China News Service, Hong Kong, December 11th, title: Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area innovation and technology cooperation is like a "relay race"-an interview with Xue Yongheng, Director of the Innovation and Technology Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
China News Agency reporter Zeng Ping
Xue Yongheng, Director of the Bureau of Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, who took office in April this year, is an electrical and mechanical engineer with more than 30 years of public administration experience.
Such a background allowed him to use detailed data as a basis for his conversations, as well as vivid metaphors that were easy to understand.
A few years after Hong Kong's innovation and technology development experienced "catch up", Xue Yongheng took over the policy bureau that was tasked with injecting new momentum into Hong Kong's economy.
In a recent interview with a reporter from China News Service, he said that after the SAR government has invested more than 100 billion yuan (HK$, the same below), the development of Hong Kong's innovation and technology is currently vibrant and opportunities are everywhere, and it is already in a stage of slowly blooming.
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Innovation and Technology Cooperation is like a "relay race"
For example, Xue Yongheng said that the number of Hong Kong innovation and technology start-ups has increased from more than 1,000 in 2014 to more than 3,000 in 2020, and the number of employees has increased from more than 2,000 to more than 12,000; venture capital funds in Hong Kong The investment amount increased from 1.24 billion yuan in 2014 to 16.3 billion yuan in 2018; the number of "unicorn" companies with a valuation of more than US$1 billion increased from zero in 2014 to seven.
"It's an increase of several times or ten times, so it is very flourishing." Xue Yongheng said.
He hopes that this momentum of development will continue with the cooperation of cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
"I think the atmosphere has come out, but Hong Kong's innovation and technology opportunities are not only in Hong Kong, but should look to the entire Greater Bay Area." Xue Yongheng described that the development of innovation and technology races against time and every link must be very close.
The cities in the Greater Bay Area are like an innovation and technology relay team. Hong Kong takes the first rod of basic scientific research, and then needs to hand it over to Shenzhen or Dongguan to complete the process of applied scientific research and manufacturing production, forming a complete industrial chain, and finally becoming a first The driving force of the stock economy.
In this process, cities must be seamlessly handed over, so as to have the opportunity to stand out in the global innovation and technology competition.
"Hong Kong and Shenzhen have always been inseparable, and we are very happy for the development of Shenzhen." Xue Yongheng said that the two cities are good brothers who grow together. Shenzhen has more land and population than Hong Kong, and its GDP surpasses Hong Kong. It is reasonable.
The governments of the two places have already cooperated closely, and it is hoped that the scientists and residents of the two places will have a higher degree of integration in the future, so that the two will achieve a full range of strong cooperation.
Intensify efforts to attract and train innovation and technology talents
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, proposed in this year's policy address that he would spend 2 billion yuan to launch a five-year "Outstanding Creative Scientist Program."
Xue Yongheng expressed that he hopes to take advantage of Hong Kong's international advantages to attract outstanding scientists from all over the world to work in universities in Hong Kong.
These scientists will not only guarantee their jobs and salary when they come to Hong Kong, the SAR government will also subsidize them to rebuild the laboratory, and young scholars in the research team of scientists will also be invited to Hong Kong.
Xue Yongheng said that this is what the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is doing, and it is a very important task to cooperate with the state in promoting the entire Greater Bay Area to become an international innovation and technology leader.
Some university presidents in Hong Kong have recommended a list of favorite scientists to the SAR government.
He said that Hong Kong certainly welcomes Nobel Prize winners to Hong Kong, but the real goal of this project is to win outstanding Mesozoic scientists whose research has potential and prospects and have the opportunity to become Nobel Prize winners in the next five or ten years.
Xue Yongheng is confident that the atmosphere, environment and reputation of Hong Kong academia are attractive to this group of scientific furniture.
In terms of training local talents in innovation and technology, Xue Yongheng said: "I feel that more and more young people in Hong Kong are willing to devote themselves to innovation and technology."
He said that Hong Kong parents expect their children to become doctors, lawyers and other professional service providers, but believe that there will be a change in the future, and entrepreneurs will also become popular options.
For example, the world’s top richest people and companies used to come from traditional industries such as petroleum, and are now technology companies and the promoters of these companies.
This year's policy address also made a breakthrough proposal for employers in the Greater Bay Area to hire Hong Kong University graduates to work in cities in the Greater Bay Area.
Xue Yongheng said that not every mainland city has the same salary level as Hong Kong. The SAR government should help young people to develop in the Greater Bay Area. He hopes that they can use their talents to develop their ambitions in the Greater Bay Area, which has huge opportunities. .
Innovative technology helps fight the new crown pneumonia epidemic
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the Hong Kong SAR government has successively applied scientific and technological achievements in assisting quarantine, personal protection, and recording travel.
"In fact, at the beginning of the epidemic, we have used technological means, hoping to help prevent and fight the epidemic." Xue Yongheng said that the SAR government has received inquiries from more than 20 countries and regions about whether the quarantine personnel have left the electronic bracelet at the designated location. According to information, a German science and technology museum hopes to present Hong Kong’s electronic bracelets in an anti-epidemic exhibition.
In the early stage of the epidemic, Hong Kong faced a "mask shortage".
Xue Yongheng said that if more than 7 million Hong Kong citizens use disposable masks every day, the number will be very large.
The SAR government has now issued two “copper core anti-epidemic masks” that can be cleaned 60 times to each citizen. The masks use nanotechnology and are both environmentally friendly and protective.
In addition, during the epidemic, the SAR government also specially solicited scientific and technological products that can be used for epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic from local scientists, and received more than 300 applications. In the end, about 60 products were tested by the government and public institutions.
As the epidemic situation in Hong Kong is becoming more severe, the "Travel with Peace" app that helps citizens record their travel locations has also been launched.
Xue Yongheng said that the SAR government has required high-risk places such as restaurants and listed premises to install QR codes for "Travel with peace of mind". If necessary, citizens must scan the codes when entering and leaving designated places in the future.
"This is a step-by-step process." He said that technology is a tool to help prevent and fight the epidemic, and the most important thing is the support and participation of citizens.
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