Forum lauds Bay Area’s endless digital potential

Digitalization will inject a new impetus for economic growth in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and fuel sci-tech development in the region, officials of the 11-city cluster said on Tuesday.

They made the remarks at the Fifth Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Big Data Forum, jointly held in the three cities with an aim to facilitate big data applications in the bay area.

Having the theme “Transformation and Layout”, the forum gathered representatives of governments and enterprises, plus experts and scholars to promote the tech industry and a digitalization upgrade in the region.

Since 2016, the forum has emerged as an influential event in the field of big data across the three host cities. This year’s edition was co-organized by the Shenzhen Information Industry Association, the Shenzhen Futian district enterprises development services center, the Chinese Big Data Society, the Internet Professional Association, and the Qianhai Authority’s liaison office in Hong Kong.

Zhang Zhihua, director of the Department of Youth Affairs of the central government’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong, said the country regards digital development as a priority. The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) proposes accelerating digital development, which indicates a promising future for this sector, he said.

“The development of science and technology in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao is planned, programmed and promising,” Zhang said in a video speech. The outline development plan for the bay area, launched in 2019, and the recently unveiled Qianhai plan have brought unlimited possibilities and endless potential for the future development of science and technology, he said.

Hong Kong’s technology professionals are embracing new opportunities and developments in digitalization, Zhang added. He said that with many leading universities, Hong Kong will continue to nurture internationally competitive young science and technology talent, create dynamic innovation teams and inject vigorous youth power into the development of science and innovation in the region.

The digital economy is the direction of future global development, said Wang Yaowen, deputy director of the Shenzhen government’s services and data management bureau.

The forum aims to build a more open and inclusive cooperation platform to promote the construction of digital infrastructure and the digital economy, injecting a new and powerful impetus to the economic development of the region, she added.

David Chung Wai-keung, undersecretary of Hong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Bureau, said Hong Kong and Shenzhen will work together to introduce joint policies, explore measures to facilitate the flow of people and resources, promote investment in inno-tech, and jointly recruit talent for the region.