Macroscope | Hong Kong’s smart city ambitions must be powered by tech-savvy people

The annual tradition of the Hong Kong chief executive’s policy address is almost here. In her maiden address last October, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced an ambitious plan to diversify Hong Kong’s economy by promoting innovation and technology. The government then released the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong and allocated HK$50 billion towards technology-related initiatives.

So what should Lam focus on for this year’s policy address to ensure a smooth ride for her innovation and technology push? Based on the latest Smarter Digital City white paper by Google and Ipsos, the focus should be in three areas: economy, ecosystem and education. Specifically, the government must offer incentives to accelerate digitalisation within small and medium-sized enterprises; make data accessible and useful to address pressing challenges in the city; and, develop the digital talent pipeline by promoting STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and vocational training.