The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) has launched its Innovation and Technology Forum Series, pooling leading minds and experts from multiple disciplines to contribute to policy and strategy discussions about propelling Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub.
The Series debuted with a forum on the theme of “Planning, Land and Housing for Innovation and Technology Development in Hong Kong”. It attracted over 300 participants joining in person or online from different universities, research institutes and public organisations.
Founded in 2022, PReCIT is a university-level interdisciplinary policy research centre. The primary areas of its research include carbon-neutral cities, Greater Bay Area I&T development, and the Belt and Road Initiative development in Southeast Asia.
The President of PolyU stated that the development of a vibrant innovation and technology industry is crucial to fostering Hong Kong’s future success. For Hong Kong to succeed in the innovation and technology arena, many policy questions need to be addressed, including policies for the integration of Hong Kong into the national innovation ecosystem, and the talent policies that support the development of Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub. With the establishment of PReCIT, PolyU aspires to make significant contributions to the formulation of innovation and technology policies in Hong Kong.
The Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Director of PReCIT said that PReCIT aims to develop impactful and constructive innovation and technology strategies for the Government on societal issues. The Northern Metropolis has strong potential to support Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T hub featuring urban-rural integration and the co-existence of development and conservation.
A variety of leading thinkers in the area of smart city and innovation exchanged their insights and ideas about the development of the Northern Metropolis – a core strategy of the HKSAR Government to drive the city’s economic and I&T development, as well as cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The Founder and Honorary President of the Smart City Consortium offered a roadmap on how the Northern Metropolis could become a smart city role model for other parts of Hong Kong and help the public to make informed decisions regarding introducing smart city technologies in their neighbourhoods. She added that using the city’s spatial data effectively is critical for enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
The forum was co-organised by the Smart City Consortium and PolyU’s Department of Applied Social Sciences, J.C.DISI, and the Research and Innovation Office. It was supported by the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institute of Planners, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.
The next forum will be held on 27 September 2022 under the theme “Funding Landscape from Research to Commercialization”. Leaders from Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node are invited to share their valuable insights to enhance Hong Kong’s I&T development.
