Development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop
Vision and mission of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park
Mr CHAN Chun-ying said that he supported the development of the Park which would drive the future development of I&T in Hong Kong. Mr CHANenquired how the Administration would uphold in the operation of the Park the non-profit making principle under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between HKSARG and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government in 2017.
S for IT reassured Members that all income from the Park would be used in the construction, operation, maintenance and management of the Park, and no profits would be disbursed to either the Shenzhen or the Hong Kong side.
Noting that it was the vision of the Park to be a world-class knowledge hub and I&T centre, Mr CHAN Chun-ying enquired about the criteria for assessing the achievement of the vision.
S for IT advised that the progress of the Park in realizing its vision might in general be assessed by four major criteria, namely: (a) the number of new technologies developed and R&D products commercialized; (b) the number and qualifications of I&T talent attracted and nurtured; (c) the number of impactful R&D projects attracted from the Greater Bay Area and overseas; and (d) the number of startups and high value-added enterprises supported.
Research and development focus of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park
Noting that a significant proportion of the GFA of the first phase of the Park would be allocated for scientific research and higher education purposes, Mr CHAN Chun-ying enquired about the focus of the R&D and higher education institutions to be set up in the Park vis-à-vis that of the Shenzhen campuses/research institutions set up by local universities.
S for IT advised that over 50% and about 15% of the total GFA in the Park would be used for R&D and higher education purposes respectively. It was envisaged that the focus of the higher education institutions within the Park would be on applied R&D. With the geographical advantage of the Park, enterprises therein could leverage Shenzhen’s strong production facilities for mass production and tap into the huge Mainland market, so as to expand their development scale and maximize their economic benefits. S for IT added that the Park would focus on the development of six R&D areas in which Hong Kong had a competitive edge, i.e. healthcare technologies, big data and AI, robotics, new materials, microelectronics and financial technology.