Savills and Ricoh Join Forces to Transform Building Inspections with Advanced AI and Drone Technologies

HONG KONG, March, 2026 — Savills Property Management Group (“Savills”) and Ricoh Hong Kong Limited (“Ricoh”) today announced a strategic partnership to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technologies into external building façade inspections for property management projects in Hong Kong. This collaboration aims to enhance inspection safety and efficiency, leveraging technology to reimagine traditional property management practices and accelerate the industry’s digital transformation.

In light of Hong Kong’s ageing building stock, the Government has rolled out the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS), mandating inspections for private buildings aged 30 years or above. The scheme has driven growing demand for building inspection and associated professional services. Meanwhile, ageing buildings have led to heightened façade and structural safety risks, posing new challenges to safety, efficiency, and accuracy in property safety inspections. However, traditional façade inspections, which rely on bamboo scaffolding and manual sampling, are labour‑intensive and carry inherent safety risks. Limited inspection coverage further constrains their effectiveness, rendering these approaches increasingly misaligned with modern safety and efficiency standards.

With a portfolio of over 222,000 managed units and a gross floor area of 190 million square feet across Hong Kong, Savills recognises the growing demand for more efficient and safer inspection solutions to meet the scale and diversity of its property management operations. In response, Savills and Ricoh have entered into a strategic collaboration to introduce an AI‑ and drone‑enabled building inspection solution. All inspection reports are certified by Savills’ in-house professional surveyor teams, delivering a safer, more efficient and data‑driven inspection model for Hong Kong’s property management industry.

Ricoh deploys drones equipped with both visual and thermal imaging cameras, supported by AI‑driven analytics, to conduct comprehensive façade inspections within a significantly shortened timeframe, without the need for scaffolding or high‑risk work at height. The solution automatically identifies potential issues, including cracks, spalling, water seepage and material deterioration, with inspection data securely stored for ongoing monitoring and future reference.

With access to more complete and reliable datasets, combined with over 30 years of professional property management experience and more than 15,000 professionals, Savills’ property management teams are better positioned to formulate targeted maintenance strategies and preventive programmes, supporting improved operational efficiency and enhanced long‑term building safety.

Mr. Joseph Leung, Chief Operating Officer (Hong Kong & Macau) and Executive Director of Savills, said “The safety of residents and our frontline teams has always been a top priority for Savills as a property management service provider. The adoption of drone and AI technologies significantly reduces the risks associated with high‑level inspections, while at the same time enhancing inspection coverage and accuracy. Through our collaboration with Ricoh, innovative technologies can be effectively translated into practical property management applications, delivering meaningful and lasting improvements in the way buildings are inspected, maintained and managed.”

Under the project, Ricoh delivers a one‑stop solution encompassing pre‑inspection planning, on‑site drone operations, real‑time monitoring, AI‑driven analysis and report generation. All inspection missions are conducted by certified engineering professionals, underpinned by comprehensive risk assessments and precise flight path planning to ensure full compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

Savills’ team provides end‑to‑end coordination and communication with owners and occupants to facilitate seamless inspection execution, while translating the analysed data into professional maintenance recommendations. This integrated approach supports a shift from reactive repairs to a more proactive and preventive property management model.

Mr. Ricky Chong, Managing Director of Ricoh Hong Kong, commented
“Ricoh has long been committed to driving digital transformation across businesses and industries through technology. By integrating drone operations, imaging technologies and AI analytics, this project demonstrates how we turn innovation into practical, value‑driven solutions. We are pleased to collaborate with Savills. As the industry leader, they are well-positioned to drive the transformation from traditional manual inspections towards a safer, smarter and more data-driven management model.”

In practical application, the AI‑enabled drone inspection service significantly enhances inspection efficiency while upholding stringent privacy protection and regulatory compliance, delivering a safer, more reliable and sustainable solution for property management. Drone‑based inspections significantly shorten timelines that would traditionally take weeks, while reducing the risks and costs associated with bamboo scaffolding. Inspection imagery is systematically captured and stored as digital assets, providing a robust, data‑driven foundation for future maintenance planning and predictive upkeep. Privacy protection is embedded in the solution through advance communication with residents, precisely planned flight paths to avoid private areas, and the use of image blurring and data encryption, ensuring responsible deployment in full compliance with regulatory requirements.

Looking ahead, the collaboration will be extended from residential properties to commercial and industrial projects, alongside the exploration of micro‑drones to support inspection and patrol needs in complex or confined environments. Through the Ricoh InnoAI Hub, a structured data platform will be developed to convert inspection imagery into actionable maintenance and repair insights, supporting a transition from passive inspections to a data‑driven, preventive maintenance model. The continued accumulation of localised inspection data will further enhance AI analytical capabilities, laying a strong long‑term foundation for smart property management and wider industry digital transformation.

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