PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Sun Dong

Also known as Dong Sun, 孫東, 孙东

Sun Dong is a robotics engineer turned government minister who guides Hong Kong's artificial intelligence policy. Born in Beijing, he earned a PhD in robotics and automation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1997, did postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto, and built his research at City University of Hong Kong around robots for manipulating and operating on single cells. He set up a startup at the Hong Kong Science Park in 2003, became an IEEE Fellow in 2015, and took office as Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry in July 2022. In February 2025 he announced HK$1 billion for the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, whose board was named in March 2026. He is the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry as of October 2026, and in July 2026 he told a World AI Conference seminar in Shanghai that Hong Kong treats AI as a core industry.

Now at
Government of Hong Kong
Born
1967
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1994–1997

    A robotics PhD at CUHK

    Born in Beijing and a Tsinghua University student, he comes to Hong Kong in 1994 and starts a three-year PhD in robotics and automation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

  2. 1997

    Postdoc in Toronto, then CityU

    After earning his CUHK doctorate in 1997, he moves to the University of Toronto in Canada for postdoctoral research. Several listed companies in Canada offer him jobs, and he chooses a teaching post at City University of Hong Kong.

  3. 2003–2012

    A Science Park startup

    In 2003, he sets up a startup at the Hong Kong Science Park to facilitate knowledge transfer. The company's patented P-beam sensor is used in the e-Channel auto-pass systems at Hong Kong's boundary-crossing facilities, and he and the company receive Hong Kong Awards for Industry in 2004 and 2012.

  4. 2015–2018

    IEEE Fellow and cell surgery

    He is named a Fellow of IEEE in 2015 for contributions to robot-aided manipulation of biological cells. In 2018, he is Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong, where his research on bio/medical robotics for cell manipulation and cell surgery combines robots with optical tweezers, micro-needles and electromagnetic devices.

  5. 2022

    Hong Kong's innovation secretary

    In July 2022, he is appointed Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong government. He takes the post after serving as Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong and as a member of the Legislative Council for the Election Committee.

  6. February 2025

    A HK$1 billion AI institute

    At a press conference on the Budget in February 2025, he says the new Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute has HK$1 billion in government funding and could begin operations as early as 2026. He adds that the institute builds on the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center, part of the InnoHK platform.

  7. November 2025–March 2026

    Building the AI institute

    He opens the GBA International Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Summit 2025 in November 2025 and says the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute will be established in 2026. In January 2026, at the 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit in Hong Kong, he says the government is working to set up the institute within the year. In March 2026, the government names the institute's 14-member board, chaired by Harry Shum, and he calls the wholly government-owned institute an important initiative to expedite AI development in Hong Kong.

  8. As of October 2026

    AI as a core industry

    In July 2026, he tells a seminar at the World AI Conference in Shanghai that the Hong Kong government has made AI a core industry. As of October 2026, he is Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry.

Career

  1. Since 2022Government of Hong KongSecretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry
  2. From 1997University of TorontoPostdoctoral Researcher
  3. From 1997City University of Hong KongChair Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering
  4. Legislative Council of Hong KongMember for the Election Committee

Education

  1. 1997Chinese University of Hong KongPhD in robotics and automation
  2. Tsinghua University

From the biography.

  1. People shaping AI who were born in China spent 54% of recorded working years there from 2018 onIncludes Sun Dong. We estimate that people shaping AI who were born in China spent 54% of recorded working years there in 2018–2026, up from 51% in 2008–2017.
  2. Of 216 AI researchers who entered public life, 83 held advisory seats and 58 took public rolesIncludes Sun Dong. Of 216 AI researchers who entered public life, 83 held advisory seats and 58 took public roles. Another 97 people moved from public careers into AI organizations or research, with 62% of dated records starting from 2020 on.
  3. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Toronto. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  4. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Toronto. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Sun Dong yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Sun Dong recounts his days at CUHK and pins high hopes on his alma mater | CUHK in Focus | The Chinese University of Hong Kong focus.cuhk.edu.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Sun Dong - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. ICCR 2020 | Control and Robots ewh.ieee.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau : Biography of the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry itib.gov.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Hong Kong unveils ambitious AI research institute with $1 Billion investment thestandard.com.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Opening speech by SITI at GBA International Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Summit 2025 (English only) (with photo) info.gov.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Speech by SITI at 2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit (English only) (with photo) info.gov.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Government announces appointments to Board of Directors of Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute info.gov.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. SITI attends 2026 World AI Conference and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai (with photos) info.gov.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Prof. Dong SUN, JP - HKU TEC tec.hku.hk. Checked 20 October 2026.