PANAMA CITY, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In Q1 2026, the crypto market entered a pivotal repricing phase against a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty and structural industry reshuffling. As user behavior becomes increasingly rational, the focus of exchange competition has shifted from a mere race for traffic acquisition to a comprehensive contest defined by product excellence, asset quality, and regulatory compliance.

As a crypto infrastructure leader, HTX continues to position trading as its core engine, underpinned by a rock-solid foundation of security and compliance. By leveraging product innovation and globalization as key growth drivers, the platform has achieved synergistic progress across all business lines. During the quarter, HTX co-released the 2026 Digital Asset Trends White Paper with key media outlets, further reinforcing its thought leadership. By the end of March 2026, HTX’s total registered users officially surpassed 59 million, while quarterly brand reach hit a record 53.55 million. From high-impact spot listings to the surge of TradFi futures contracts, HTX is delivering a stellar performance report that sets the stage for a new crypto era starting in 2026.

Spot and OTC: Capturing 2026’s “Wealth Effect” While Advancing Global Expansion

In the volatile market environment of this first quarter, HTX fortified its security moat while leveraging sharp market insights and rapid execution to consistently capture alpha returns for its users. The quarter was marked by a steady stream of breakout assets, driving spot trading volume past the 3-billion-dollar level.

During Q1, HTX listed 39 new assets, with initial listings accounting for 53.85%. Among them, breakout assets such as ELSA, 老子, and 我踏马来 performed exceptionally well, posting peak gains of 620%, 572.73%, and 411.81%, respectively. Other assets such as BTW, BNKR, and RIVER also recorded strong gains, with BTW debuting on HTX and RIVER achieving significant post-listing momentum. Furthermore, by leveraging premier events like the Blockchain Forum 2026, HTX’s Spot Fee Rebate Program successfully engaged high-net-worth individuals, driving cumulative trading volume beyond 30 billion USDT.

HTX’s OTC business is expanding its global footprint. With significant breakthroughs in compliant operations in Australia and expansion into the PKR market, HTX is extending its regulatory presence across high-growth regions. Moving forward, HTX will cultivate deeper ties with premium OTC clients, driving user loyalty and enhancing the overall experience. Simultaneously, the platform is accelerating its global outreach, proactively broadening partnership channels and extending seamless fiat on/off-ramp capabilities across a wider range of ecosystem scenarios.

On the security front, HTX has released its latest Proof of Reserves (PoR) update for April, marking 42 consecutive months of Merkle tree-based disclosures, with major asset reserves consistently exceeding 100%. Notably, BTC and ETH holdings recorded net increases of 142 and 538 coins, respectively, while TRX reserves grew by over 91.78 million tokens. The platform also upgraded its stablecoin asset display by introducing a unified USDs aggregation model, consolidating USDT, USDC, and other dollar-backed stablecoins to enhance transparency and clarity for users.

Futures and Earn: A $300 Billion Vision Backed by TradFi Expansion and Stable Yields

In 2026, HTX’s futures business is undergoing a structural transformation, through a “full-category, one-stop” strategy that bridges traditional finance and crypto markets.

In Q1, HTX significantly expanded its futures trading pairs in the TradFi zone, introducing over 22 new assets across gold, silver, crude oil, U.S. equities, and major indices. Currently, the total number of tradable pairs on the platform has surpassed 276, driving an increase in futures market share and a steadily expanding active trader base. Simultaneously, HTX’s SmartEarn delivered a peak APY of 7.21%, with an average yield of 2.68% throughout the quarter. Characterized by zero entry barriers, no lock-up requirements, and daily rewards, SmartEarn offers uninterrupted futures trading flexibility. Its performance consistently outpaces industry benchmarks.

With the rollout of Copy Trading 4.0 and the Smart Copy feature, the trading volume increased by 50% in Q1, while the number of copy trading users doubled and liquidation volumes dropped by 61%. These improvements not only enhanced the user experience but also demonstrated HTX’s ability to reduce trading risk and protect followers’ interests through technological innovation.

