Speech by SITI at Opening Ceremony of HK Tech 300 Expo
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Opening Ceremony of HK Tech 300 Expo today (May 23):
Chairman Ngai (Chairman of the Council, City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Mr Michael Ngai), President Boey (President and University Distinguished Professor of CityU, Professor Freddy Boey), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you today at the opening ceremony of the HK Tech 300 Expo and the launch ceremony of the HK Tech 300 International Start-up Competition.
I would like to first commend City University of Hong Kong and its partners for their instrumental role in supporting young talent and nurturing deep-tech start-ups in our community. Today at the Expo, I am delighted to see approximately 300 innovative start-ups and projects incubated by the HK Tech 300 programme. These initiatives demonstrate their success in translating research and innovative ideas into practical applications. I am particularly encouraged to see the programme expanding its footprint into Mainland China, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Over the years, the Government has implemented various policies and made significant investments to nurture and enhance support for start-ups. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme was launched in 2023 to fund, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D (research and development) outcomes. I am pleased to see that several awarded CityU projects have already shown promising development and I look forward to seeing their research results in successful market applications.
To attract more venture capital to co-invest in local I&T (innovation and technology) start-ups, we launched the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund enhanced scheme recently by redeploying up to $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, also on a matching basis, to invest in start-ups of strategic industries, thereby empowering start-ups with more financing support. We are also preparing for the launch of the Pilot I&T Accelerator Scheme to attract professional start-up service providers with proven track records in and beyond Hong Kong to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong to foster the robust growth of start-ups and enhance the I&T ecosystem.
As I always emphasise, interactive collaboration between the Government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors is essential for Hong Kong's I&T development. CityU and the HK Tech 300 programme play a crucial role in this, creating a vibrant ecosystem that fosters cross-disciplinary, cross-sector and cross-industry collaboration. We must continue our efforts to work together to support our young entrepreneurs, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship and opportunities they need to turn their ideas into impactful solutions, further bolstering the development of Hong Kong as an international I&T hub.
The start-up journey is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right direction and enthusiasm, even a small idea can have a significant impact and benefit society. I encourage all of you to stay creative and innovative, and I look forward to witnessing our start-ups to grow into gazelles, unicorns or even industry giants in the near future.
In closing, may I wish you a fruitful and inspiring experience over the next two days at the HK Tech 300 Expo. Thank you very much.
Speech by SITI at Opening Ceremony of HK Tech 300 Expo Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection holds meeting in Hong Kong
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, and Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government Ms Zhang Hua, leading the officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the delegation of the Shenzhen Municipal Government respectively, held the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection meeting in Hong Kong today (June 2).
The meeting reviewed and endorsed the Working Group's 2025 Work Report and noted the implementation progress of the Agreement on Further Deepening Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation in Ecological and Environmental Protection (the Co-operation Agreement). Both sides also exchanged views in depth on the preparation of the five-year plan for ecological and environmental protection in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, regional environmental quality assurance during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) meetings, the joint development of the Shenzhen–Hong Kong ecological corridor, and cross-boundary biodiversity conservation. The two sides reported on their work progress and shared experiences on the above aspects.
The HKSAR Government is actively aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and will complete the formulation of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan within this year. The HKSAR Government will continue to fully support the country in achieving its "dual carbon" goals, accelerate green transformation, and strive to reduce carbon emissions by half from the 2005 level by 2035, with a view to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050. At the meeting, the HKSAR Government reported progress in green transport, environmental quality and ecological conservation, including the promotion of a Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary electric cargo vehicle pilot scheme, preparations for nominating Port Shelter in Sai Kung for inclusion in the national "Beautiful Bays" list, and the deepening of co-operation on the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain–Hong Kong Robin's Nest ecological corridor. The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) will organise a seminar on the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China in late June, inviting Mainland experts to attend. Representatives from relevant Shenzhen departments are also invited to attend the seminar as well as the Eco Expo to be held in Hong Kong in October during the meeting.
To ensure good environmental quality during the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting to be held in Hong Kong in October this year and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Shenzhen in November, Hong Kong and Shenzhen will continue to strengthen regional joint prevention and control efforts, including air quality assurance, water quality monitoring and emergency response capability.
Both sides are also actively advancing the development of the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain–Hong Kong Robin's Nest ecological corridor. In 2025, the two sides jointly completed a biodiversity survey of the ecological corridor area, strengthened ecological data sharing and connectivity, and will further enhance conservation effectiveness in the future to promote ecological integration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Mr Tse thanked the various departments of the Shenzhen Municipal Government for their full support. He expressed the hope that both sides would continue to work hard under the framework of the Joint Working Group, anchor on the ten major co-operation tasks set out in the Co-operation Agreement signed in 2024, and ensure all tasks are advanced with high quality and full coverage, so as to jointly build a Beautiful China and work towards carbon neutrality.
The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Mr Eddie Cheung; the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui; and representatives from the EEB, the EPD and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department also attended the meeting.
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection holds meeting in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection holds meeting in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
