Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (sixth from right) presides over the launching ceremony of the Global Innovation and Technology Summit, organized by the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians, on Thursday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong should capitalize on the unique advantage of its proximity to the motherland and strong international connections to cement the construction of a global innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, political heavyweights and technology experts reckoned.
“In the policy address that I will deliver in October, I will unveil some new thoughts and new measures regarding how to develop the innovation and technology industry in Hong Kong and how to lure global talents to the city,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu highlighted in the Global Innovation and Technology Summit organized by the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians (GBAAA) on Thursday.
“The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will strive to push the deep cooperation of 11 cities in the Greater Bay Area to herald the new epoch of development of innovation and technology in the city-cluster area,” the chief executive pledged.
Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang noted that the ministry will propel the sharing of regional resources and the complementary development of industries. “We will direct and support the supply and demand docking of innovation and technology resources in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Through fostering the integrated development of technology, industries and finance, we can constantly strengthen the new strategic industries.”
Wang, who attended the event via video link, added: “We hope Hong Kong can leverage its own niches to mobilize global resources in the innovation and technology industry. We can cement the region as a global innovation and technology highland by strengthening the synergy of industry-university-research innovations with other mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area.”
The GBAAA was established in April 2021 to promote synergistic innovation and technology development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao as well as the development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub.
“We hope that the new-term SAR government can capitalize on the opportunities of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the Greater Bay Area to add new impetus for the economies in the region,” added Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, the council chair of GBAAA.
Tan Tieniu, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, raised his three hopes for the GBAAA.
“By unleashing its appeal and cohesion in the innovation and technology industry, the GBAAA can exert its exemplary role to elicit the responsibility and mission of innovation and technology workers in Hong Kong,” Tan said, adding that the GBAAA should do more to encourage more young people in Hong Kong to choose innovation and technology industry as careers, and thus fortify Hong Kong as a highland for global talents.
“I hope the GBAAA can bank on its extensive academic connections fully and capitalize on global innovation and technology resources to foster industry synergy in the Greater Bay Area, thus contributing to the construction of the Greater Bay Area as the global innovation and technology hub,” the deputy director noted.
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the SAR government will coordinate the upstream, midstream and downstream development so as to enhance the innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong.
“For the upstream, we will consolidate and strengthen basic research capabilities; while we will make extra efforts to facilitate commercialization of research outcomes to fortify the midstream,” Sun said. “For the downstream, we will formulate policy for the innovation and technology industry and support industry development.”
The city’s innovation and technology chief reiterated that Hong Kong will deepen innovation and technology cooperation with the mainland, in the areas of pushing ahead the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop and San Tin Technopole, facilitating the cross-border flow of innovation and technology elements, as well as strengthening the innovation and technology cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland provinces and municipalities.
oswald@chinadailyhk.com