Study: The pandemic spurs more use of digital services from government and private sectors

The pandemic has changed people's awareness of new technologies and applications that have improved their quality of life, while the majority of them have also used more digital services from the government and private sectors, according to a study conducted by KPMG China.

The study is part of Hong Kong’s Connected Future, KPMG China’s fourth annual study on Hong Kong’s smart and sustainable development. Examining 4,096 residents, the study highlighted that 84% of respondents agreed the pandemic had boosted their awareness of new technologies and applications that had improved their quality of life. Moreover, the study also unveiled the significant increase in the take up of both government and private sector digital services among residents amid the rollout of anti-pandemic controls and related measures.

"The coming decades hold great promise for Hong Kong’s continued development as a smart and sustainable city. The city’s status as a logistics hub and global financial centre enables innovation in the areas of logistics and digital supply chain, fintech, regtech (regulatory technology) and sustainable finance, while its dense urban landscape offers opportunities for the development of proptech solutions," said Andrew Weir, regional senior partner, Hong Kong and global head of real estate, KPMG.

The study also covered the significant increase in the take up of both government and private sector digital services among residents amid the rollout of anti-pandemic controls and related measures. Around 65% of respondents said they were more likely to access public services and information online; 70% reported that they increased the use of digital payments and eWallets; while 64% mentioned the increase in getting updates on city services and information on their mobile devices.

More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents agreed that anti-pandemic efforts had played a role to help their cities become smarter and more sustainable. Additionally, 55% of respondents in Hong Kong mentioned data security and privacy as one of the most important factors when implementing new initiatives.

Lastly, the property and transport sectors are the key areas for Hong Kong to reduce its carbon footprint. Hong Kong respondents said improvement was needed in these areas, with only 25% of them saying current efforts to create carbon-neutral buildings were sufficient, while 19% believed existing measures were enough to promote carbon-neutral vehicles.