The Institution hosted the Grand 50th Annual Dinner on Thursday, 3 April 2025 at the Grand Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. A record-breaking 1,800 members and guests gathered to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Institution.

The Institution was honoured by the presence of The Honourable John KC Lee, GBM, SBS, PDSM, PMSM, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as the Principal Guest of the evening. Mr Lee congratulated the HKIE on its 50th Anniversary and commended the engineering sector’s important contributions.

The occasion was also graced by the presence of Mr Wu Xiuzhang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China. Mr Wu affirmed the HKIE’s commitment to aligning Hong Kong’s engineering and construction sectors with the nation’s overall development.

President Ir Eric S C Ma highlighted the importance of fostering strong connections within the global engineering community, which echoed the theme of the Session “Grow the Nexus, Link the Links” .

To honour distinguished members for their exceptional accomplishments, the Institution is pleased to confer The HKIE Honorary Fellow 2025 on Ir Dr Andrew K C Chan and Ir Prof Alexander P K Wai. The HKIE Gold Medal 2025 was awarded to Ir Stephen W K Chik, while Ir Duncan W O Wong received The President’s Award 2025. Young Engineer of the Year Award 2025 was also presented at the dinner, and the winner was Ir Dr Zheng Pai while Ir Calvin K F Leung and Ir Stephanie Y T Leung received the Certificates of Merit. A Certificate of Appreciation for inspiring the HKIE 50th Anniversary emblem was presented to Ir Prof P L Yuen.

Hong Kong’s development has been marked by a series of influential engineering feats. At the Dinner, the “Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Scheme” was conferred with the “Exemplary Project” recognition. The recognition is especially meaningful this year during the 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong.

Three Legacy Awards and 19 Grand Awards of the HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award were also presented during the dinner to honour outstanding engineering projects, breakthrough technologies, and transformative initiatives over the past 50 years.

Recipients of “The HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award”:

• Industrial: Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station: A Key Player in Hong Kong’s Zero-Carbon Power Generating Industry
• Infrastructure: A New Era on Mobility – Hong Kong’s First Metro Subway
• Innovation: Fibre Optic - Revolutionary Change in Modern Telecommunications by Professor Charles K. Kao

Recipients of “The HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award – Grand Award”:

Industrial

• Keeping Hong Kong Talking - The Transformation of Telephone Services in Hong Kong in the 1970s (1970s)
• Unshaken Over Time - Tai Po Gas Production Plant (1980s)
• Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station: A Key Player in Hong Kong’s Zero-Carbon Power Generating Industry (1990s)
• HSBC Data Centre (2000s)
• HKT - Building Fibre Network Infrastructure to Support Internet Boom and Digital Transformation in Hong Kong (2010s to present)

Infrastructure

• Cross-Harbour Tunnel (1970s)
• A New Era on Mobility - Hong Kong’s First Metro Subway (1980s)
• Terminal 1, Hong Kong International Airport (1990s)
• Tsing Ma Bridge - The World’s Longest Suspension Bridge for Road and Railway Traffic (1990s)
• West Rail (2000s)
• Stonecutters Bridge - State-of-the-art Cable-stayed Bridge in the World (2000s)
• The Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (HSR) - A Connection to Fostering Community and Economic Ties between Hong Kong and Mainland Cities (2010s to present)
• Kai Tak Sports Park (2010s to present)

Innovation

• Hong Kong Slope Safety System (1970s)
• Plover Cove & High Island Reservoirs - The Unsalted Sea (1970s)
• Fibre Optic - Revolutionary Change in Modern Telecommunications by Professor Charles K. Kao (1980s)
• Octopus - The World’s First Contactless Payment Card (1990s)
• Fire Engineering Approach for Large Spaces (2000s)
• The Invention of a Real-time Sewage Surveillance-based Forecast Model to Assist COVID-19 Pandemic Control (2010s to present)

Happy moments captured at event are available at

https://www.hkie.org.hk/annualdinner

The Honourable John KC Lee, Principal Guest of the evening, delivered an enlightening speech on the occasion

Mr Wu Xiuzhang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China

President, Ir Eric S C Ma delivered a speech

Stage Party (L to R): Ir Prof Alfred W H Sit, Ir Dr The Hon Lo Wai-kwok, Ir Prof The Hon Sun Dong, Ir Prof Frank F Chan, The Hon Bernadette H H Linn, Mr Ye Shuiqiu, Ir Dr Barry C H Lee, The Hon John KC Lee, Ir Eric S C Ma, Mr Wu Xiuzhang, Ir Alice K T Chow, Mr Bao Haibin (Counsellor), Ir The Hon Winnie W Y Ho, Ir Ricky C K Lau and Ir Rupert K Y Leung

