China Telecom Global and HKUST Launch Joint AI Lab for Telecom

China Telecom Global (CTG) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have officially launched the HKUST–China Telecom Joint Laboratory on AI for Telecommunications, marking a significant step in their industry–academia–research collaboration. The signing ceremony, held at the HKUST campus, was led by Chen Kai, Executive Vice President of CTG, and Prof. Guo Yike, Provost of HKUST and Director of the Joint Laboratory. The event also included the laboratory's first Scientific Advisory Committee meeting, where the first batch of research projects was approved and the Laboratory Charter and Rules of Procedure were adopted. This initiative builds on a strategic cooperation agreement signed in March 2025 between China Telecom and HKUST, aimed at deepening collaboration and advancing frontier technology research and commercialization.

The joint laboratory will focus on frontier AI technologies for telecommunications, with research topics defined around CTG's business scenarios in global networks and its AI-powered intelligent computing cloud. It will also explore joint talent development and establish a closed-loop pathway from business scenarios through research topics to commercialized outcomes. During the meeting, committee members discussed 2027 R&D directions and the translation of telecommunications business scenarios into research topics. The laboratory will operate with a mechanism combining quarterly written reports and biannual review meetings to ensure research remains aligned with industry needs and that outcomes are measurable and translatable. As announced via Media OutReach Newswire, the collaboration underscores both parties' commitment to driving innovation in AI for telecommunications.

Looking ahead, CTG and HKUST will deepen their long-term cooperation through the joint laboratory, accelerating the industrialization of research outcomes and supporting Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology hub. The partnership aims to inject fresh momentum into the high-quality growth of the digital economy in the Greater Bay Area. With CTG's global network resources and HKUST's research strengths, the joint laboratory is poised to become a key platform for advancing AI research and its real-world applications in the telecommunications industry.