China Telecom Global (CTG) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have formally established the HKUST–China Telecom Joint Laboratory on AI for Telecommunications. The signing ceremony took place at the HKUST campus, followed by the laboratory's first Scientific Advisory Committee meeting. The milestone marks the entry of the two parties' industry–academia–research collaboration in AI for telecommunications into its implementation phase, according to a release distributed via Media OutReach Newswire.
Chen Kai, Executive Vice President of CTG, and Prof. Guo Yike, Provost of HKUST and Director of the Joint Laboratory, delivered key addresses and executed the cooperation agreement on behalf of the two parties. "China Telecom is accelerating its development into a technology-driven enterprise," said Chen Kai. "Leveraging the company's business scenarios in global networks and the AI-powered intelligent computing cloud, the joint laboratory will work with HKUST on frontier research, drive collaborative innovation across telecommunications and artificial intelligence, and serve the development of Digital China and the Greater Bay Area."
"The joint laboratory is an important platform for HKUST to advance the deep integration of AI research with real-world industry scenarios," said Prof. Guo. "We will give full play to the university's research strengths, accelerate the translation of research outcomes, and contribute to building Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub."
The establishment of the joint laboratory is a key outcome of the strategic cooperation agreement signed between China Telecom and HKUST in March 2025, under which the two parties committed to deepening industry–academia–research collaboration and advancing frontier technology research and commercialisation. Focusing on frontier AI technologies for telecommunications, the laboratory will define research topics around CTG's business scenarios in global networks and the AI-powered intelligent computing cloud, explore joint talent development, and build a closed-loop pathway from business scenarios through research topics to commercialised outcomes.
At its first meeting, the Scientific Advisory Committee approved the laboratory's first batch of research projects and adopted the Laboratory Charter and its Rules of Procedure, with in-depth discussions on 2027 research and development directions and the translation of telecommunications business scenarios into research topics. The laboratory will operate a mechanism combining quarterly written reports with biannual review meetings to ensure that research remains aligned with industry needs and that outcomes are measurable and translatable.
The collaboration could have significant implications for the telecommunications industry and the broader digital economy. By combining CTG's global network resources and AI-powered intelligent computing cloud with HKUST's research strengths, the joint laboratory aims to accelerate the industrialization of AI research outcomes. This could lead to more efficient networks, new AI-driven services, and strengthened talent development in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. The parties will deepen their long-term cooperation in AI for telecommunications through the joint laboratory, accelerate the industrialization of research outcomes, support Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology hub, and inject fresh momentum into the high-quality growth of the digital economy in the Greater Bay Area.
