What Hong Kong can learn about hi-tech excellence from other cities in Greater Bay Area

The Legislative Council in April arranged a tour for Hong Kong lawmakers to the Guangdong section of the Greater Bay Area. The development of innovation and technology on the mainland impressed many of us.

Huawei is not only a leading manufacturer of mobile phones in China, but also a global pioneer in providing cutting-edge technology solutions and artificial intelligence applications. The company offers technology to create a one-stop shop for a wide range of government services.

Besides, I also found the manufacturing base in Dongguan astonishing. From a town that used to make shoes and textiles, Dongguan has been transformed into an advanced manufacturing base, creating innovative products including robots. Some talented Hong Kong researchers from the University of Science and Technology have decided to move to Dongguan to continue their careers. The main reason is that the mainland authorities are not only able to offer them adequate financial resources, but will even help them source parts for making the final products, for example, robots. The team can therefore truly focus on research and development work and save themselves the trouble of handling matters in which they don’t have expertise.

Will Hong Kong be able to play a central role in Greater Bay Area project?

As a patriot, I am delighted to witness China’s development, including its economic success and technological achievements. Around 100 years ago, Germany started from scratch, learned from England and established its manufacturing industry. Back then, “Made in Germany” was widely perceived as inferior to “Made in England” and people doubted whether Germany could ever catch up with England.

A century on, however, Germany has become a global industrial leader. This is encouraging history. So far, we have seen some good progress in the Guangdong Bay Area, especially on the Made in China 2025 initiative which aims to develop advanced manufacturing.

Another piece of good news is that President Xi Jinping has recently pledged to support Hong Kong in transforming itself into a leading global innovation and technology hub.

Against this backdrop of the Bay Area’s development, Hong Kong should make good use of the opportunities ahead. With our renowned rule of law and protection of intellectual property rights, we should attract international technological talent to develop their careers here.

Holden Chow, legislator, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong