Blog

Inspiring Dreams and Nurturing Talent

At an event held in Cyberport last year, a primary school student introduced to me in great detail a glitter ball game he designed during his STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) studies. I was particularly impressed by his immense enthusiasm devoted to exploring product design and technology application. Then, I encouraged him to work harder, and keep learning and exploring in that field. A year has passed, and to my surprise, I met this student – Hin Tsun – again at the same event this year.

Over the past year, Hin Tsun seized the opportunities to participate in various design and STEAM competitions, and won many prizes. With just one year left before entering secondary school, he hopes to continue his development in this field in secondary school. It is truly heartening and encouraging to see Hin Tsun’s growth, his desire for knowledge in innovation and technology (I&T), and his passion for his interests and perseverance to pursue them. The development of I&T in Hong Kong requires not only high-end research and development (R&D) talent and technicians, but also entrepreneurs with innovating spirit. The key to this is to nurture our young people, arouse their curiosity in I&T, ignite their passion for a career in the sector, and cultivate their willingness to engage in technological R&D and application.

While attending Cyberport’s DELF 2024, I met Hin Tsun, whom I first met at last year’s event, and received his letter.

Letter from Hin Tsun and the model he made with 3D printing technology.

To nurture I&T talent in Hong Kong, we need to continue to invest resources in education and accelerate the establishment of the I&T ecosystem, providing more opportunities to aspiring individuals to explore and excel. Attracting young I&T talent from around the world to Hong Kong is also crucial to building our I&T talent pool.

Last week, I attended the closing ceremony of “Summer Talent Fest” organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). I interacted with local and overseas university students participating in HKSTP’s internship programmes. This year’s event was the largest ever, bringing together over 350 students from Europe, the Americas, the Mainland, Southeast Asia, Australia, etc. Around 20% of them were master’s or doctoral students, and many were from the top global 50 universities.

Attending the closing ceremony of HKSTP’s Summer Talent Fest last week.

Exchanging views with local and international university students participating in HKSTP’s internship programmes.

During our interaction, many participants shared their aspirations of becoming entrepreneurs. Whether they were majoring in life an health sciences, green technology or artificial intelligence, their ambitions were aligned with a common goal – to turn ideas into reality, and transform research outcomes into products, so as to make a difference for the world and enhance the quality of our life. Some students also mentioned that the internships and the related visits allowed them to feel in particular the innovation drive of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong’s strategic position within it. Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages, including robust scientific research capabilities, convergence of talent, convenient access to capital, as well as an open and free international environment, are prominent. They believed that Hong Kong’s I&T development possess considerable competitiveness and potential, which are important factors for considering further developing their careers in Hong Kong.

“Technology is the prime productive force, talent is the prime resource, and innovation is the prime driving force.” The accelerated development of the I&T industry, and the nurturing and attraction of talent, complement each other. Both will benefit Hong Kong’s economic vitality. They also align with the important direction of building China into a great country through Chinese modernisation with high-quality development. In recent years, the HKSAR Government has strategically invested resources to actively promote I&T development, strengthen talent nurturing, and support the organisation of more diverse I&T-themed events, so as to expedite the vibrant development of the I&T ecosystem.

An example is the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) 2024, the event in which I met Hin Tsun again. Hosted by Cyberport, DELF 2024 brought together more than 3 000 participants from home and abroad, along with 60 representatives from leading digital entertainment companies and star speakers. Together, they explored the development and synergies in such areas as AI, high-performance computing and Web 3.0, seeking to shape a new era of digital entertainment and smart living. This carnival, blending virtual and physical elements, will conclude today, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Attending and speaking at Cyberport’s DELF 2024 last week.

Interacting with students during my visit to the DELF 2024 experience zone.

Visiting the DELF 2024 experience zone.

As for Science Park, apart from its major summer internship programmes promoting exchanges between local and international I&T talent, it also hosts large-scale career expos that offer thousands of I&T positions. Since last year, HKSTP has also been making overseas visits to recruit talent to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is fully committed to boosting the economy and promoting development. We will continue to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages in various aspects, and actively forge more collaborations and exchanges in talent, I&T and other fields domestically and internationally. This will not only add momentum to Hong Kong’s development but also tell the good Hong Kong story through solid co-operation and exchanges.

August 18, 2024