Chongqing - The Smart China Expo Online 2020 (SCE OL 2020) will be held from Sep 15 to 17. This year’s high-tech event will be carried out online due to the epidemic, a form that enables more exhibitors and audiences to participate and enjoy the wonderful forums, exhibitions, and contests through cutting-edge technologies.

iChongqing carries out a series of interviews with technology experts to share their knowledge on how smart technologies can change industries and lives.

In this interview, we have with us Dr. Man-Chung Tang, Chairman of the Board of T.Y.Lin International, and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. As a world authority in bridges, he talked about the development of bridge engineering and his understanding of smart technology.

“Bridge engineering is quite good now in China. China has built more bridges than all other countries combined in the past 20 years. China has a lot to offer to the world in this sector.” Dr. Tang said. According to Dr. Deng, the technology of bridges actually progress rather slowly. This has to do with the basic requirement of bridge construction, which is safety. Bridge construction is more conservative. Anything new has to be tested again and again before it will be used.“The idea of smart transportation has been in people’s minds for many years. For example, the traffic board shows where the conjunction is. We start to get into driverless automobiles. I believe in that respect, and China will be more advanced than in other countries. Because we would like to try new things. “ said Dr. Tang.

He also expressed his concern about the smart technology, “About all the smart technologies, and we are trying to use the experience of the past to project the future. But we stand today; we may not know what the future generation needs.”
He suggests what we can do is based on what we know and also have some imaginations. “But we need to be aware that (our) imagination can be right or wrong.“ Dr. Tang said.

Dr. Tang set up the T.Y. International providing leading-edge engineering and architectural services in Chongqing in 1994 and has been involved in over ten bridges designation for the city. “Chongqing is like my second hometown. I like the people in Chongqing, and they are very straight-forward and open, very easy to deal with.” Said Dr. Tang at the question of why he chose Chongqing to start the company. “I don’t think the company can progress in other places than Chongqing. We have developed from 6 people to over 1000 people in the 20 years because the city is open and we are able to compete openly. We made the right choice,” he said.

The article is jointly produced with Ms. Dai Juan, reporter from Chongqing Daily.