government, Anne established the Smart City Forum which draws its membership from across the Chamber with the express intent of sharing information, informing, showing leadership and providing direction in this diverse and fast-growing sector of interest, too both the public and private sectors. Her Chamber priorities for 2017/18 include focused lobbying of government in terms of ensuring an integrated approach is adopted for development initiatives and particularly those around the Smart City Agenda, as well as recognition and action on climate change and energy and water resource issues. As Managing Director Greater China and Global Head of Cities at Mott MacDonald Anne has access and engages with city leaders and officials in many parts of the globe and she works as an informal “ambassador” for Hong Kong’s achievements as well as bringing examples of best practice back to Hong Kong.
Andrew MacphersonMemberJLLRead moreRead lessHis role involves leveraging JLL’s extensive built asset knowledge, expertise and data to help real estate investors, owners and occupiers generate additional value and competitive advantage from their real estate portfolio across the whole asset life cycle.
Eli KonvitzMemberAtkinsRead moreRead lessEli is Director, Urban Planning and Design at Atkins, and Chair of Atkins' Urban Planning Global Network. As a city planner and urbanist he has carried out urban development, advisory, and infrastructure projects around the world. His expertise is in strategy and masterplanning; sustainability, resilience, and cities; and policy and research.
Iian FreimanMemberBerwin Leighton PaisnerRead moreRead lessIlan Freiman, Partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner in Hong Kong has over 15 years’ experience advising as a major projects and commercial construction lawyer. Ilan acts for a wide range of public and private sector project participants at all stages of the project development life-cycle including on project formation, structuring and procurement strategies, project development and regulatory issues as well as drafting and negotiating project documentation for all forms of construction and engineering procurement. He has also held senior positions at a leading international developer of integrated resort facilities where he was part of the leadership team responsible for the successful delivery of some of the region’s most recognisable and high profile projects. He is recognised in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific for his “very quick, incisive mind and [that] he will always evaluate matters promptly and efficiently.”
Jaime TamMemberMott MacDonaldRead moreRead lessEnvironmental Consultant at Mott MacDonald.
Jonathan BeardMemberEYRead moreRead lessDr Beard is an Infrastructure Advisory Partner at Ernst & Young. He has advised on transportation policy and related infrastructure finance and development in over 25 countries and has guided the master-planning for some of the world’s largest and most successful ports, including Shanghai, Hong Kong and Port Klang, and the logistics development strategy for several major airports, including Hong Kong and Beijing’s New Second International Airport. Jonathan has provided market and technical advisory for M&As, PPPs and privatisations, and has worked extensively in the aviation and surface transportation sectors, advising on infrastructure investment, fare regulation, competition, the application of new mobility technologies, and economic and financial impact assessments. He was previously Head of Transportation and Logistics Consultancy in Asia for Arcadis and Vice President of ICF, responsible for the company’s greater China economic and policy consultancy. Jonathan holds a BA, MA and PhD from Cambridge University, and is a Certified Management Consultant, and a former Director of the Management Consultancies Association of Hong Kong and former President of the Hong Kong Institute of Management Consultants.
Les HalesMemberCIO ConnectRead moreRead lessLes is the Managing Director of the Hong Kong office of CIO Connect, a London based firm that provides advisory and leadership development services to Chief Information Officers. He is also the current President of the Hong Kong Knowledge Management Society. Les has over 30 years experience in IT leadership roles including IT research with Gartner in the Executive Program practice, Asia Pacific IT Director at DHL and Director of Customer Services at Unisys. Based in Hong Kong since 1984, Les is a regular contributor to IT and executive leadership media.
Paul HaswellMemberSeyfarth Shaw LLPRead moreRead lessPartner at Seyfarth Shaw specialising in both contentious and non-contentious IT, telecoms, media, commercial and employment law in Asia-Pacific. Qualified in both Hong Kong and England and Wales. I love and work with all things tech and data related, which includes but is not limited to privacy and data, technology disputes, outsourcing and commercial contracts, blockchain and cryptocurrency, IP, mediation, general commercial litigation and both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. I'm a technology enthusiast as well as a technology lawyer - basically if it relates to technology in any way then there's a good chance I can help, and if it's something exciting in the tech world I will be into it! Also a DJ and radio presenter, currently with a Sunday morning show on RTHK Radio 3 as well as a podcast on Clockenflap Music. I also have one of the largest vinyl record collections in Hong Kong...
Peter DampierMemberJacobs China LimitedRead moreRead lessBio Pending
Rico ChanMemberBaker McKenzieRead moreRead lessRico Chan is Head of Baker McKenzie's China Real Estate, Co-head of Asia Real Estate Group and Co-lead of Asia Pacific Data Centre Task Force. He is also Head of the Firm's China Greater Bay Area Developments. Rico is passionate about providing legal solutions to clients in real estate structuring and closing and resolving tricky legal issues in China and Hong Kong. Major legal directories including Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific have consistently ranked him as a Tier-1 lawyer in his areas of practice. Over the last 30 years, Rico has represented major foreign investors, financiers and corporate users in a wide range of transactions (such as greenfield development, acquisition, financing, disposal, REITs, anchor lease, built-to-suit lease) and also a wider range of real estate products (such as office, residential, retail, hotel, timeshare, theme park, industrial, logistics, data centre, hospital, to infrastructure projects).
Stephanie LiMemberBritish ConsulateRead moreRead lessBio Pending
Nicholas TurnerMemberPinsent MasonsRead moreRead lessI am a Partner specialising in International Arbitration. The combination of my legal and construction experience enables me to provide practical legal advice to all stakeholders in relation to dispute resolution by arbitration, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. My recent experience includes acting for clients on arbitration disputes in Asia and the Middle East under DIAC, HKIAC, ICC, SIAC and QICCA Rules.
Christy NgChamber RepresentativeBritish Chamber of Commerce in HKRead moreRead lessChristy is currently the Business Policy and Corporate Relations Manager at the Chamber. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in the UK having MA Politics as her major, she had focused on Women Politics, Internet and Politics and International Politics during her studies. Christy had also shadowed political party members at the Scottish Parliament and involved in political schemes to encourage active political participation in education fields in the UK.
Felix MatthijssenMemberBTRead moreRead lessWith histeam across the region he coordinates the risk management and ensure operational- and regulatory compliance for the BT entities in China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Japan and the Republic of Korea. This also includes the business continuity planning (incl. Covid19 mitigations) and supporting ISO and other audits across the region. By doing so they support the BT employees in doing their jobs safely and compliant and ultimately protect the BT company and brand. As part of his role he holds directorships for a number of regional BT entities.
Andrew PickfordMemberEYRead moreRead lessInternational business manager and management consultant with 25 years’ hands on- experience in the design, operations and performance management of complex IT-based systems, ranging from applications within the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) arena, Electronic Toll Collection / Electronic Road pricing, Connected Vehicle Infrastructure Systems (CVIS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Smart Cities; global experience; start-ups.
Dominic EdmondsonMemberBaker McKenzieRead moreRead lessTechnology and IP lawyer and strategist, fluent in Mandarin, with a focus on Hong Kong, China and Asia more broadly. Advising consumer and luxury goods, media and entertainment and telecoms companies on data privacy, outsourcing, technology commercialisation, brand protection and enforcement. Interested in the evolution and regulation of FinTech and in particular the application of blockchain technologies to revolutionise the way services are delivered.
Corin WilsonMemberThe British ConsulateRead moreRead lessbio pending.