HTX Earn also introduced its flagship VIP Flexible product in Q1, tailored for Prime 5+ users, offering up to 9% APY on USDT with a per-user cap of 100,000 USDT. The Flexible Earn products for stablecoins, such as USDT, USDC, USDD, U, and USD1 offer industry-leading yields of up to 15% APY, with tiered platform subsidies. The platform also launched the Flexible Earn products and campaigns for USDe and USAT, drawing over $110 million in subscriptions. Meanwhile, six Earn campaigns for new cryptos launched during the quarter attracted over $10 million in subscriptions.

Product Evolution and Industry Influence: Deep Integration of AI and Web3 Ecosystems

In 2026, HTX is fully embracing AI to empower trading, evolving into an intelligent financial platform.

HTX launched a beta version of its AI assistant, enabling advanced market analysis and personalized Earn recommendations. The Community posting section was upgraded with interactive features such as “topics” and “bullish/bearish sentiment indicators,” improving user decision-making efficiency. The platform also introduced HTX Private membership benefits and a desktop client, alongside upgrades to margin position modes and Earn order pages. From asset-liability comparisons to one-click functions such as closing positions, transfers, and repayments, the trading experience has reached industry-leading standards. HTX also launched an on-chain yield product for USDe, allowing users to mint and redeem assets directly within the CEX environment, significantly lowering the barrier to Web3 participation.

Ecosystem development continues to expand through HTX DAO, with the launch of on-chain staking, the listing of $HTX on compliant European exchanges, and the introduction of community-driven initiatives such as the “People’s Experience Officer” program to enhance community participation and governance activity. The next quarterly token burn for $HTX is scheduled for mid-April.

Meanwhile, HTX Ventures continues to provide industry insights. In January, the arm released its 2025 Year in Review report, systematically outlining the critical pathways toward mainstream crypto adoption. By maintaining a high-profile presence at premier global summits like Consensus HK and ETHDenver, and providing high-quality decision-making resources through its weekly market recaps, HTX Ventures reinforces the platform’s thought leadership across the industry.

Looking Ahead to Q2: AI and Compliance as the Next Growth Drivers

HTX’s strong Q1 performance reflects the execution of its four core strategies: global compliance, ecosystem expansion, wealth creation, and security assurance.

For Q2, the integration of third-party custody solutions such as Ceffu and the advancement of asset transfer upgrades will further enhance capital efficiency and liquidity on HTX, solidifying its position as an unwavering builder of crypto financial infrastructure. In an increasingly mature crypto market, competition is no longer defined by short-term volatility, but by the sustained accumulation and execution of long-term capabilities. HTX is steadily advancing along this path.

About HTX

Founded in 2013, HTX (formerly Huobi) has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord.

Kairos closes the gap between AI’s capability overhang and operational reality

NEW YORK and MUMBAI, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Firstsource Solutions Limited (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809), an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company, today announced the launch of Kairos — the operating system powering Intelligence That Operates. Kairos is an embedded intelligence engine that designs, builds, and operates agentic workflows across the full arc of enterprise transformation — from ambition to accountable outcome — in a single, continuous motion.

The Problem Kairos Solves

The spread between enterprises that are winning with AI and those still waiting for it to work has reached 540 basis points in operational performance — and it is widening. The dividing line is not access to technology. It is whether an organization has fundamentally re-engineered how work gets done or is still layering AI onto legacy structures and hoping for different results. C-suite leaders increasingly recognize that closing that gap demands operating model transformation — not more tools, not more pilots.

“Intelligence That Operates was the commitment. Kairos is the execution. Organizations today don’t face a shortage of AI ambition — they face a surplus of it. And yet the gap between what AI can do and what enterprises actually get in production keeps widening. The barrier has never been the technology. It is the operating model,” said Ritesh Idnani, CEO & Managing Director of Firstsource.

“Kairos was built to close that gap — not as a layer added on top of existing operations but integrated within them — running agentic workflows from end to end, accountable for what comes out the other side. And we ran it on ourselves before we brought it to market, because if it couldn’t perform inside Firstsource operations, it had no right to perform inside anyone else’s. The question every enterprise leader should be asking right now is not which AI vendor to pilot next. It is: who will own the outcome when the intelligence doesn’t perform? Kairos is how Firstsource answers that question in production — not on a whiteboard,” Ritesh added.  

