The Chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) Chow Chung Kong encouraged exchange IT professionals to analyse key challenges facing the industry, brainstorm solutions, and plan the way forward in the exchange technology sector at the Exchange Technology Forum in Hong Kong, which opened yesterday (7 June).
This annual event brings together exchange IT professionals from exchanges across the region to discuss openly and frankly on challenges facing exchanges and broker participants around the world, while also providing a platform for senior IT managers from fellow exchanges to share knowledge, experiences and insights on forthcoming technology trend.
“There is no doubt that technology underpins the success of a stock exchange – quite frankly, without technology, we would not exist,” Chow told attendees during his opening remarks. He emphasised HKEx’s commitment to improved IT infrastructure and outlining the benefits of HKEx’s Technology Initiatives, known as HKEx Orion, for the audience.
The two-day Exchange Technology Forum – titled “The Future Vision of Exchange Technology” – discussed topics related to current and future technologies that impact the day-to-day business of exchanges, including trading, market data, clearing & settlement and data centres.
Keynote speakers included Julia Leung, HKSAR Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, and Zhang Ye, Head of the Operation Office of the IT Development Programme for China’s Securities Industry.
Representatives from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Shanghai Stock Exchange, China Financial Futures Exchange, Shanghai Futures Exchange, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Singapore Exchange, BSE, and Bursa Malaysia also spoke at the forum.
In her keynote speech, Ms Leung said “In meeting with challenges of globalised trading, substantial resources have been invested in upgrading the IT systems of HKEx to increase its competitiveness as an operator of international markets.
“Another challenge HKEx faced was how to transform its trading platform into the world’s first and foremost trading place for RMB denominated securities. It’s our IT experts whom I have to pay tribute to for the smooth debut of trading of these RMB securities. This is the result of huge collaborative efforts of the IT teams of the exchange and others in the private finance community,” she said.
The forum included two panel discussions, during which senior IT officials shared their views on the technological developments of Chinese and international exchanges respectively.
During the forum, HKEx introduced its Hosting Services, which is offered at its state-of-the-art data centre at Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate. Participants were invited to get an early look at the new data centre, which will become operational in the third quarter this year.
About 200 representatives from regional exchanges, leading international brokerages in Hong Kong, and some major brokerages firms from Mainland China attended the forum.
The programme rundown is attached.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited Chairman Chow Chung Kong delivers an opening address at the Exchange Technology Forum.
Julia Leung, the HKSAR’s Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, makes a keynote speech at the Exchange Technology Forum.
Zhang Ye, Head of the Operation Office of the IT Development Programme for China’s Securities Industry, makes a keynote speech at the Exchange Technology Forum.