Global I&amp;T Summit concludes with great success
15.12.2022

Organised by The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), the Global I&T Summit was concluded with great success today (December 15), attracting over 600 participants, while underscoring Hong Kong's accelerating development of innovation and technology (I&T) locally as well as its unique position in contributing to the global collaboration in science and technology. Under the theme of "Innovate for a Better World", the event featured various keynote speeches, the Presidents' Forum, an InnoHK session, two panel discussions and a "Dialogue with the Younger Generation", providing a platform for international academics and industry leaders to exchange insights into I&T developments areas including life and healthcare technology, artificial intelligence and robotics technology. The Summit is one of the events to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It brought together 30 world-class academics, scientists, presidents of renowned institutes and industry leaders from local and around the world to share their incisive insights into the latest I&T issues and trends, highlighting Hong Kong's role as an international I&T centre. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Mr Wang Zhigang, gave pre-recorded welcoming remarks at the Summit. Mr Lee said that the Summit has demonstrated that Hong Kong is back onstage, back to creating opportunities for talent and business. The unprecedented pandemic has accelerated the economic transformation, and technology is reshaping the world. That reality makes the theme of today's Summit - "Innovate for a Better World" - particularly timely. The Central Government fully supports Hong Kong's development as an international I&T hub. The Government is pressing ahead with the construction of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen I&T Park. Together with the Shenzhen I&T Zone, it will rise as the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation & Technology Co-operation Zone. This "one zone, two parks" initiative will attract Mainland and overseas I&T companies to Hong Kong and power the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's rise as one of the world's I&T hubs. The Summit included keynote speeches by the renowned science experts, including the Director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center of Columbia University, Professor David Ho, on how new technologies and scientific breakthroughs help combat emerging and new viruses, and Executive Vice President of University of Science and Technology of China Professor Pan Jian-wei on the future development of quantum communications. The event also featured the Presidents' Forum, which gathered leaders from both local and global universities including the President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Professor Nancy Ip; the President of Tohoku University, Professor Hideo Ohno; the President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Teng Jin-guang; the President and Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Professor Rocky Tuan; the President and Vice-Chancellor of Hong Kong Baptist University Professor Alexander Wai; and the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong Professor Zhang Xiang, moderated by the President of the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong, Professor Dennis Lo, to discuss and exchange views and ideas on the latest trends, perspectives and challenges of I&T research and development in the 21st century. In the InnoHK Session, outstanding scientists under InnoHK centres shared their views on the unique position of InnoHK and the role of Hong Kong as an international scientific research centre, offering a platform to train and build a pool of talent while translating impactful research outcomes into applications, reinforcing Hong Kong as the hub for global research collaboration. The Summit also featured a "Dialogue with the Younger Generation" session, which provided an excellent opportunity for young researchers and students to express their views on I&T and interact directly, aiming to unleash their potential and inspire them to join the I&T industry and drive the I&T development. During the event there were two panel discussions on the hottest I&T topics including "AI and Humanness" and the "Mission of Health Science in the Post-COVID Era", conducted by experts from leading local and international universities. Speaking at the concluding session, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, "We are sparing no effort to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, and capitalise on our unique advantages under "one country, two systems" as well as our solid science and technology foundation to integrate into the overall national development and seize the golden opportunities ahead. While Hong Kong is back onstage, we stand ready to seize the opportunities at a time when I&T is a key engine of global economic growth." Details of the Global I&T Summit are available at the website ( globalitsummit.hk/en/index ). Ends/Thursday, December 15, 2022 Issued at HKT 18:35 NNNN