Firstsource’s clients have already been benefiting from the Kairos operating model in real-world, production environments. Across healthcare and financial services, these engagements are delivering measurable impact:

• In healthcare revenue cycle management: 66% productivity gain and 80% automation of denials triage for one of the largest US health systems.
• In financial services: 25% cost savings and 83% faster customer onboarding from KYC/AML process reimagination for leading UK Fintech.

Firstsource underwrites outcomes not because of any single lever — AI, process redesign, or domain expertise — but because Kairos brings all three together as one operating model.

How Kairos Works

Kairos operates through a model that is fundamentally different from how AI is typically sold into enterprises. Rather than presenting a roadmap and stepping back, Firstsource embeds a multidisciplinary team — Strategy Experts, Process Champions, Forward Deployed Engineers, and Technology Builders — directly inside client operations. Every engagement begins not with a tool selection exercise, but with an assessment of the architecture and operating model in which AI can actually thrive. From there, the same team that designs the solution builds the intelligence layer and manages it in production, with commercial terms tied to measurable outcomes. No handoffs. No accountability gaps. One partner, accountable end to end.

The intelligence Kairos brings to each engagement is not generic. It is drawn from proprietary vertical-native AI platforms built specifically for Healthcare, Banking and Financial Services, Telecommunications, Retail, and Utilities — each developed from domain data and operational experience of 25 years, not adapted from horizontal tooling. 

Kairos also draws on an orchestrated ecosystem of more than 50 partners — hyperscalers, vertical specialists, and enterprise platforms — integrated through the Firstsource operating model rather than assembled as point solutions.

For more information: https://unbpo.firstsource.com/kairos.

About Firstsource

Firstsource Solutions Limited, an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809), is a global intelligence partner to enterprises across healthcare, banking and financial services, communications, media, technology, retail, and utilities. Its inch-wide, mile-deep practitioners work collaboratively to reimagine business process management.

With operations across the US, UK, India, Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, and Australia, Firstsource combines over twenty-five years of domain expertise with an agent-first delivery model to design, build, and operate intelligent enterprise operations. Through its Intelligence That Operates promise — powered by Kairos, the operating system that makes it real — the company unifies consulting, implementation, and operations into a single full-stack engagement and underwrites outcomes, not effort, turning deep domain intelligence into a compounding operational advantage for the world’s most regulated industries. (www.firstsource.com)

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Barings, one of the world’s leading alternative investment managers, today announced the opening of its new office in Abu Dhabi. This strategic expansion underscores Barings’ commitment to the Middle East and its confidence in the region’s long-term growth, resilience, and investment opportunities.

The Abu Dhabi office follows the successful launch of Barings’ Dubai office in 2024 and reflects the firm’s ambition to deepen relationships with institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices across the Gulf.

Mike Freno, Chairman and CEO of Barings, said, “The opening of our Abu Dhabi office reaffirms Barings’ commitment to the Middle East and our belief in the region’s growth trajectory. Being on the ground enables us to better serve our clients and partner with them to unlock opportunities across global credit markets.”

Waleed Zamel, Managing Director, Head of Middle East, Global Client Group at Barings, added, “This expansion marks an important milestone in our strategy to build a strong presence in the region and reaffirms our commitment to our trusted partners. Abu Dhabi is a key financial hub and a growth pillar of Barings’ Middle East strategy, and having a local office allows us to engage more closely with clients and deliver tailored investment solutions that meet their evolving needs.”

Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, said, “We are pleased to welcome Barings to ADGM’s ecosystem. Their decision underscores the continued interest from leading global firms choosing Abu Dhabi for regional and international growth. With a strong regulatory framework and deep connectivity to regional capital, ADGM continues to support asset and wealth managers as they expand their presence and access opportunities across the region and beyond.”

The new office will operate within ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, the Capital of the United Arab Emirates, providing Barings with proximity to leading regional investors and a robust regulatory environment. The firm continues to see a strong appetite for strategies in public credit, private credit, and real estate among Middle Eastern investors.

Presence in ADGM will support long-term investor partnerships, portfolio company expansion, and the foundation for future regional investment activity

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, today announced the opening of its office in ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi. The new office builds on Bain Capital’s long-standing relationships across the Middle East and reflects the firm’s continued commitment to investing, partnering, and supporting growth across priority sectors in the region.

