For the third consecutive year, the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), an interdisciplinary think tank at PolyU, presented its forward-thinking 2024 Policy Address Recommendations to the HKSAR Government. These proposals aim to propel the city into a global leader in technology and sustainable development. Are you intrigued by this visionary roadmap? Watch the video to find out more about the proposals.

At a recent event, PolyU’s PReCIT presented key recommendations for the 2024 Policy Address and invited Legislative Council members The Honourable Duncan Chiu and The Honourable Tang Fei to exchange insights. The proposals focused on four major themes: Carbon Neutral Cities, Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Innovation and Technology (I&T) Development, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Life and Health Technology.

1. Implementing comprehensive carbon auditing and building carbon-neutral cities

To achieve carbon neutrality, PReCIT recommends comprehensive carbon auditing measures, such as mandatory emissions reporting for larger organisations. They also support green technology development, specifically green hydrogen energy and waste-based biomass power generation. They suggest incentives like tax incentives, research and development (R&D) grants, and low-interest loans to spur innovation for a carbon-neutral city.

2. Strengthening I&T collaboration in the GBA and developing a smart Northern Metropolis

Regarding the development of a smart Northern Metropolis, PReCIT suggests developing a low-altitude economy by learning from Shenzhen’s experience and establishing the San Tin Technopole as a central innovation hub by collaborating with Shenzhen I&T Park. Additionally, Hong Kong needs to refine relevant laws and regulations, establish an inter-departmental working unit, and build R&D centres. The city also needs to establish a unified financial standards system and promote the Global Legal Entity Identifier to enhance financial transaction security and international competitiveness.

3. Promoting Belt and Road (B&R) collaboration and retaining talent

PReCIT advises fostering collaboration between B&R partners and Hong Kong experts through funding and creating platforms for knowledge exchange, cooperative research, and public-private partnerships. Recommendations include establishing a Belt and Road Initiative government-industry-academia-research consortium, increasing B&R scholarships, supporting local institutions in setting up overseas training centres and expanding joint training programmes with the Mainland and B&R countries to strengthen Hong Kong’s role in BRI.

4. Enhancing healthcare to address an ageing population and chronic diseases

PReCIT recommends strengthening Hong Kong’s primary healthcare by establishing a nutritionist registration system, subsidising community nutrition services, and establishing a “GBA Future Food Research Institute”. They also suggest integrating traditional Chinese medicine into mainstream healthcare, leveraging local universities to cultivate healthcare talent and fostering collaboration with the Mainland.

PReCIT proposes positioning Hong Kong as a regional pharmaceutical research and production base. Some suggested measures include combining big data and artificial intelligence in the medical field, establishing an open medical research database, improving drug regulatory mechanisms and promoting cooperation with the GBA, to name just a few.

Read the full report here:

https://www.polyu.edu.hk/precit/research/publications/

Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost, delivered the welcoming remarks.

Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Director of PReCIT, gave an overview of the recommendations.

Mr Kar-kan Ling, Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities) (left) and Prof. Daniel T. L. Shek, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme) (right) are PReCIT’s core members.

Prof. Chan Ching-chuen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Distinguished Chair Professor of Electric Vehicles and Smart Energy, and Director of the Research Centre for Electric Vehicles at PolyU, also contributed to the recommendations.

Prof. Eric Chui, Co-Director of PReCIT (left), moderated the discussion at the event, exploring the four major themes mentioned in the report.

PReCIT members, together with academics from different disciplines, put forward recommendations for this year’s Policy Address.