More Macao youths are embracing the development of the country by expanding their businesses into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond, they told reporters on Sunday.

At an interview session during a weeklong media tour focusing on economic prospects in the 11-city cluster Greater Bay Area, young Macao entrepreneurs with various industrial backgrounds shared their experience of developing business in the Chinese mainland, and their personal growth during the process of integrating into national development.

Vincent Lam, executive director of the Hengqin Pien Tze Huang Museum, administers his program in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao in Hengqin.

READ MORE: Young Macao leader urges peers to embrace nation’s opportunities

Named after a traditional Chinese herbal formula, the main body of Lam’s museum is a standalone structure that spans approximately 2,000 square meters, with exhibits such as the historical and cultural heritage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), diagnostic treatments adopted by TCM doctors, and the integration of medicine with dietary therapy.

The museum has been launching crossover products between Chinese time-honored brands and Macao brands, which Lam believes could be a new development direction for promoting TCM culture.

Lam said that enhancing the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area and using the region as a springboard to reach a wider market can enhance the competitiveness of Macao firms.

Likewise, Chao Ngai-chi started her jewelry business in Macao and then developed a market in Shanghai after discovering the great opportunities in the Chinese mainland.

Currently, Chao plans to expand in both Macao and Shanghai to realize a joint development.

Chao said Macao is a crucial showcase hub with international exposure, and can serve as a bridge to help companies enter more markets.

During an interview on the same day, Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai noted that Macao is rapidly integrating into the national development, and all sectors, particularly the youth, should seize the prevailing trends and embrace the huge opportunities.

“Youngsters should venture beyond their comfort zones, proactively seek change, and grasp opportunities,” Sam said.

READ MORE: Subsidies to help Macao young people build careers in Hengqin

The Macao Special Administrative Region government has rolled out several measures to help young people pursue careers in the mainland.

Sam, in his maiden Policy Address delivered earlier this month, proposed that college graduates aged 35 or below who take up occupations in any of the nine Greater Bay Area mainland cities, or in the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, will be offered a monthly subsidy of 5,000 patacas ($626) during their employment period, for a maximum of 18 months.

Additionally, from Feb 1, each eligible Macao youth who comes to work in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin can enjoy a 4,000 yuan ($548) monthly subsidy, provided by the Hengqin authorities, for a maximum of 36 months.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com