Bain Capital’s strategy in the Middle East is anchored in three pillars:

• It will further reinforce the firm’s capital formation efforts, supporting long-term relationships with regional investors across Bain Capital’s global investment platform.
• It will support the expansion and growth of select Bain Capital portfolio companies in the Middle East, helping connect companies to the region’s capital, customers, talent, and strategic partners, with a focus on sectors aligned to regional priorities such as aviation, healthcare, digital infrastructure, and financial technology.
• It will help position Bain Capital to evaluate, over time, more direct investment activity in the region as markets develop and attractive opportunities emerge.

The Abu Dhabi office will serve as a regional hub supporting deeper engagement across the Middle East, while also strengthening connectivity with the firm’s global footprint.

“Bain Capital has built trusted partnerships across the Middle East over decades, grounded in shared values, a long-term orientation, and a belief that the region is playing an increasingly central role in global capital and company-building,” said David Gross, Managing Partner at Bain Capital.

“Establishing a presence in Abu Dhabi is a natural next step, strengthening our ability to serve investors, support portfolio companies and engage with stakeholders to create long-term value together. As a global financial hub with a clear vision, strong regulatory environment, and strategic connectivity, Abu Dhabi offers an ideal platform to deepen our presence.”

Tom Sargeant, a Partner and Head of APAC and Middle East Investor Relations at Bain Capital, said: “Many of the region’s leading institutions have been long-term investors in our funds, and those relationships have grown over time into broader strategic collaboration. The Abu Dhabi office strengthens our ability to work side-by-side with partners across the region.”

“We welcome Bain Capital to ADGM, as leading global financial firms continue to anchor their regional growth strategies in Abu Dhabi,” said H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM. “This reflects an important alignment with markets defined by regulatory clarity, institutional strength, and long-term stability. ADGM provides that foundation, combining a robust legal framework, access to deep and patient capital, and a system designed to support global investors at scale.

“Bain Capital’s presence reinforces Abu Dhabi’s role as a platform where international capital connects with regional opportunity, and where long-term partnerships are built with confidence.”

The establishment of Bain Capital’s office follows its strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) under the emirate’s Fintech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets (FIDA) cluster, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to supporting the development of next-generation financial infrastructure and services, contributing to the continued evolution of the region’s investment ecosystem.

DUBAI, UAE, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is thrilled to announce that Bybit Card has reached a major milestone of 3 million users, marking a significant step forward in its vision of building the new financial platform, one card at a time.

Since its launch, Bybit Card has seen strong global adoption as users increasingly incorporate it into their daily spending. The card has grown from zero to 1 million users in under two years, reaching 2 million in a further six months and surpassing 3 million in approximately nine months thereafter. The card is now used across a wide range of categories, including travel, groceries, dining and retail, highlighting its role in everyday financial activity.

At launch, Bybit Card introduced core payment functionality, enabling users to spend crypto and fiat globally across online and offline merchants. The product is designed to be available as both a virtual and physical card, supporting mobile payment solutions such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, with no issuance or annual fees; however, specific features may vary depending on the card program for which users are approved.

As the product has evolved, the Bybit Card now includes key features such as multi-asset support, seamless crypto-to-fiat conversion, and a rewards programme offering 2% to 10% cashback on everyday spending. Additional benefits include targeted campaigns with up to 50% cashback in selected markets, as well as 100% subscription rebates for services like Netflix, Spotify, ChatGPT and Trading View, available for Bybit card Tier 2 and above users, subject to their monthly limits.

More recently, the card has further strengthened its offering through welcome incentives, including rewards on deposits, and 10% cashback on initial spending, designed to support new user adoption and everyday usage.

In parallel, Bybit has expanded the card’s ecosystem through partnerships that connect financial services with lifestyle and cultural experiences. In 2025, Bybit Card became the official payment partner for Tomorrowland Brasil, offering cardholders exclusive presale access, cashback on tickets and merchandise, on-site rewards and limited-edition card designs. The partnership has since been extended through 2027.

Building on this, Bybit expanded into global sports through its title partnership with the Stockholm Open from 2026 to 2028, providing cardholders with early ticket access, premium seating opportunities and cashback on event-related spending.

