Group photo of all participants in Smart City Competition 2025
The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) successfully hosted the “Build a Smart City Competition 2025 – Spatial Data Challenge in Smart City,” bringing together talented secondary school students to develop innovative solutions for transforming Hong Kong into a world-class Smart City.
Launched with a vibrant opening ceremony on 28 June 2025, the event was officiated by Prof. Linda Xiao, Associate Dean (Partnership), and Prof. Charles Wong, Associate Dean (Teaching & Global Engagement). The competition attracted enthusiastic participation, including 11 student teams engaging in the Spatial Data Challenge in Smart City project led by the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI).
The two-part competition began with an immersive two-day workshop on 28 June and 5 July, where participants explored the concepts of Smart City development and 3D mapping in Hong Kong. Students gained hands-on experience in solving urban problems using open spatial data from the CSDI Portal and open-source software QGIS. Highlights included a special tour of the Lands Department of HKSAR, where students learned how to retrieve and analyse spatial data, alongside lab tours to PolyU’s Remote Sensing Lab and Underground Utility Survey Laboratory, offering real-world insights into geospatial technologies.
Throughout the workshops, students engaged in interactive demonstrations and discussions with esteemed researchers and faculty members from FCE’s four departments. They were challenged to devise practical, user-friendly solutions addressing real-world urban issues, leveraging the power of geospatial data and cutting-edge digital tools.
The competition culminated on 22 August 2025 with a Presentation Day, where teams showcased their solutions and compete for top honours.
By providing hands-on learning opportunities and access to advanced technologies, PolyU FCE’s Build a Smart City Competition continues to inspire the next generation of innovators, equipping them to contribute to a more efficient, sustainable, and liveable Hong Kong.
