Speech by SITI at Beckoning the Inaugural Hong Kong Laureate Forum press conference (English only)

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Beckoning the Inaugural Hong Kong Laureate Forum (HKLF) press conference today (June 6):

Professor Tong (Chairman of the HKLF, Professor Timothy Tong), distinguished guests, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good afternoon. It is indeed my pleasure to share the stage with members of the Board of the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum today to announce the launching of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum this November.

     Hong Kong is world-renowned to be a welcoming place for investment and talent, a place of world-class infrastructure and with ease of doing business, but less known for our strength and prowess for innovation and technology. But as you just heard from Professor Tong in his welcoming remarks, Hong Kong is actually home to the Shaw Prize, once described as the "Nobel Prize of the East", for 20 years. This goes to show that as a community, we have always celebrated academic achievements and recognised the role of science in advancing human knowledge and enhancing our lives, whether it is in medicine or communication.  

     As for the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government, innovation and technology development has always been a top priority for us. We have, over the past decades, supported local universities in scientific research and development with generous allocation of resources. Our effort is reflected in the fact that five universities in Hong Kong continued to sit in the top 100 of both the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings in 2023.

     In recent years, we have been stepping up our efforts in providing an environment that is conducive to scientific research and development, and realisation of innovation beyond the campus. For hardware, we have advanced our infrastructure in the form of expansion of the Science Park and Cyberport, the development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park as well as InnoHK research clusters; as for the software, we are allocating more resources to nurture local talent in the form of increasing public-funded research post-graduate places and through introducing new schemes to attract non-local science and technology talent. All these put together, we have created an innovation and technology ecosystem that is ripe for action. 

     That is why the Hong Kong SAR Government is fully behind the work of the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum and the hosting of the Forum this November. The Forum will bring together some of the brightest minds in the scientific community from around the globe to share their research and insights. It will provide a chance for youngsters, including those from Hong Kong, to learn about the craft, the journey of top scientists from all over the world, as well as to broaden their horizons and to inspire them to follow suit. It will also provide an opportunity for us to showcase the advances in innovation and technology development here in Hong Kong through visits to research institutes and dialogues with local renowned scientists.  

     With the fantastic lineup of speakers and programmes planned for the Forum, I am confident that the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum will make the coming Forum a resounding success and an enjoyment experience. I am also just as excited that scientists, young and young at heart, will get to witness our city's commitment to scientific innovation and the progress we have made.

     I am looking forward to the great event and hope to see you then. Thank you very much.