Hong Kong youth Parker Li identifies himself as a “real Greater Bay citizen,” reflecting his family’s deep roots in the region. His father was among the first Hong Kong entrepreneurs to start businesses in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, in the 1980s, while his mother hails from Zhongshan.
Speaking at the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai in early July, Li expressed his strong connection to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and his confidence in its development. At 32, Li returned to Zhongshan after completing a graduate degree in mechanical and automation engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016, to pursue his dream in robotics.
“I really like the entrepreneurial atmosphere in Zhongshan. Young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Macao enjoy many preferential and supportive policies here, and mentors at the entrepreneurial incubation base provide us with guidance to help us grow,” Li said.
The burgeoning market and rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in mainland China have opened up vast opportunities for young entrepreneurs like Li. Initially, Li’s company offered customized robotic solutions to factories undergoing intelligent manufacturing transformations. However, he quickly identified a significant challenge: the need for adaptable robotics solutions as product lines frequently change in manufacturing.
“Large-scale enterprises cannot just produce a single product forever. The rapid product updates in some factories mean that a customized robot may only be useful for a few months, which is uneconomical,” Li explained.
To address this, Li focused on developing software for industrial robot cloud programming, enabling factories to reprogram robots in-house according to their needs. He founded his company, Youtoo, in 2021. Three years later, their robotics operating system is helping factories reduce the cost of robotic equipment by about 60%. The system is user-friendly, requiring just 15 minutes to learn and 10 minutes to adapt to new assembly lines.
The system’s success has earned Youtoo recognition, including being listed among the top 100 industrial apps by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for two consecutive years. In 2024, their system was also featured in the WAIC’s Future Tech 100 for its innovative foresight and commercial value.
Another standout at the WAIC was Metapool Technology, known for its interactive teaching tool based on the Chinese Tiangong space station. This tool offers users a simulated experience inside and outside the space station, aiming to enhance aerospace education and inspire the next generation of talent.
The Greater Bay Area, one of China’s most open and economically vibrant regions, is rapidly becoming a hub for high-quality development in AI and technology. The upcoming supercomputing center in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, set to begin operations in the second half of the year, will further bolster the region’s position as an international science and innovation hub.
With the mainland offering a vast market and abundant opportunities, and Hong Kong providing mature entrepreneurial guidance and resource integration, the era of AI presents significant potential for “Greater Bay citizens” like Li. This development promises to benefit both sides of the Greater Bay Area and contribute to the region’s prosperity through innovation and expertise.