HKU Launches SPARC to Bridge Academia and Industry for Innovation Advancement

Speech by PSITI at Pre-Launch of Strategic Partnership Alliance for Research and Commercialisation Networking Event at University of Hong Kong

Following is the speech by the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Kevin Choi, at the Pre-Launch of Strategic Partnership Alliance for Research and Commercialisation Networking Event at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) today (September 17):

Dr Tang (Chief Convenor of the HKU Super Angel Network, Dr Winnie Tang), Professor Shum (Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU, Professor Anderson Shum), Professor Wang (Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) of HKU, Professor Wang Yang), esteemed faculty members, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. It is an honour to be here at the University of Hong Kong for the Pre-Launch of the Strategic Partnership Alliance for Research and Commercialisation, the SPARC.

HKU has long been a powerhouse of basic research, producing breakthroughs that command global respect. Today, with the rollout of SPARC, you are taking a decisive step towards addressing one of the most critical priorities in our innovation journey: bridging the gap between academia and industry, and mastering the seamless transfer of technology from labs to real world applications.

The timing of this Pre-Launch is especially significant. Just yesterday, the Chief Executive made the simultaneous announcement of our city's first-ever Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address. Together, they chart a visionary roadmap for Hong Kong's future, with innovation and technology (I&T) at its very heart.

The two landmark documents jointly set a clear target to give rise to a new system and new paradigm for I&T development, where enterprises will be the key players, "unicorns" will be the lead, and modern finance will empower the integrated development of technological and industry innovation, bringing into full play the strengths of world-class institutions in scientific research. They also reaffirm our unwavering commitment to becoming an international I&T hub, a vision first championed by our late Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, whose foresight in setting Hong Kong on this transformative path is now truly bearing fruit.

At the heart of this endeavour is a powerful, synergistic partnership among government, industry, academia, research and investment. Universities excel at "0-to-1" discovery; industry and market forces provide the crucial engine for "1-to-N" commercialisation; and government builds the supportive policy framework. This is the ecosystem that will propel us forward, and it is already taking shape.

In fact, we are fully committed to nurturing this synergistic ecosystem by rolling out various initiatives to empower local university teams to transform innovative ideas into viable start-ups, examples of which include the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities and the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme.

Besides, as announced in the 2026 Policy Address, we will support the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation in exploring the establishment of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Application Scenario Promotion Centre, matching precisely the application scenario needs of both public and private sectors with the innovative technological solutions provided by I&T enterprises across the three major I&T parks and five key R&D (research and development) institutions.

Speaking of I&T parks, we are also expediting the development of the Loop Hong Kong Park, leveraging its unique advantage of "one zone, two parks" to build a world-class I&T park. To facilitate the integration of "university + R&D + industry", the 2026 Policy Address announced that Building 1 of the Loop Hong Kong Park, to be named Loop Academy One, will be positioned as the flagship project for launching the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), with a view to bringing together the frontier research capabilities of leading local, Mainland and international universities and institutions.

As one of the pioneers, HKU is uniquely positioned to help steer this flagship initiative and become the anchor of the NMUT as a magnet for top-tier talent and catalyst for breakthrough innovation. Together with the San Tin Technopole and the Greater Bay Area's comprehensive supply chains, we are forging a complete upstream, midstream, and downstream I&T ecosystem, bringing boundless opportunities for the I&T talents in Hong Kong.

Albert Einstein famously remarked, "The important thing is not to stop questioning". SPARC is precisely the platform that will keep our questions flowing, our curiosity burning, and our discoveries translating into solutions for society. I look forward to seeing HKU's scientific breakthroughs transformed into impactful products that contribute to high-quality development for Hong Kong and our country.

Ladies and gentlemen, my warm congratulations to HKU once again, and I wish you all every success. Thank you.

Source: AI-found images

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming female passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment with a fine of $2,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (September 17) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted the incoming 56-year-old local woman at the Lo Wu Control Point on May 3 and seized 5 361 duty-not-paid cigarettes from her personal baggage, with an estimated market value of about $21,000 and a duty potential of about $17,000. The female passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Members of the public should not defy the law.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases