China Telecom, HKUST to Work Together on AI and Quantum Technologies

Insider Brief

• China Telecom and HKUST signed a strategic agreement to jointly advance artificial intelligence and quantum technologies in the Greater Bay Area, Telecom Review Asia reports.
• The partnership includes the creation of two research labs and a joint talent development program focused on turning scientific research into practical applications.
• Leaders from both organizations emphasized the collaboration’s role in building digital infrastructure, supporting national tech priorities, and training a future innovation workforce.

China Telecom and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology signed a wide-ranging agreement to jointly develop artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, in a move that reinforces the integration of research, industry and talent in one of Asia’s most strategically important tech corridors.

The agreement, as reported by Telecom Review Asia, establishes two major research centers — an Artificial Intelligence Innovation Laboratory and a Quantum Innovation Joint Laboratory — as well as a Joint Talent Development Program. The partnership aims to accelerate scientific discovery, support real-world technology applications, and build a skilled workforce to sustain long-term innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The scope of the agreement highlights a growing push in China to fuse academic research with commercial deployment.

“This collaboration seamlessly integrates HKUST’s research expertise with China Telecom’s industrial strengths,” said HKUST President Prof. Nancy Ip, according to Telecom Review Asia. “We will jointly address key national scientific challenges, drive industrial technology innovation, establish a robust talent development framework, and accelerate the transformation of technological advancements. Together, we can make a greater contribution to both Hong Kong and the nation.”

The labs will serve as centers for long-term cooperation in artificial intelligence and quantum information science, two domains widely viewed as critical to the future of communications, national competitiveness and smart infrastructure, the telecom publication reports. While AI is already transforming network management, logistics, and digital services, quantum technologies hold the potential to significantly impact computing and cryptography.

China Telecom Chairman and CEO Ke Ruiwen, speaking on behalf of China Telecom, stressed the strategic significance of the alliance.

“China Telecom is committed to leveraging joint laboratories and talent programs in collaboration with HKUST to cultivate core competencies in strategic emerging fields,” he said. “Together, we aim to accelerate the growth of new productive forces and contribute the strength of a leading central enterprise to the development of a digital China and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”

The agreement also puts a spotlight on workforce development, signaling that the collaboration is not only about research but also about scaling knowledge transfer into new careers. The Joint Talent Development Program aims to educate and train next-generation engineers, scientists, and technology leaders who will support national and regional priorities in digital innovation.

HKUST’s reputation for scientific excellence, especially in AI, combined with China Telecom’s global reach in telecommunications, positions the partnership as a model for other university-industry tie-ups in the region, the review reports. The deal also aligns with Beijing’s long-term goals of enhancing digital sovereignty and building homegrown capability in foundational technologies.

As Telecom Review Asia points out, the collaboration is another sign of the rising importance of coordinated ecosystems in pushing both innovation and commercialization forward. It is expected to have wide-ranging impacts on emerging sectors including smart cities, 6G research, quantum communications, and autonomous systems.

In a region defined by rapid urbanization and digital infrastructure growth, the partnership could help anchor new capabilities that go beyond academic discovery and into applied technology at scale. By aligning with national strategies and regional development goals, it also suggests a new phase in how China’s major state-linked enterprises approach innovation — less as a siloed activity and more as a collaborative, open-ended process tied to academia and public policy.

The initiative was formalized in a signing ceremony attended by CEO Ruiwen and HKUST President Prof. Ip. The agreement was signed by China Telecom Executive Vice President Liu Ying and HKUST Vice-President for Administration and Business Prof. Kar Yan Tam.