Speech by SITI at HKU Innovation Week 2026 (English only) (with photo)
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The Honourable Vice-Chairman Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Mr CY Leung), Professor Richard Wong (Acting President of University of Hong Kong (HKU)), George (Ambassador George Hara, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DEFTA Partners), Anderson (Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), HKU, Professor Anderson Shum), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you today at HKU Innovation Week 2026, alongside distinguished scholars, industry leaders, and community partners. These are exactly the key partners in driving academic discovery, scientific advancement, and the pioneering spirit that defines Hong Kong's innovation landscape.
Following the release of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address last month, the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)'s goal is clear: Hong Kong will basically have established an international I&T (innovation and technology) centre based in the Greater Bay Area, serving the entire country and being connected to the world after 2030. This brings me to the theme of this year’s event - "The Innovation Reef: Where Ideas Breed and Thrive." A healthy innovation ecosystem, like a reef, relies on different parties performing different but complementary roles. Our universities play an indispensable role in advancing knowledge, nurturing talents, and transforming research into real-world impact. Talents aside, we need to drive the synergistic development among the Government, industries, academia, research and investment sectors.
To this end, the Government has deployed strategic resources through the $10 billion RAISe+ Scheme to accelerate the commercialisation of university research and development. Since its launch in 2023, 73 projects in various technology areas have been approved, with the Government funding commitment totalling over $3 billion. Among them, HKU's projects, covering advanced medical therapeutics to AI platforms and green materials, demonstrates that world-class research can be seamlessly translated into market-ready, deep-tech ventures. The Government also remains committed to consolidating the "dual base" advantages of Hong Kong's State Key Laboratories and the InnoHK Research Clusters, enabling universities to conduct basic and applied research that better serves national scientific and technological needs.
Looking ahead, the Loop Academy One in the Hong Kong Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park will be the flagship project for launching the Northern Metropolis University Town, bringing together the frontier research capabilities of leading local and non-local universities and institutions, including InnoHK and other new initiatives. It will focus on the development of medicine, life and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and microelectronics, with an aim to linking up academic research with real-life application scenarios and industrial supply chains - both physically and organically.
I am also glad to see that HKU is already participating in this wider development - the University serves as the operator of the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Institute in the Loop Hong Kong Park to promote medical innovation and clinical trial development. I encourage HKU to continue anchoring this ecosystem, collaborating closely with industry leaders and the Greater Bay Area's massive manufacturing base.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the Innovation Week will provide a useful platform for you to make connections that lead to further collaboration as you extend the boundaries of knowledge. I wish the event every success.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:35
Issued at HKT 11:35
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