Opening remarks by SITI at HKUST Unicorn Day 2026 "From Ideas to Miracles - 35 Years of Impact and Beyond" (English only) (with photo)
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Professor Nancy Ip (President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)), Ms Edith Shih (Vice-Chairperson of the University Council of the HKUST), Professor Ni (Founding President of the HKUST (Guangzhou), Professor Lionel Ni), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you all at HKUST Unicorn Day, especially as the University celebrates its remarkable 35th anniversary.
In just three and a half decades, the HKUST has risen from a bold vision on Clearwater Bay to a global powerhouse in deep-tech, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The University's ability to nurture unicorns and deep-tech ventures is the result of visionary leadership, a culture that embraces experimentation, and an ecosystem that nurtures talent and empowers young innovators to turn ideas into impact. Few young universities in the world have recorded such a rapid ascent. The HKUST's achievements are truly impressive.
Innovation and technology (I&T) has always been on the top agenda of the Hong Kong SAR Government. We fully recognise the crucial role of local universities - not only as key partners, but as the bedrock of Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem. To this end, the Government has implemented a series of forward-looking initiatives to accelerate research translation, strengthen collaboration, and expand our talent pipeline. Among these, the RAISe+ Scheme has been particularly well received by local universities. To date, 73 projects have been supported, with over $3 billion of government funding committed. Nineteen of them came from the HKUST. This once again demonstrates the HKUST's strength in translating frontier research into real-world applications.
This year also marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, which signals clear and unwavering support for Hong Kong's I&T development. Just last week, Hong Kong celebrated a historic milestone in our nation's space endeavours. It is the first time ever that a payload expert from Hong Kong has joined the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight. We understand that among many other missions, our Hong Kong-born payload expert will operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, an advanced Earth observation instrument invented by Professor Su Hui's team of the HKUST, on board the Tiangong space station. This is a powerful recognition of Hong Kong's scientific excellence at the national level. It also sends a clear message to all students and young innovators: Your ideas can go from the laboratory not only to the marketplace, but also to space. The future of innovation belongs to those who dare to dream boldly and fight for what they believe in.
As we look ahead, Hong Kong is entering a golden era of I&T development. We are building new engines of Hong Kong's high-quality development, including the Hetao Hong Kong Park, the San Tin Technopole and the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster. In addition to the existing R&D (research and development) institutes such as the Hong Kong Productivity Council, ASTRI (Applied Science and Technology Research Institute) and the Microelectronics Research and Development Institute, we will have the AI Research and Development Institute and the Life and Health Technology Research Institute to focus on R&D in the respective fields and lead industry application. All these will create unprecedented opportunities for universities, enterprises, and start-ups to work together, scale faster, and connect more deeply with the Greater Bay Area and the world.
As the HKUST celebrates its 35th anniversary, it stands on the cusp of an even more fruitful chapter. With the collective efforts of government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors, and with the passion of young people inspired by achievements from Unicorn Day to Shenzhou 23, I am confident that Hong Kong will rise as a leading international I&T centre and contribute meaningfully to our nation's high-quality development, and that the HKUST will continue to be a driving force in this amazing journey.
May I wish Unicorn Day great success. Thank you.
Ends/Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:35
Issued at HKT 12:35
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