The HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy in Shenzhen Qianhai was unveiled on May 8 by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Qianhai Authority.
An important milestone in the two parties’ 2022 strategic cooperation agreement—which covers areas like the Advanced Legal Research Institute, Fintech Research Institute of the Greater Bay Area, Entrepreneurship Academy of Hong Kong Youth, Carbon Neutrality Pilot Demonstration Zone, and Advanced Technology Industrial Parks—has been reached with the founding of the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy.
With the help of the Academy, Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation in Qianhai will have a benchmark demonstration project. Young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao will be empowered to innovate and entrepreneurship, and the region’s youth will be encouraged to engage in deep integration, extensive exchanges, and comprehensive communication.
The unveiling ceremony was jointly hosted by Mr Wu Kunsheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government; Mr Su Wuyuan, Deputy Director, of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG); Professor Max Shen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Studies) of HKU; Professor Anderson Ho Cheung Shum, Associate Vice-President (Research and Innovation) of HKU; Mr Huang Xiaopeng, Deputy Executive Director-general of the Qianhai Authority; Ms Liang Ke, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Qianhai Cooperation Zone; Ms Li Lirong, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Shenzhen; Mr Cai Maozhou, Deputy Director-General of Education Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality.
Qianhai offered to “Establish an international and Hong Kong and Macao university innovation center” and to “strengthen cooperation with Hong Kong universities,” according to Mr. Wu Kunsheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, in his address.
World-famous and highly regarded, the University of Hong Kong offers distinct advantages in basic education, scientific and technical research and development, and talent cultivation—all of which are extremely compatible with Qianhai’s development. The HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy’s opening in Qianhai will provide Shenzhen and Hong Kong cooperation a boost.
In order to strengthen entrepreneurship incubation, promote the integration of industry chains, innovation chains, talent chains, and education chains in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and create a significant platform for technology cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong, Shenzhen will fully support the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy in its efforts to build a Shenzhen-Hong Kong youth innovation and entrepreneurship platform.
The establishment of the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy, according to Professor Max Shen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU, aims to foster young people’s capacity for innovation, develop their capacity for creative thought and practical application, and establish a significant space and platform for the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong youth in the Greater Bay Area for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological transformation.
Young innovators and entrepreneurs will flourish here if high-quality resources and support are provided. They will become a significant force in advancing technological innovation and social development, further boosting Qianhai’s appeal and competitiveness in the global bay area and making it a well-known hub for technological innovation and entrepreneurship worldwide.
Associate Vice-President for Research and Innovation at HKU, Professor Anderson Ho Cheung Shum, gave an overview of the Academy’s construction objectives and curriculum. Following, members of the first batch of innovation and entrepreneurship businesses presented their ideas and innovations.
It is anticipated that the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub (E-Hub), home of the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy, will be ready for occupancy by early July. The Academy will look to HKU in the future to build an innovation and entrepreneurial base that is focused on practice and instruction, offering pertinent services to upcoming scientists and technology talent.
In addition to developing unique and differentiated science and technology training programs, resident projects will concentrate on topics like artificial intelligence, life and health, new energy, and new materials. The goal is to set a new standard for the integration and advancement of innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
