A View on Hong Kong’s Infrastructure Opportunities: A Q&A with Paxson Chan

A growing city, Hong Kong is a major international business, trade and financial hub in Asia. Jacobs has a legacy of more than 50 years in Hong Kong, helping accelerate the city’s vision to create a lasting, positive legacy for generations to come. 

With our design, engineering, program management and consulting and advisory capabilities, we’re solving major problems the city is facing - from urbanization, climate change, logistics and digital proliferation to security, water scarcity and challenges around investment partnerships and mega infrastructure.

This series of Q&As introduces you to our visionaries helping realize Hong Kong’s sustainability and resilience goals. 

In this article, meet Paxson Chan, one of our directors of infrastructure, who discusses his journey and how we’re helping shape Hong Kong’s future.

Tell us about your background and your role. 

I'm a Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) and Registered Inspector (RI) under Buildings Ordinance of Hong Kong. My experience spans structural engineering, civil engineering, deep excavation, geotechnical engineering and metro tunnel design. I've led the design teams in major civil engineering and underground construction in Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia. 

I joined Jacobs in September 2023 as the Director of Infrastructure, and my primary focus is leading our teams in delivering major infrastructure works, particularly in the contractor's design and build space for Hong Kong. 

What are some of the biggest infrastructure opportunities in Hong Kong? 

Hong Kong’s growing population needs a robust transportation infrastructure to travel around the densely populated city to live, work and play. Considering most of Hong Kong’s transport infrastructure is decades old, there’s a pressing need for new and modernized transportation infrastructure, especially in the Northern Metropolis of Hong Kong. The primary challenge in achieving this is building new infrastructure without disrupting the existing transport network and impacting the local communities while prioritizing lower carbon emissions and environmental impact.

The Shatin to Central Link (SCL) project is a significant step in this direction. With ten stations linked to existing railway lines, six of which are interchanging stations, SCL has significantly improved commute between the East New Territories and Hong Kong Island. Our Jacobs team is proud to have played a critical role in helping the HKSAR Government bring SCL to life. We were appointed as the lead consultant for the construction of the 5-kilometre (3.1 mile) twin tunnels between Hing Keng and Kai Tak, as well as the associated shafts, ventilation building and emergency access points.

Another challenge posed by Hong Kong's growing population is the efficient management of solid waste while ensuring land use optimization. Waste-to-energy incinerators offer a viable solution by not only processing and recycling solid waste but also producing electricity as a by-product, which can be integrated into the energy grid. This approach can prove to be one of the long-term sustainable waste management solutions for Hong Kong.

Tell us about the key projects you're working on.

One of the projects we’re thrilled to be involved in, is delivering the Manila Metro project. We’re working with a Japanese contractor to facilitate the construction of Manila Metro’s two underground stations and a section of TBM tunnel. Our responsibilities encompass the preparation of the contractor's design elements, including all temporary works to support the construction structure. Our contribution to the project draws upon our extensive expertise in deep excavation, coupled with the construction and design experience of our teams in Hong Kong and in the Philippines to meet international standards of project delivery. 

We’re also excited about exploring opportunities such as metro rail projects that link up the northern parts of Hong Kong (MTR Northern Link), connecting people and places and creating new and lasting economic opportunities. The project will consist of three new underground stations and two interchange stations with the existing East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line. These will be interconnected by a 10.6-kilometer (6.5 mile)-long section of underground tunnels. Jacobs is excited to be involved in this project.

Tell us about an innovative approach we’re taking to deliver infrastructure projects.   

The increasing demand for infrastructure development necessitates a streamlined approach to site work that minimizes disruption for residents and the environment. This is where Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and pre-fabrication in factory environment come in as an innovative solution. These methods not only result in higher quality deliverables due to construction in controlled environments, but also prioritize worker safety and reduce construction and delivery time

Jacobs is proud to have been involved in designing Hong Kong's first MiC project for the Married Quarters for the Fire Service Department at Pak Shing Kok in 2021. Continuing our commitment to innovate and make project delivery smooth and safe, we’re expanding the use of MiC and pre-fabrication techniques in other civil engineering works in Hong Kong. 

Given your experience in leading the delivery of major infrastructure projects and programs, tell us about the top three factors that influence its success.  

1. Understand your client’s need: A clear understanding of the client’s concerns is essential to ensuring project success.
2. Know your team’s strength: Being aware of the multi-disciplinary capabilities of the teams spread across the globe is key. This helps bring in experts in a timely manner to make the project a success. 
3. Expectation management: It’s essential to understand and manage the client’s expectations with respect to the project implementation program and budget. This ensures that our teams can provide the best possible solutions while aligning to project delivery timelines.  

What do you enjoy most about being part of #OurJacobs team?

The collaboration between our multi-disciplinary teams across the globe is fantastic. I’m glad to be a part of such an incredible team that comes together to offer their expertise and solve client problems together.