To address these intersecting forces, Woods Bagot gathered industry leaders, government representatives, urban strategists, and academic experts at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center on 13 October for the Worlds Ahead Forum. Designed as a high-level, invitation-only event, the afternoon tackled the fundamental shifts shaping Hong Kong and the broader Greater Bay Area.  

Opening the proceedings, Sarah Kay, CEO of 7C Network, set a visionary tone for the gathering by highlighting the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration in solving complex city challenges. She introduced the collaborative approach behind the 7C network, which unites specialized practices like Woods Bagot and ERA-co, to deliver total place design solutions across architecture, strategic foresight, and urban strategy.  

“The Worlds Ahead Forum is a microcosm of how we work across the 7C network, bringing unique combinations of people and diverse skills sets together to tackle complex urban challenges. Cities are shaped by big-picture thinking and bold collaboration, and this event is about exploring how Hong Kong can continue to evolve as a resilient, future-focused city.”  

Christopher Lye, Executive Chair for Woods Bagot Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Singapore Studios, the forum moved fluidly across two interconnected themes: the technological transformation of urban life and the spatial integration of regional education hubs.  

Rethinking the Ambitious City 

The opening panel, “Ambitious Cities: How AI and Robotics Will Impact Urban Life,” examined the impact of what moderator Steven Cornwell, Global Director at ERA-co, framed as an era of “unusually compressed change”.  

The discussion brought together Steven Cornwell with Kathy Lee, Executive Director, Head of Research and Retail Consultancy at Colliers Colliers Hong Kong), Harris Sun, CEO & Founder at RaSpect, and James Chow, Head of Commercial Real Estate at Shun Tak Holdings to explore how cities can no longer rely on habit or default choices.  

Highlighting the shift from location-by-necessity to location-by-choice, Colliers’ Kathy Lee observed that organisations are increasingly focussed on what a space enables rather than pure square footage, noting that the office is now “competing with home, flexibility and with every other way people might choose to spend their time.” To manage and adapt the existing urban fabric, RaSpect’s Harris Sun described how Artificial Intelligence and robotics are shifting property operations from reactive maintenance toward predictive asset management. Echoing the developer’s perspective on long-term strategy, Shun Tak’s James Chow emphasized the growing need for asset flexibility in navigating an environment where technology, regulation, and user expectations evolve simultaneously. 

Catalysing Next-Generation Knowledge Hubs 

Shifting scale from the individual asset to the district level, the second session, “Catalysing the Northern Metropolis: Building Knowledge & Innovation Ecosystems”, was academically supported by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).  

Moderated by Angeliki Koliomichou, RIBA International Councillor for Asia & Australasia, the panel featured Ryan Ip, Vice President and Executive Director of Public Policy Institute at Our Hong Kong Foundation, Professor Charles Kwong, Vice President Administration and Corporate Development, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, and Sarah Ball, Woods Bagot Director & Global Sector Leader – Education & Science. .

Responding to the Government’s University Town vision, Our Hong Kong Foundation’s Ryan Ip stressed early alignment, urging that “educational institutions and industry leaders must be integrated into master planning at the earliest possible stages.” Woods Bagot’s Sarah Ball showed how spatial co-design bridges academia and business, noting the district offers a rare chance “for multiple universities to come together as part of an innovation district.” To sustain this momentum, HKMU’s Professor Charles Kwong called for smart policy levers, emphasizing that “if you want people to participate, you need incentives, such as tax-free periods and specific research funds.” 

Looking Ahead 

As Hong Kong continues to navigate its urban and technological evolution, we look forward to continuing these vital conversations and working together to shape resilient, human-centric futures. 

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Shirley Hao
Content and Communications Leader (China)