My Blog

Enhancing contact tracing and striving for zero infection
Attracting and nurturing talents to propel Hong Kong forward

10 January 2021

The recent situation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, notwithstanding some signs of subsiding, has remained highly volatile. We must not let our guard down, but should stay calm and vigilant as the fight against the disease continues.

Flexible deployment of manpower

To enhance contact tracing of confirmed cases, the Government has deployed additional manpower to expedite the process. Two days ago, I visited the Case Tracing Office of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) at the Kai Tak Community Hall to see how things go and show support to colleagues while they are getting ready to start operating tomorrow (January 11). With disciplinary officers being mobilised to assist in case tracing, the Government is striving to do its utmost in gatekeeping and containment by tracking down the source of infection in a more professional, scientific and expeditious way so as to cut the transmission chain as soon as possible.

COVID-19 has not only posed a serious threat to public health and safety, but also struck a heavy blow on the economy. Combating the disease remains the top priority of the Government, and civil servants as its backbone are duty bound to take the lead and show a greater sense of mission and commitment in fighting the epidemic to achieve zero infection in Hong Kong at the earliest possible time.

Applying innovation and technology (I&T) in anti-epidemic work

In the past year, the Government has been actively using I&T in its anti-epidemic work to address grave challenges and needs. There are, for example, the “StayHomeSafe” and the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile apps, Bluetooth low energy electronic wristbands for use with home quarantine measures, an online booking system for the Universal Community Testing Programme, and the “Hong Kong Health Code” system developed for future resumption of people flow. The Government has also set up a website to facilitate public downloading of their own electronic testing record and is developing a booking system for the coming COVID-19 vaccination programmes.

The major purpose of the COVID-19 Electronic Testing Record System (the System) is to facilitate public viewing and downloading of their own testing record free of charge. The “Electronic Vaccination Record” will be added to the System at a later stage. By then, the public can download their electronic vaccination record through the System after verifying their identity through the “iAM Smart” platform.

As COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available in Hong Kong, the Government is set to put in place an online booking system this month for people to reserve their vaccination slot. They will receive through the system a confirmation upon successful booking and an SMS reminder one day prior to their vaccination date.

An electronic system connecting the CHP with the system of relevant departments is also in place for direct enquiry and downloading of information and visit records of confirmed patients, their family members and close contacts. With more accurate information, the electronic platform can expedite the whole process from data collection and sharing, case investigation, contact tracing to quarantine of close contacts. The Innovation and Technology Bureau will keep enhancing the electronic platform by incorporating more functions for information sharing to enable faster contact tracing by the CHP.

Attracting and nurturing talent for the much valued I&T sector

In face of a challenging business environment resulting from the epidemic, our I&T development remains as vibrant as ever. Talent is key to promoting I&T development in Hong Kong. With the wide adoption of I&T across different areas and sectors, the demand for I&T talent in various industries is strong and ever-increasing. Capitalising on the opportunities brought by technology development through various measures, the Government is determined to actively nurture and attract technology talent.

Young technology talent

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) Youth Employment Scheme launched two days ago (January 8) is open to enterprises for application (website). Under the scheme, about 700 places designated for I&T posts are provided to encourage enterprises with businesses both in Hong Kong and the GBA Mainland cities to employ STEM¹ graduates from local universities to undertake I&T-related work and receive on-the-job training in both Hong Kong and the GBA Mainland cities, with each location taking up 6 to 12 months. The Government will grant a monthly allowance of HK$10,000 to the enterprises for each graduate employed for a period of up to 18 months. The Governments of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality have expressed strong support for the scheme. I fervently hope that Hong Kong young people can set their sights on our country and seize various opportunities in the GBA to broaden their career paths.

