HyD invites industry to attend briefing sessions on Hong Kong section of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai)
The Highways Department (HyD) will hold briefing sessions on July 25, August 1 and 7 in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong respectively to introduce the details of the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) (HSWRL) project and the upcoming invitation to the industry for submission of expressions of interest (EOIs).
The HyD invites representatives from relevant organisations of the industry (including contractors, operators, consultants, railway system suppliers and rolling stock manufacturers, etc) which are interested in participating in the project to attend the briefing sessions. The registration details and forms are in the Annex. Industry representatives interested in attending the briefing sessions, please enrol on or before July 18 (Friday).
The construction of the HSWRL is a crucial initiative in support of the thorough implementation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It will enhance the infrastructure connectivity in the GBA and facilitate Hong Kong's integration into national development. Coupled with the co-location customs clearance arrangement, the HSWRL will connect the metro networks in the western regions of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. A trip from Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai will only take approximately 15 minutes, which will help to foster the "one-hour living circle" in the GBA and enable convenient cross-boundary commerce, work, living, study and travelling activities of the residents of the two places. The HSWRL is also an important transport infrastructure promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis, catering to the local travelling demand in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area as well as Lau Fau Shan, Tsim Bei Tsui and Pak Nai areas.
The Government is conducting the investigation and design of the Hong Kong section of the HSWRL, including undergoing statutory processes such as an environmental impact assessment and gazettal. The goal is to have the project ready for tendering in 2027, striving to complete the construction works in 2034, followed by integrated testing and commissioning to realise the common goal of the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen to commission the HSWRL in 2035. Through the briefing sessions, the HyD hopes to attract the attention and interest of more Mainland, local and even overseas organisations of the industry towards the project, thereby actively submitting EOIs, which will enable the HyD to gain a better grasp of the industry's views on the scheme, procurement and financial arrangements of the Hong Kong section of the HSWRL, to formulate appropriate tender terms and details.
Opening remarks by SITI at "CUHK and MicroSigX partner to launch breakthrough test aiding early autism diagnosis"
Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the "CUHK and MicroSigX partner to launch breakthrough test aiding early autism diagnosis" today (December 17):
Professor Chan (Choh-Ming Li Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics of thethe Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Francis Chan), Professor Ng (Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Croucher Professor of Medical Sciences, Professor Siew Ng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am pleased to join the Faculty of Medicine of CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong) at the launch of its groundbreaking innovation in early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Congratulations to CUHK Faculty of Medicine and MicroSigX on your achievements, which once again exemplify the fruitful outcomes of our collaborative efforts in innovation and technology (I&T).
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is firmly committed to developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. This vision builds on our flourishing life and health technology research, underpinned by the close collaboration among the Government, industry, academia, and research sectors. We have been channeling more funding support into our universities for commercialising their research and development (R&D) outcomes through various initiatives such as the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme launched in 2023. The Scheme has been well received by universities as well as the industry sector. Since its inception, a total of 49 projects were supported in the first two rounds, covering various technological fields including health and medical sciences, new materials and new energy, artificial intelligence and robotics, etc, with the total funding amounting to over $2 billion.
Another major I&T initiative of the Government to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre is the InnoHK Research Clusters. InnoHK leverages Hong Kong's advantages as an international city to promote global I&T co-operation and bring together leading researchers from around the world to conduct R&D in collaboration with local universities. The Government has encouraged the research centres under InnoHK to further increase the adoption rate of R&D projects, promote recognition in the industry and accelerate technology transfer and commercialisation of R&D outcomes. It is worth noting that MicroSigX's technology is in part underpinned by the research conducted at Microbiota I-Center, a research centre established under InnoHK. We are happy to see that our research centres under InnoHK are turning upstream R&D into real application and products in the market.
Today's pilot initiative not only marks a milestone in commercialisation of research and development outcomes, but also benefits the underprivileged local families by providing free tests to those in need with the assistance of non-governmental organisations. This is exactly our ultimate goal in promoting I&T: harnessing technological breakthroughs to benefit our society as a whole. We genuinely hope that advances in technology will bring meaningful benefits for society at large and improve people's quality of life.
The Government will continue to provide robust policy and support to enhance the overall I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong and develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. Let us work hand in hand to realise this vision. Thank you.
Source: AI-found images
Opening remarks by SITI at "CUHK and MicroSigX partner to launch breakthrough test aiding early autism diagnosis" Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Source: AI-found images
