The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Development Forum is in progress in Shenzhen on Nov 23, 2023. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong needs to have a more “open and inclusive” mentality about its development and to integrate itself better into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in order to realize its vision of becoming a global innovation and technology hub, a senior Hong Kong scholar said on Thursday.

“Despite being an international city, there (has) been a kind of mentality (about) Hong Kong’s development over the past 20 years or more that’s (been) non-communicative,” said Liu Ningrong, associate vice-president of the University of Hong Kong.

The large talent pool and the availability of innovation resources in the Hetao cooperation zone are the two major factors that have attracted the energy tech firm to set up its innovation center there

“Hong Kong needs to adopt a more open and inclusive mindset, because only when it integrates fully into the Greater Bay Area and takes full advantage of the region’s massive market can the city give better play to its advantages in higher education.”

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Liu made his remarks at the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Development Forum held in Shenzhen on Thursday.

“Talent cultivation and development in the Greater Bay Area should not be one-way,” he noted.

While Hong Kong has attracted a lot of talent from the Chinese mainland this year through various talent recruitment programs, the mainland is also an attractive option for Hong Kong talent to develop their careers there, the scholar said. “Hong Kong young people should be offered more incentives to go north.”

Zhou Yetao, chief technology officer at Siemens Energy (Shenzhen) Co Ltd’s Shenzhen Innovation Center, highlighted the role that the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone plays in driving high-quality development in the Greater Bay Area.

The large talent pool and the availability of innovation resources in the Hetao cooperation zone are the two major factors that have attracted the energy tech firm to set up its innovation center there, he said.

“What makes Hetao unique is that it can connect Hong Kong and Shenzhen resources and radiate them to the broader region,” Zhou said.

The innovation center will step up cooperation with Hong Kong universities, helping them to commercialize their scientific achievements in the Greater Bay Area and to contribute to the region’s green energy transformation, he added.

The Hetao cooperation zone is located on the boundary between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with the Shenzhen park covering 3.02 square kilometers and the Hong Kong side 0.87 square kilometers.

Liu Ningrong, associate vice-president of the University of Hong Kong, speaks at the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Development Forum in Shenzhen, on Nov 23, 2023. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The central government in August launched the Development Plan for the Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone to promote synergistic development with the Hong Kong park and facilitate high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area.

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The blueprint sets out the objectives for 2025 and 2035. According to the plan, an efficient Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaboration mechanism on science and technology innovation will be established by 2025. Cross-boundary infrastructure connectivity will be enhanced with the completion of the Huanggang Port.

In the longer term, internationalization of science and technology innovation in the area will reach a globally leading level and a number of world-class innovation carriers and R&D centers of tech firms will be developed, the plan states.

The Hong Kong park is currently under construction, with the first three buildings of the initial phase expected to be completed from the end of next year.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com