(25th Anniversary of the Return of Hong Kong) Hong Kong Innovation, Technology and Industry Secretary Sun Dong: It is "the time" for Hong Kong's innovation and technology to integrate into the overall national development
China News Agency, Hong Kong, July 2nd, title: Sun Dong, Director of the Hong Kong Bureau of Innovation, Technology and Industry: It is "the time" for Hong Kong's innovation and technology to integrate into the overall national development
China News Agency reporter Wan Shuyan
"Hong Kong's innovation and technology development has ushered in the best opportunity. In the future, we must strengthen the synergy effect with the mainland, and resonate with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area at the same frequency, so as to help Hong Kong create greater glories at a new starting point." Director Sun Dong said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 1st.
The celebration of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were grandly held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on the 1st.
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, State President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended and delivered an important speech.
Sun Dong said he was encouraged by President Xi Jinping's speech.
The next five years will be a critical period for Hong Kong to transform from governance to prosperity. We must seize the historical opportunity of national development, align with the "14th Five-Year Plan", integrate into the Greater Bay Area, and make a difference in the field of innovation and technology. This is to ensure that Hong Kong continues to strengthen. The only viable way to develop momentum.
Sun Dong was born in Beijing and received his undergraduate and master's degrees from Tsinghua University.
From 1994 to the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study for a doctorate, Sun Dong has lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, except for a short study in Canada.
His identities are also constantly changing: Professor at City University of Hong Kong, Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of Hong Kong.
In the early years, it was not easy to develop I&T in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong people often say, "High-tech makes money, low-tech makes money", which means that it is easy to lose money when doing high-tech, but it is easy to make money when doing high-tech.
However, this situation is changing dramatically.
"After years of development, Hong Kong society has deeply realized that in addition to traditional advantageous industries such as finance, shipping, and trade, there must be new economic growth points, and innovation and technology will become a new engine for Hong Kong's economic development." Sun Dong said.
Sun Dong saw that since the return of Hong Kong 25 years ago, the central government has introduced a series of policies and measures to support Hong Kong's innovation and technology development in various fields such as national strategy, scientific research cooperation, youth-friendly projects, and running schools in the Greater Bay Area.
The Hong Kong SAR government also recognizes the importance of I&T. In the past five years, the SAR government has invested an unprecedented HK$150 billion in I&T development.
Sun Dong used a set of data to show that Hong Kong's innovation and technology boom is booming: 16 state key laboratories, 6 national engineering centers in Hong Kong branch centers, and 28 laboratories cooperating with world-class scientific research institutions have been established one after another; Hong Kong start-up companies have increased to nearly There are 4,000 companies with venture capital of more than HK$40 billion, covering a variety of business sectors, and 12 locally-bred unicorn companies have been born.
"Without the support of the mainland, Hong Kong's technological progress could not have been so fast," he said.
The Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Bureau was established in 2015.
After the new SAR government studied the restructuring of the government structure, the Innovation and Technology Bureau was renamed the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau to promote the "re-industrialization" of Hong Kong.
"Now we have to find a way to recover the lost time." Sun Dong bluntly said that Hong Kong has many advantages in history, but if these advantages are not carried forward well, it will be difficult to maintain them forever.
In the future, the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong must "prescribe the right medicine".
The first is to establish a complete innovation and technology ecosystem.
Sun Dong said that the upstream basic scientific research strength of Hong Kong's innovation and technology industry is strong, and the next step is to do a good job in the transformation of midstream scientific research and the development of downstream industries, so as to realize the re-industrialization of Hong Kong.
"The innovation and technology ecosystem is not only based in Hong Kong, but also radiates to the entire Greater Bay Area, and even the whole of China, using Hong Kong's director to serve the needs of the country."
The second is to deepen cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong.
"It is a very important part of the future development of Hong Kong's innovation and technology to integrate into the overall development of the country." Sun Dong said that Hong Kong will vigorously develop the northern metropolitan area, and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone is "a special zone within a special zone". It is necessary to strengthen the integrated development with the surrounding cities of the Greater Bay Area, so that the talents, logistics, capital and data of the Greater Bay Area can be circulated.
The third is to build a smart city in Hong Kong.
"Including digital government, smart travel, smart transportation, and smart medical care, etc., allow Hong Kong people to enjoy the convenience brought by technological development in their lives." Sun Dong said.
Fourth, we must make full use of Hong Kong's advantages of "one country, two systems".
Sun Dong believes that it is necessary to strengthen Hong Kong's international advantages, build a global industry-university-research collaborative innovation platform, and help Hong Kong become a high-quality platform for cooperation between the mainland and overseas.
In Sun Dong's view, Hong Kong's advantages of the right time, place and people still exist.
Hong Kong has a geographical advantage, strong support from the state, strong scientific research strength, and a large market, human and material resources in the mainland.
In the future, Hong Kong will complement the advantages of mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area and strengthen the collaboration of industry-university-research innovation.
At the same time, it is necessary to provide more employment opportunities for young people. In the future, when Hong Kong determines the development direction of the innovation and technology industry, it will definitely consider the employment of young people.
He is full of confidence in the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, and hopes to embark on the track of rapid development as soon as possible.
(Finish)