Hong Kong has tapped into innovative technologies to supplement its efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its resolve to become a regional innovation and technology hub, Alfred Sit Wing-hang, secretary for innovation and technology, told the fifth Belt and Road Summit in the special administrative region on Monday.
He said 63 projects involving total funding of more than HK$102 million (US$13.2 million) have been approved for local universities, research and development centers, research institutes and technology companies so far to conduct R&D in the detection, diagnosis and surveillance of the coronavirus.
Alfred Sit Wing-hang, secretary for innovation and technology, said while the pandemic has created a string of “new normals” in people’s lives, the technologies introduced will reshape our future
This is to reduce infections and contain the spread of the disease, with 57 public organizations taking part in the trial of these projects, Sit said at a panel discussion themed “Fighting the Coronavirus with Innovative Tech and Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World — Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area”.
Two successful examples, he noted, are the reusable six-layer mask capable of immobilizing bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances, and the wristbands, which, by means of artificial intelligence and big data technologies, can monitor whether a person is staying at a designated quarantine place without infringing one’s privacy.
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At the discussions, held as part of the two-day summit organized by the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the heads of local technology enterprises shared their contributions and technology solutions inspired by the malaise.
Arthur Chan, director and chief executive officer of Compathnion Technology, demonstrated the company’s StayHomeSafe e-wristband, while Rex Sham, co-founder and chief science officer of Insight Robotics, explained the use of aerial survey and 3D technologies to help construction companies detect and assess the progress of their projects so as to adhere to social distancing regulations.
An air purifier invented by Hong Kong-based NCCO International Company has also been broadly adopted in public spaces across Hong Kong.
Sit said while the pandemic has created a string of “new normals” in people’s lives, the technologies introduced will reshape our future.
“The allocation of more than HK$100 billion for innovation and technology development in the last few years, as well as the implementation of initiatives, ranging from enhancing the local I&T infrastructure to strengthening support for R&D, have been gaining momentum in the local I&T ecosystem,” he said.
As a strategic region in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong stands a good chance of sustaining the growth momentum by synergizing with other cities in the region, said Sit.
READ MORE: Regional synergy will 'sharpen HK's technological edge'
In a special address to the summit, Ren Hongbin, vice-chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, praised Hong Kong for working to develop itself into a regional innovation pivot.
“We support SASAC in working with Hong Kong in developing 5G and AI, and transforming the traditional economies with big data. This will bring Hong Kong a new wave of infrastructure projects with BRI countries and regions in order to provide a new engine for economic development in these places,” he said.
The Belt and Road Initiative and globalization will advance in tandem and complement each other, with high quality cooperation making the new type of globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all countries and regions involved.
Xie Feng, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in HKSAR
While ample opportunities are emerging from post-pandemic recovery and reconstruction, markets and potential of collaboration on innovative technologies have been flung open by the initiatives of the Bay Area and the Belt and Road, said Ren.
Benefit from BRI
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in her opening address that under the bigger climate of the Belt and Road, Hong Kong suppliers and exporters stand to benefit from the initiative, which will invite plentiful opportunities for business partnership.
She said suppliers and exporters have been persistently seeking foreign trade partners to branch out and advance their businesses, which will likely be realized under the initiative.
Hong Kong boasts multilingual, multi-talented financial and related services professionals, and is widely recognized in financial, trade, logistics, and legal services, said Lam, adding she’s confident the SAR would be an ideal partner in BRI projects.
READ MORE: Officials: HKSAR's strengths make it 'ideal partner' in BRI
How will the initiative move forward and where would economic globalization be heading?
“The Belt and Road Initiative and globalization will advance in tandem and complement each other, with high quality cooperation making the new type of globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all countries and regions involved,” said Xie Feng, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
He stressed that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Commissioner are committed to supporting Hong Kong in expanding exchanges and cooperation with the world and serving as a super connector in the BRI.
Since the Office of the Commissioner initiated the “Mainland plus Hong Kong plus Belt and Road partner countries” model as a tripartite cooperation mechanism in 2017, Xie said it has facilitated visits by HKSAR officials and industrial representatives to countries involved in the BRI, and co-hosted tripartite meetings and matchmaking events with the Hong Kong business community, foreign consulates and business chambers in Hong Kong.
In addition, Chinese embassies and consulates in the partner countries have encouraged Hong Kong businesses to join the economic and trade cooperation zones in the BRI, arranged visits of officials of foreign consular courts, chambers of commerce, businesses, and media in Hong Kong to the Bay Area, he said.
