Interview with Mr. Sun Tung, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of Hong Kong: “Hong Kong is in the best period in the history of innovation and technology development”

China News Service, Hong Kong, October 5. Title: Interview with Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of Hong Kong: "Hong Kong is in the best period in the history of innovation and technology development."

China News Service reporter Dai Xiaolu

The recently announced "First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030)" (hereinafter referred to as "Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan") is on the table of the conference room of the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (referred to as the "Technology and Industry Bureau") in the Hong Kong SAR Government Headquarters Building. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said in a recent interview with a reporter from China News Service that with the implementation of Hong Kong's first five-year plan, Hong Kong's innovation and technology is moving from a single breakthrough to systematic development, gradually building a complete ecosystem of scientific research investment, industrial platforms, talent cultivation, capital empowerment and collaboration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Recently, Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Xiangyi

Hong Kong has a solid foundation in basic scientific research, but the transformation of scientific research results is relatively weak. Sun Dong mentioned that Hong Kong’s first five-year plan has set a goal that Hong Kong’s total expenditure on local innovation activities will account for 3% of GDP from 1.63% in 2024, and strive to reach 3% after 2030. While maintaining the leadership in basic research, the focus will be on strengthening the transformation of results.

He said that the SAR government hopes to encourage enterprises to set up research institutes and R&D centers in Hong Kong; provide supporting facilities in terms of land and space, simplify the approval process, and create an innovation and technology environment that is willing to allow enterprises to invest funds with the goal of results; relying on the three major innovation and technology parks - the Loop Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone Hong Kong Park and Santian Technology City, Science Park, Cyberport, and five major R&D institutions - Hong Kong Productivity Council, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Hong Kong Microelectronics R&D Institute, Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence R&D Institute and Life and Health R&D Institute to build industrial carriers.

Sun Dong mentioned that Hong Kong’s construction of an international innovation and technology center has always relied on the national strategy of building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The SAR government strives to open up the cross-border flow of innovation and technology elements such as people, logistics, capital, and information. Arrangements related to cross-border data flows will be implemented as soon as this year; the SAR government is negotiating with relevant national departments on the cross-border flow of funds and biological samples, hoping to promote the linkage of the upstream and downstream industries of innovation and technology in the Greater Bay Area.

In terms of attracting and nurturing innovation and technology talents, Sun Dong said that Hong Kong continues to attract top scientific research forces from around the world. Through a number of top talent and scholar introduction programs and cutting-edge science and technology research support programs, it has attracted a group of Nobel Prize-level scholars and academicians of the two academies to come to Hong Kong to deepen their careers.

He believes that the core of retaining talents is to provide them with a stage to display their talents. The core campus area of ​​the university town in the northern metropolitan area is not a single campus gathering area, but a comprehensive area that integrates education, technology, industry, talents, and livability, truly realizing the integrated and linked development of education, technology, and talents. Hong Kong's innovation and technology platform system is becoming more and more three-dimensional, and Hong Kong's local talent support system is constantly improving. Long-term support for entrepreneurship in universities and the expansion of R&D teams of leading enterprises are giving Hong Kong's innovation and technology talents "a platform, a track, and a future."

Recently, Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Xiangyi

The development of the innovation and technology industry cannot be separated from patient capital. Sun Dong said that Hong Kong should improve the "government, industry, academia, research and investment" chain, make good use of the Innovation and Technology Industry Guidance Fund and the Innovation and Technology Venture Capital Fund to supplement the urgently needed patient capital for early-stage innovation and technology projects, rely on its own financial advantages to develop technology finance, and feed back the innovation and technology industry with financial vitality.

Facing the global technology wave in the next five to 10 years, he pointed out that the SAR government has established a cutting-edge technology task force to link cross-department and industry forces to study and judge trends. The industrial layout is divided into four directions: upgrading traditional industries with science and technology; strengthening emerging industries such as life and health, artificial intelligence robots, advanced manufacturing and new energy and new materials; deploying future industries such as quantum technology and aerospace technology; strengthening standard setting, testing and certification, technology and finance and other producer service industries.

"Hong Kong is in the best period in history for the development of innovation and technology." Sun Dong said that relying on "one country, two systems", giving full play to its international advantages and providing sound intellectual property protection, Hong Kong will continue to improve its innovation and technology ecology, deeply integrate into the overall development of the country, and steadily promote the construction of an international innovation and technology center. (over)