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In a historic first for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Robot Contest (ABU Robocon), teams representing the host city achieved an unprecedented clean sweep of the top two honours at ABU Robocon 2026. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) clinched the coveted Grand Prix championship, while the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) secured the first runner-up spot. The remarkable double victory underscored the world-class calibre, creativity, and technical prowess of Hong Kong’s burgeoning innovation and technology (I&T) talent on the international stage.
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16 Top-Tier global teams compete for coveted trophy
Co-organised by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and Radio Television Hong Kong, the prestigious regional contest returned to Hong Kong after 14 years under the martial arts-inspired theme “Kung Fu Quest”. Gathering 16 elite university teams across 15 countries and regions, the tournament challenged robotic engineering through complex strategic tasks.
A thrilling showdown between HKU and CUHK sets the final ablaze, securing a historic one-two finish for the host city.
HKSTP’s end-to-end ecosystem nurtures I&T talent
Highlighting the ecosystem behind such success, Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP, emphasised that hands-on international competitions are vital in bridging academic theory and practical commercialisation. “It is not merely about remaining confined to laboratories; it is about practical deployment and benchmarking against top global teams so our youth realise that what others can accomplish, they can achieve too,” Wong noted. He outlined HKSTP’s comprehensive “end-to-end” full-cycle support framework, which nurtures innovators from campus to industry. This strategy encompasses structured six-month corporate internships, platforms to commercialise research breakthroughs into viable market products, and tailored career matching with park enterprises. Furthermore, HKSTP provides dedicated residential facilities at InnoCell with ongoing expansions planned to accommodate over a thousand more talents, delivering a holistic living-and-working environment that attracts and retains high-calibre I&T professionals locally and globally.
A catalyst for personal growth and future career pathways
For the triumphant HKU champions, the arduous preparation offered invaluable personal growth and direct pathways into the technology industry. Andy Zheng, a third-year Computing Science student, reflected on how months of intense testing, tactical opponent analysis, and multidisciplinary collaboration across mechanical, electronic, and software divisions honed their problem-solving resilience under immense pressure. Beyond the trophy, the competition served as a springboard into the I&T sector. Team member Christopher Chung leveraged the contest’s robust alumni and industry network to secure an internship at a start-up based at Hong Kong Science Park. Such direct transitions demonstrate how platforms like Robocon and the HKSTP ecosystem effectively cultivate Hong Kong’s next generation of tech pioneers.
Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP.
Beyond the arena, HKSTP hosted a tour of Hong Kong Science Park for more than 200 students, offering them an up-close look at the city’s largest innovation ecosystem. From expert sharing sessions to live tech showcases by over 10 companies across the Park and InnoParks, the young innovators experienced firsthand the transformative technologies being developed by both local start-ups and global enterprises.