At a regional level, Bybit Card has collaborated with retail and service platforms to support localized adoption. In Georgia, a partnership with City Mall, the country’s largest multifunctional shopping center, offered users 50 percent cashback during seasonal campaigns. Additional integrations, including partnerships with key European commerce platforms, further extend the card’s reach into everyday transactions and digital marketplaces.

Together, these developments outline a clear timeline in the card’s evolution – from initial payment functionality, to rewards and incentives, and more recently to lifestyle partnerships and real-world integrations – positioning Bybit Card as a bridge between digital assets and everyday life.

Looking ahead, Bybit plans to continue expanding its network of partnerships with established Web2 brands across retail, entertainment and digital services, with the aim of delivering more seamless and rewarding payment experiences.

The 3 million user milestone represents an important step in Bybit’s wider vision of building a new financial platform that connects users not only to financial services, but also to everyday payments and experiences. Within this ecosystem, Bybit Card plays a key role in bringing digital finance into daily life.

#Bybit / #NewFinancialPlatform / #WishWithBybitCard

About Bybit

Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 80 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press
For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

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AMSTERDAM, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The IP Company today announced a strategic partnership with BlackBerry Secure Communications, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB) (TSX: BB) to bring highly secure, certified communications capabilities to naval and military environments worldwide.

Through this partnership, the companies will explore the integration of BlackBerry® SecuSUITE®, certified to the highest international security standards, into The IP Company’s proven Wireless Communication & Messaging System (WCMS), a proven platform deployed across naval fleets for more than 20 years.

 “For over twenty years, securing maritime communications has been at the center of our technology,” said Ronald Koppelman CEO of the IP Company. As we looked to expand our architecture, we needed a partner who shares our uncompromising standards. With its CSfC and NATO Restricted certifications, BlackBerry is the perfect match. We are proud to integrate our platform into the SecuSUITE ecosystem. By combining our technologies, we give defence fleets a more secure and effective communication solution.”

The planned integration is intended to enable defence organizations to conduct secure, role-based communications across classification levels up to and including Secret and Top Secret, extending the operational scope of The IP Company’s solutions and supporting complex, mission-critical environments.

“We are pleased to welcome The IP Company as a BlackBerry partner,” said Axel Conrad, Senior Director, BlackBerry Secure Communications. “Their deep domain expertise in naval communications, combined with BlackBerry’s certified and mission-critical secure communications platform, creates a compelling and trusted proposition for defence customers.”

Governments and organizations in defence and critical infrastructure increasingly prioritize secure communications as a cornerstone of national security. As a core pillar of BlackBerry® Secure Communications, SecuSUITE is backed by certifications such as NIAP, NATO Restricted, BSI, and CSfC, and empowers high-risk sectors to confidently secure voice, messaging, file-sharing, and crisis coordination. Trusted by all G7 governments, most G20 members, and 8 of the world’s top 10 banks, SecuSUITE protects sensitive conversations and large-scale operations worldwide. 

The IP Company’s WCMS is already relied upon by naval organizations for mission-critical alarm messaging and crew communication. This partnership strengthens the long-term continuity and security assurance that defence customers require from their strategic technology partners.

About The IP Company

In 2006, the Dutch Ministry of Defense challenged The IP Company to develop a communication concept enabling safe sailing with a reduced crew. The result was the world’s first secure, DNV and Lloyd’s approved Wireless Communication and Messaging System specifically designed for naval vessels.

Today, our platform integrates seamlessly with existing Combat and Platform Management Systems, ensuring mission-critical messages are delivered securely to the right personnel. Continuous innovation drives us forward from precise track and trace capabilities to the active exploration of Artificial Intelligence to support rapid decision-making in high-pressure scenarios.

Trusted across the defense industry, The IP Company provides the resilient infrastructure modern navies need to operate safely and effectively

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides enterprises and governments the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company’s high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management. 

For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.  

Media Contacts: 

BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com  

The IP Company
Ronald Koppelman
sales@theipcompany.nl
+31 85 111 9111

Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2026 Kick-off Ceremony

HONG KONG, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The “Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge (HSODC) 2026” series of events was successfully concluded at the InnoEX. The competition is organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data, jointly curated by B4B (Hong Kong Big Data for Business Challenge), International Data Port (Shanghai Lin-Gang Special Area International Data Port Co.,Ltd.) and SODA (Shanghai Open Data Applications Competition).  