粵海水務黨委書記、董事長鄭航桅先生 (2nd right) represented the Water Resources Department of Guangdong Province, and Director of Water Supplies of the HKSAR Government Ir Roger Y L Wong (2nd left), accepting the recognition “Exemplary Project” conferred on the “Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Scheme” from President Ir Eric S C Ma (1st right) and Senior Vice President Ir Alice K T Chow (1st left)

Ir Stephen W K Chik (R) received The HKIE Gold Medal 2025 from the President

The President presented The HKIE Honorary Fellow 2025 to Ir Dr Andrew K C Chan

The President presented The HKIE Honorary Fellow 2025 to Ir Prof Alexander P K WAI

Ir Duncan W O Wong (R) received The President’s Award 2025 from the President

The winner of Young Engineer of the Year Award 2025 was Ir Dr Zheng Pai (R)

The awardees of Certificates of Merit of Young Engineer of the Year Award 2025 and the President (L to R): Ir Calvin K F Leung, Ir Eric S C Ma and Ir Stephanie Y T Leung

Ir Prof P L Yuen (R) received the Certificate of Appreciation for inspiring the HKIE 50th Anniversary emblem from the President

The recipients of The HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award, Secretary for Development The Hon Bernadette H H Linn (1st left), Secretary for Housing Ir The Hon Winnie W Y Ho (2nd right), Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Ir Prof The Hon Sun Dong (1st right) and the President (2nd left)

HKIE Past Presidents, Former Secretaries and Directors-General / Chief Executive and Secretaries, the HKIE Officers and Chief Executive and Secretary

The representatives of the Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver Sponsors, the HKIE Officers, Chairman of the Task Force for Fund Raising for the 50th Anniversary and Chief Executive and Secretary

Exhibition of the awarded entries for The HKIE 50th Anniversary Legacy Award

More than 1,800 members and guests attended the event

Dear Honourable Chief Executive John Lee, Vice Minister Wu Xiuzhang, Distinguished guests, Fellow Members, ladies and gentlemen:

It is a privilege to be with you as we celebrate the HKIE Grand 50th Annual Dinner.

I am honoured to introduce our Principal Guest, Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As he leads Hong Kong through difficult challenges, we are delighted to have him with us because we too have much work to do to make our city a better place.

Fifty years ago, in 1975, two events that would transform the world took place: the American Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet Soyuz capsule in orbit, marking a key moment of cooperation during the Cold War and, perhaps more importantly, Bill Gates founded Microsoft, opening the door to a technological future.

That same year, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers was born – just as our city was embarking on a programme of infrastructure that would become the envy of the world. From our MTR system to our world-class airport, these projects shaped modern Hong Kong.

While it’s easy to be pessimistic, I believe in the spirit of the Chinese blockbuster 哪吒: “If there is no path ahead, I will make one” 「若前方無路，我便踏出一條路」. And indeed, it is always engineers who are asked to overcome difficult challenges. Just ask those who collaborated with the Mainland to develop the Dongjiang Water Supply after Hong Kong suffered a massive drought in the 1960s!

Tonight, we celebrate the groundbreaking engineering projects that have defined Hong Kong over the past five decades. These Legacy Awards are a reminder of how much our profession has contributed to our city.

As a civil engineer of a certain age, it has been my privilege to witness an era that has transformed Hong Kong into a global metropolis, from megaprojects like the Hong Kong– Zhuhai–Macau Bridge and the repurposing of the Kai Tak airport to everyday developments like the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant and the Mid-Levels escalator .

While some say the best days of engineering are behind us, I beg to differ. As initiatives like the Northern Metropolis and Smart City gain momentum, there are countless opportunities for engineers to support the government in making Hong Kong a 21st-century city.

But opportunities aren’t enough. The question is: will we seize them?

Old skills will always have their place, but as we move forward, engineers must grow. We are entering a new era – one driven by technology, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and deeper integration with the Greater Bay Area.

To succeed, we must indeed Grow the Nexus and Link the Links!

That means fostering strong connections within the global engineering community, bridging the gap between Mainland and overseas engineers, and building networks that empower all of us.

