Leading International Innovation Policy Makers Share Views at APAC Innovation Summit

(Hong Kong, 3 December 2014) - Leaders from Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Sweden and Israel gathered at the APAC Innovation Summit in Hong Kong today to share their views on innovation policy. In a successful launch to the Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”), they discussed their experiences in important areas such as commercialising innovation, fostering entrepreneurial spirit, and the role of government in investing in education and R&D infrastructure.

HKSAR Government Chief Executive Mr CY Leung and the Chairperson of HKSTP, Mrs Fanny Law, both expressed confidence in the city's future as a technology and innovation hub.

Mr Leung said the city can serve as a “super-connector” for innovation in the Asia Pacific region because of its open, internationalised economy and its advanced infrastructure and world-class universities. He believed that innovation will become central to Hong Kong's economy in the future because of its ability to create growth and high-yield jobs in new business sectors.

Mrs Law said the city offers a business-friendly environment, an entrepreneurial spirit, freedoms of information and expression, IP protection, and the rule of law. She also pointed out that Hong Kong's science students consistently rank among the world's best, while the city is located within four hours of half of the world's population.

Dr Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Republic of China, said China's technology market is worth US$440 billion, but the country's tech industries have much to do in improving co-ordination across sectors and disciplines. He said HKSTP had served as a model for many science parks in Mainland China. The ability to attract foreign enterprise in technology projects had now become a major indicator of success and was being used as a metric to evaluate the progress of China's science parks.
Mr Mehmet Kaplan, Minister for Housing and Urban Development in Sweden, said with the world's population moving to cities, sustainable urban development had become important for reasons of economic competitiveness as well as for environmental factors. He said the main aim of Sweden's innovation strategy was to create more jobs and that it was a key part of the objective of having the lowest unemployment rate of any European country by 2020.

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Mayor, North East District, Singapore, said the government had put a lot of effort into R&D and building an innovation ecosystem but the aim was to let business drive the process. “The government role is to support innovation, facilitate it, and to allow the private sector and research sector to flourish.”

Mr Ido Sharir, Director General of Israel's Ministry of Science, Technology and Space, said Israel ranked first in the world for the volume of VC investment, the number of scientists per capita and the level R&D as a proportion of GDP. He said many reasons had been cited for the country's technology success – such as the role of national service, ancient Jewish traditions and the high number of immigrants – and he believed the truth was probably a combination of those factors.

At the opening ceremony of the APAC Innovation Summit, HKSAR Chief Executive Mr CY Leung said the city can be a ‘super-connector’ hub for technology and innovation in the Asia Pacific region. He believed innovation will become central to Hong Kong's economy in the future because of its ability to create new growth and high-yield jobs.

Hong Kong has the essential ingredients of an innovation hub, said Mrs Fanny Law, Chairperson, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. These include a business friendly environment, entrepreneurial spirit, freedoms of information and expression, IP protection, and rule of law. Mrs Law added that Hong Kong's science students consistently rank among the world's best while the city is located within four hours of half of the world's population.

Speaking at APAC Innovation Summit, Dr Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of China, said Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation had served as a model for many science parks in Mainland China.

Leading international innovation policy makers gathered at APAC Innovation Summit in Hong Kong today to share their views on innovation policy. Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included (from left to right): Ms Janet Wong, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Innovation and Technology Commission, HKSAR Government Dr Wang Zhimin, Deputy Minister, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Dr Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister, Ministry of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of China Mr C. Y. Leung, Chief Executive, HKSAR Government Mrs Fanny Law, Chairperson, HKSTP Mr Gregary So, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, HKSAR Government Ms Susie Ho, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), HKSAR Government Mr Allen Ma, Chief Executive Officer, HKSTPC