Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of InnoEX Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on April 12, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council inaugurated InnoEX on Wednesday in a push to strengthen inter-regional cooperation in the innovation and technology industry.

InnoEX is one the flagship events of “Business of Innovation and Technology Week”, co-organized by the SAR government and the HKTDC. The four-day physical showpiece runs from April 12 to April 15, while the exhibition’s online business matching platform Click2Match operates from April 12 to April 22.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the SAR government is committed to advancing smart government

“Hong Kong is a place to gather for global innovation elements, and has the advantage of being connected to the world with the backing of the motherland. It is the central government’s consistent policy to promote openness and cooperation in science and technology,” Vice-Minister of Science and Technology Zhang Guangjun said in a video speech to the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

“The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong SAR government will work together to implement the country’s initiatives in building Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology center,” he said.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the SAR government is committed to advancing smart government. It will launch 100 digital government projects in 2025, using artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and other technologies to develop smart government.

“I believe this will help improve the convenience of life. Let Hong Kong residents experience the benefits of innovation and technology in their daily lives,” said Sun.

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InnoEX is jointly organized along with HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), drawing more than 2,900 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions. The exhibition aims to foster cross-industry and cross-functional collaboration and exchanges through business-to-business, government-to-government, and government-to-business partnerships.

InnoEX offers a wide range of themes, including smart-city technologies. More than 100 government officials responsible for promoting smart-city development from the Chinese mainland and ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) are taking part in the exhibition.

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer in Hong Kong features more than 100 smart-city technology solutions, while the Innovation and Technology Commission presents artificial intelligence and robotics projects undertaken by 14 research laboratories in collaboration with world-renowned universities under the HKSAR’s InnoHK initiative.

Vice-Minister of Science and Technology Professor Zhang Guangjun delivers a speech via videolink during the opening ceremony of InnoEX Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on April 12, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Wang Weiming, director of the Education and Science Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, stressed that Hong Kong’s future development lies in innovation and technology which has become a common consensus in the local community.

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“Hong Kong is an important part of the national innovation and technology system. With the support of the central government, the SAR attaches unprecedented importance to the development of scientific and technological innovation,” Wang said at the exhibition’s opening.

HKTDC Acting Executive Director Sophia Chong said Hong Kong needs to leverage its international finance and global exhibition hub status to facilitate the commercialization of innovation and technology achievements by local technology companies.