After years of hard work, and thanks to the efforts of the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments, 207 Hong Kong engineers have passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Engineering “Professional Title” 「職稱」 evaluation, a process launched last year to enable engineers in four disciplines to work in the Mainland. We hope these pioneers inspire others to pursue this qualification and are committed to expanding the initiative to more disciplines, as Mainland opportunities continue to grow.

Speaking of talented individuals, engineers today have more options than ever before. When I graduated, the path was clear: join a big firm, build your reputation, and move into a public sector position or corporate board. Today, engineers can still do that; but they can also bet on themselves.

To support this exciting shift, we launched the “Enginpreneurs” initiative with Cyberport, fast-tracking up to five HKIE candidates annually into entrepreneurship, funding, and incubation programmes.

To date, five projects have received funding, and two, “RetroLogic AI” and “Reno VR”, made it to the Incubation Programme. While “RetroLogic AI” facilitates the retro-commissioning of buildings, “Reno VR” uses augmented reality to simulate training environments. Technology, sustainability, safety and efficiency, are all in one package. Who said engineering wasn’t a cool career option?

And this brings us back to tonight’s event, the HKIE Grand 50th Annual Dinner. In a way, it is ironic that in celebrating our past, we are also setting the tone for our future. But it is only thanks to the achievements of those who came before us that we stand here today.

Simply saying “thank you for the memories” is not enough. The key lesson we must take from the engineers who founded the HKIE 50 years ago is that the only way to build the future is to dream today.

So, to our predecessors, I want to say thank you for your remarkable contributions. But also – and that’s even more important – for allowing us to carry your legacy forward.

Let me finish with a quote from 哪吒: 「我命由我不由天」. I am the master of my own destiny. Because the fact is that Hong Kong needs engineers now more than ever if we are to leave a legacy that will matter 50 years from now.

Thank you, and let’s dream big for Hong Kong!

Address by President Ir Eric Ma at the HKIE Grand 50th Annual Dinner

From 20 to 21 February 2025, the Institution’s Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPDC), the Guangdong Institution of Engineers (GDIE) and the Macau Institute of Engineers (AEM) jointly held a visit to hydrogen facilities in Foshan, China. Over 30 participants attended the event with our Senior Vice President, Ir Alice Chow, and our Vice President, Ir Prof Frank Chan, as well as GDIE’s Party Secretary Ms Fan Xiurong, and AEM’s President Mr Lai Kin Weng.

At the lunch reception, the participants received a warm welcome from Mr Gu Nan, the Deputy Head of the United Front Work Department of the Foshan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China. Mr Gu introduced Foshan and its development from household appliances and ceramic building materials to hydrogen energy research and applications. Foshan’s efforts to take forward the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area proactively were highly appreciated.

The event itinerary covered various exhibitions, research institutions, corporations and utilities, showcasing the development of hydrogen energy and its applications in different stages. The facilities visited are outlined below:

• Sino-Synergy Hydrogen Energy Technology (Jiaxing) Co. Ltd.
• Foshan Xianhu Laboratory
• ZKRG Smart Energy Technology (Foshan) Co. Ltd. 「氫進萬家」示範項目
• Foran Energy Nanzhuang Hydrogen Station (佛燃能源南莊加氫站)
• Foshan Institute of Environmental and Energy Technology
• Guangzhou Towngas LNG Emergency Station (廣州港華 LNG 應急站)

The guided tours introduced our participants to quality hydrogen energy applications in technical, commercial and social aspects, as well as showcasing advanced research such as the integration of hydrogen and ammonia for efficient energy usage. The site visit to hydrogen facilities with on-site hydrogen generation and charging, and to a community prototype applying hydrogen energy, showed the potential of this renewable energy in reaching a more sustainable future.

The participants were impressed by the guided tours at the facilities and provided positive feedback during discussions at lunch and after the guided tours. The CPDC would like to thank the United Front Work Department of the Foshan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China for connecting the organisers to the hosts and providing valuable opportunities for the participants to gain insight into the hydrogen development trends and applications.

Over 30 participants next to hydrogen autonomous vehicles of Foshan Xianhu Laboratory

Guided tour introducing hydrogen station layout at Nanhai (Foshan) Hydrogen Energy Exhibition Hall

Participants from the Institution visiting Towngas storage facilities to gain insight into gas storage and safety