Hong Kong opens Embodied AI hub to court the global robotics industry

Hong Kong now has a place where robots go to practice being useful. On October 15, 2026, the city opened its first Embodied AI International Applications Hub, housed in the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) Building in Kowloon Tong. What the hub actually does The facility is built to test and fine-tune embodied AI systems and humanoid robots inside simulated real-world settings. Embodied AI is the industry term for artificial intelligence that lives inside a physical body. The hub is focused on five sectors: Manufacturing Smart logistics Retail services Inspection and maintenance Public services The launch comes with a roster of collaborators. The hub is starting with seven technology partners, including Unitree Robotics, Galbot and Robotera, plus eight scenario partners. Technology partners bring the robots and the software. Scenario partners supply the environments and use cases those robots need to be tested against. The mainland connection HKPC Chairman Sunny Tan framed the hub as a strategic asset for robotics manufacturers based on the mainland. His pitch: those companies can train their robots for international scenarios without having to leave the region. The research d...