By Lee Kwong-yu
The Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress opened in Beijing, and the draft of the "15th Five-Year Plan Outline" (hereinafter referred to as the "Outline") was also released on the same day. Premier Li Qiang mentioned in his government work report that the major strategic tasks for development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period are highlighted in four aspects, with the first being promoting high-quality development and focusing on high-level technological self-reliance. Given the latest vision, Hong Kong can focus its efforts on aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan in this regard.
The draft Outline has two sections concerning Hong Kong and Macao, explicitly mentioning the need to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis. It also elaborates on the direction and path for Hong Kong to integrate into and serve the overall development of the country. The HKSAR government must continuously improve governance efficiency, strive to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's competitive advantages, and better play its important role as a gateway to the world. The government work report also mentioned promoting the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into an international science and technology innovation center, and creating a world-class source of technological innovation.
Last month, the Financial Secretary released the "Budget for 2026-27," with the development of the Northern Metropolitan being a highlight. The budget clearly outlines the industrial and spatial layout of land use, which is expected to accelerate the development of the innovation and technology industry, promote Hong Kong's deeper integration into the Greater Bay Area, and create more job opportunities. As a connecting hub within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Northern Metropolitan will become a bridge between the technology industry and market demand, further attracting global companies and talent.
Regarding innovation and technology, I believe talent cultivation is particularly crucial. Talent shortage has always been one of the bottlenecks to Hong Kong's innovation and technology development, and effectively retaining and cultivating local talent remains a major challenge. Both university education and vocational training need to further strengthen their close ties with industry to ensure the cultivation of more technology talent that meets market demands.
I previously formed a group called "T5" with four Legislative Council members with cross-sectoral innovation and technology backgrounds. Currently, each member of "T5" is conducting their own research, but future collaborative research is possible. The initial plan is to visit universities and innovation and technology companies in late April and early May. "T5" focuses on technological innovation, digital governance, and talent cultivation. I offered several suggestions regarding talent development, including developing a "priority list of urgently needed talents" for key areas such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and advanced manufacturing; and implementing a "salary subsidy" policy for cutting-edge positions, with the government subsidizing 30% of the salary difference for the first two years. Addressing the risk of a mismatch between the needs of higher education institutions and innovative technology companies, I hoped to encourage them to sign industry-academia cooperation agreements and invite industry experts to campuses to update curriculum content.
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