The activities included the Kick-off Ceremony on 13 April, a forum titled “Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Forum” under the theme “Research Data Platforms” on 14 April, and the four-day Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion. These events showcased the achievements of open data applications in both cities, providing a platform for the industry to explore business opportunities and partnerships. The four-day event was honored to gather government officials, entrepreneurs, and teams from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong to share the development achievements and forward-looking blueprints of open data in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and to express their expectations and support for deepening collaboration between the two cities.

Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities

At the HSODC Kick-off Ceremony, the organisers officially announced the commencement of applications for the HSODC 2026.

Themed “Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities”, this year’s competition is based on open data of the governments and their latest urban development needs. It continues to seek open data resources that foster social development while exploring collaborative models for open data and industry data, thus promoting the collaborative development of smart city construction between the two cities.

The event brings together the open data platforms of both cities, including Hong Kong’s data.gov.hk and the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure Portal, as well as Shanghai’s data.sh.gov.cn. Additionally, it incorporates industry datasets from organisations such as the Shanghai Electric Vehicle Public Data Collecting, Monitoring and Research Center, and the Shanghai Topease Information Technology Co., Ltd. Through this competition, innovative collaboration models between public and industry datasets are explored, driving joint efforts in building smarter cities and advancing co-ordinated development between Hong Kong and Shanghai. This year’s competition incorporates more international elements, encouraging Hong Kong and Shanghai teams to explore global application scenarios, thereby promoting the advancement of digital technologies and innovation capabilities in both cities towards the global stage.

Addressing the kick-off ceremony, the Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, stated that the Challenge provides a platform for young people, research teams and enterprises from both places to showcase their creativity within the national strategic framework, driving high-quality development of the digital economy. In recent years, the HKSAR Government has actively improved open data, data sharing and flow by optimising data governance, thereby promoting data application within the government and across various industries. The development and use of data elements is a long-distance race, with Hong Kong and Shanghai joining forces, the two cities will contribute significantly to the high-quality development of the country’s digital economy.

Mr Qian Xiao, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data, articulated a strategic vision centered on three pillars: deepening the exploration of application scenarios, augmenting the supply of data resources, and institutionalising exchange mechanisms. He stated, “Through the competition, we aim to fortify the comprehensive digital economy ecosystem between Shanghai and Hong Kong. Our objective is to co-develop a series of high-standard benchmarks that are exemplary, actionable, and scalable. By fostering a robust environment for bilateral knowledge transfer and digital transformation expertise, we aim to cultivate top-tier talent, broaden global perspectives, and significantly bolster the innovation and entrepreneurial vitality of both cities.”

In addition to the above guests, the forum was honoured to invite government officials, entrepreneurs, and teams from Hong Kong and the Mainland. They shared the development and future plans of open data between Hong Kong and Shanghai, and expressed their expectations and support for Hong Kong-Shanghai cooperation.

“Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Forum – Research Data Platforms”

The “Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Forum” held on 14 April, themed “Research Data Platforms”, brought together data experts to discuss in depth how to open up channels for scientific research data cooperation. Topics included sharing the applications of scientific research data and how compliance mechanisms for shared scientific research data can be applied to cross-border data collaboration between Hong Kong and Shanghai. The forum also featured a roundtable discussion session, which delved into the collection, compliance challenges, and application scenarios of global human resources data and medical data.

“Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion” Showcases Innovative Achievements Comprehensively

The four-day “Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion” exhibition at InnoEX displayed the data application achievements of last year’s competition teams in the four major areas of Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, and Smart Economy. It also showcased how data can be used to solve real-world problems and create social value. The exhibition provided a valuable platform for the industry to understand the open data resources of both cities and explore business opportunities. The winning teams from the HSODC 2025 also showcased their award-winning projects and innovative data application solutions at the “Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion”.

“Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2026” is Now Open for Registration

Teams interested in contributing to innovation and technology development in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and in providing data solutions for cooperation between the two places, may register to attend the Competition Briefing Session by 18 May 2026, and submit their proposal documents by 15 June 2026. Shortlisted teams will receive mentor training from late June to August 2026 and will have the opportunity to attend the Final Judging in person in Shanghai in August.

For competition details, please visit the official website: https://hkshadata.org