A view of Kowloon City, Hong Kong Photo: VCG
Recently, the nationwide science and expertise award convention and the World AI Conference (WAIC) have despatched out the identical sturdy message: the brand new spherical of global competitors is, at its core, a contest of technological innovation capabilities. Whoever can seize the commanding heights of science and expertise will achieve the initiative in future improvement.
Nowadays, the underlying logic of competitors amongst global cities has basically modified. Original analysis, commercialization of scientific achievements, expertise attraction, expertise finance and innovation ecosystems have gotten the important thing sources of competitiveness. Technological innovation has change into the primary battleground of global competitors. For Hong Kong, as one of many world’s best economies, technological innovation isn’t merely a matter of commercial upgrading, however a strategic query regarding the metropolis’s future positioning, improvement area and aggressive edge. Amid this global wave of sci-tech transformation, the important thing query is how Hong Kong can break by way of and turn its unique advantages into real improvement strengths.
For a long time, Hong Kong has constructed its distinctive place on finance, commerce, transport {and professional} companies. This system has formed Hong Kong’s success and is Hong Kong’s conventional benefit. However, as rising industries comparable to AI, the digital financial system, inexperienced expertise and biomedicine quickly rise, the marginal advantages of the previous progress mannequin are progressively diminishing. For Hong Kong, the right way to remodel its conventional strengths into new drivers of progress has change into a vital problem of the instances.
At the identical time, Hong Kong’s improvement alternatives are clear and unique. Its future path doesn’t lie in merely replicating different fashions or constructing one other manufacturing hub. Instead, Hong Kong ought to leverage its personal strengths to change into a key “connector” between global innovation sources and China’s innovation system – which is the true significance of constructing a world innovation and expertise hub. Hong Kong ought to neither copy the event paths of mainland cities nor stay confined to the normal framework of a world monetary heart. Rather, it ought to change into a bridge for global sci-tech capital getting into China, an interface for China’s cutting-edge applied sciences to achieve the world and a platform that successfully connects worldwide guidelines with nationwide improvement methods. Hong Kong’s uniqueness lies not in “being like someone else,” however in being irreplaceable.
This positioning is supported by three main advantages. First, Hong Kong has sturdy capabilities in fundamental analysis. Several world-renowned universities have amassed substantial experience in areas comparable to AI, biomedicine, new supplies and superior manufacturing, whereas sustaining intensive worldwide analysis cooperation networks and constantly producing high-level scientific achievements.
Second, Hong Kong has a mature frequent legislation system, sturdy mental property safety mechanisms and a world enterprise surroundings beneath “one country, two systems” framework. These advantages make it naturally enticing for cross-border expertise transactions, scientific collaboration, willpower of possession rights over analysis and the global growth of expertise firms.
Third, as a world monetary heart, Hong Kong has a complete financing system that can higher channel advantages in enterprise capital, personal fairness, public listings and cross-border capital allocation into your complete innovation course of. Technological innovation has by no means been pushed by a single breakthrough alone; it’s the results of the mixed forces of expertise, capital, establishments and markets. Hong Kong possesses exactly what is required to combine and allocate numerous sources.
More importantly, Hong Kong’s unique worth should be understood inside the broader context of nationwide improvement and the coordinated improvement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The accelerated improvement of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone has opened new strategic alternatives for Hong Kong. If Hong Kong’s strengths in analysis, establishments and worldwide connectivity can be deeply built-in with Hetao and the GBA’s industrial capability, software situations and manufacturing strengths, an entire innovation chain can be shaped: “research in Hong Kong, transformation in Hetao, application in the GBA and global expansion.” This isn’t merely regional cooperation, however a key pathway for Hong Kong to construct its personal core competitiveness whereas contributing to China’s pursuit of larger self-reliance and energy in science and expertise. Hong Kong’s future breakthroughs won’t come from appearing alone, however from embedding its strengths into a broader innovation system guided by nationwide methods.
Turning this imaginative and prescient into actuality depends upon whether or not Hong Kong can really acknowledge change, adapt to alter and pursue change. Recognizing change means totally understanding that technological innovation is the first engine shaping the longer term. Adapting to alter means addressing sensible bottlenecks by making sustained efforts in areas comparable to attracting and retaining expertise, commercialization of scientific achievements, pilot-scale testing platforms, mental property mechanisms and the attraction of main enterprises. Pursuing change means demonstrating larger willpower and braveness in advancing institutional coordination, coverage innovation and the mixing of innovation sources, remodeling the “Lion Rock Spirit” into sensible momentum for embracing technological frontiers and breaking away from outdated improvement paths.
Ultimately, Hong Kong’s mission amid the global sci-tech transformation is to change into a uniquely helpful “connector” of sources, a “multiplier” of worth and a regional innovation hub. The Hong Kong of the longer term should use expertise to boost finance, innovation to reshape industries and openness to attach with the world. Whoever is first to remodel unique advantages into irreplaceable innovation capabilities will safe a robust place within the new spherical of global competitors. For Hong Kong, crucial query is to grab this chance and make full use of it to attain a brand new leap ahead in improvement – permitting the “Pearl of the Orient” to proceed shining brightly within the new period of global sci-tech competitors.
The writer is a commentator on worldwide affairs. [email protected]