Global STEM Professorship Scheme

In addition to making continuous efforts to strengthen training for local talent, Hong Kong must also maintain its competitiveness in pooling global talent. The HKSAR Government will launch a Global STEM Professorship Scheme to support local universities in recruiting renowned and outstanding overseas scholars and their teams to perform STEM-related teaching and research activities in Hong Kong. Up to 100 professorships (excluding the research teams) will be awarded initially. The funding scope will cover, among others, remuneration of the awarded scholars, costs of setting up and operating laboratories, and subsidy for the research teams. The scheme will help local universities scale new heights in I&T teaching and researching activities, thereby enhancing the capabilities of local I&T teams. Details of the scheme will be announced in due course.

IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme

To encourage the promotion of popular science education in schools and pave the way for nurturing local technology talent, the Government introduced the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme last year. Under the programme, each publicly-funded secondary school will receive a maximum grant of $1 million to enrich students’ knowledge on the latest IT developments, such as cloud computing, blockchain and big data, on top of school curriculum, with a view to nurturing more I&T talent.

Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0

The Government has been making use of I&T to improve the quality and efficiency of its services to bring convenience to the public and in an effort to develop Hong Kong into a smart city. The Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0 released last month (December 2020) has put forth over 130 initiatives to further consolidate Hong Kong’s status as a smart city. As part of our initiative to promote a Smart Government, we will implement e-licencing services under the “Be the Smart Regulator” Programme to digitise most licencing applications by mid-2022 and reform government services involving applications and approvals through the “Streamlining of Government Services” Programme.

Furthermore, a one-stop personalised digital services platform, “iAM Smart”, was launched last month (late December 2020) to enable members of the public to login and use online services with a single digital identity through the “iAM Smart” mobile app, offering them a hassle-free digital experience.

Fostering co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen to start the GBA engine

The Government is taking forward the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (the Park) located in the Lok Ma Chau Loop in full swing, with a view to establishing a key base for co-operation in scientific research through connecting with top-tier enterprises, research and development institutions and higher education institutions. Together with the Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Zone (SZ I&T Zone), the Park will form a cohesive and synergistic “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone” (the Co-operation Zone). Meanwhile, we are exploring with the Shenzhen side the feasibility of allowing the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation to lease and manage certain areas of the SZ I&T Zone, so that institutions and enterprises which are interested in starting their business in the GBA can establish a presence in the SZ I&T Zone as soon as possible before the completion of the first batch of buildings in the Park. Such co-operation would better leverage the complementary strengths between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Both sides are also formulating a joint policy for the Co-operation Zone as well as providing facilitation and supportive measures in the aspects of scientific research resources, capital and immigration. Joint overseas promotion activities will be conducted to attract talent for the Co-operation Zone.

Conclusion

Given that driving economic growth with I&T development has become a dominant global trend, I have full confidence in the future of Hong Kong. With rapid I&T development in Hong Kong in recent years, the added value of the related industries rose by 11.9% in 2019 when compared with 2018, far exceeding the growth rate of the overall nominal GDP. According to a survey by InvestHK, the number of start-ups in Hong Kong reached 3 360 in 2020, representing an increase of 6% over 2019 and a notable increase of 51% over 2017. In the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2020 published by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong ranked fifth globally, up three places from 2019. This is our highest ranking since the publication of the report.

The beginning of our country’s reform and opening up some 40 years ago has led to the restructuring and expansion of our economy. Over the years, while the country has developed in leaps and bounds, Hong Kong has developed into an international cosmopolitan city enjoying unique advantages under “One Country, Two Systems” and displaying strong competitiveness with a multitude of strengths. With the country’s staunch support, Hong Kong will scale new heights by riding the wave of the GBA development and embracing the opportunities arising from this second major historical milestone. Hong Kong’s most valuable asset lies in its excellent pool of human resources, and maintaining such a pool requires attracting and nurturing talent. A virtuous cycle will be accomplished by connecting global talent to local career opportunities and helping local talent go global. What our young people need is to step out of the comfort zone and look for opportunities in the GBA to equip and enrich themselves. A promising future is awaiting them no matter if they are aspiring to realise their potential in the GBA arena or excel in various professions in Hong Kong.