Scientists on Sunday called for heightened sci-tech cooperations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and across the globe to address common challenges from climate change to aging population.
They made the remarks at the GBA Science Forum, which kicked off Saturday in Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong Province.
Nearly 100 academicians and leading experts from China and beyond are attending the four-day event.
Nancy Yuk-Yu Ip, president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, called for maximizing the strength of the GBA as an innovation and economic powerhouse to gear up for the aging population.
Cross-disciplinary, cross-regional and cross-system cooperation must be strengthened, she said.
China has planned to build a global innovation and technology hub in the GBA, home to many tech giants and start-ups, as well as a growing cluster of scientific facilities and universities.
Nobel Laureate Samuel Chao Chung Ting said at the forum that China has world-class experimental physicists.
Ting said the Chinese physicists have imagination, and the capacity and experience to develop new technologies, lead international cooperation, and make important contributions to human knowledge.
Taking place in Guangdong’s cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan, the forum will feature 15 sub-forums, with focus on marine science, nanoscience, high-energy physics, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
The integration of cities in the GBA in the fields of science and technological innovation will unleash enormous potential for cooperation, according to officials and scientists attending the forum.
“Potential cooperation in science and technology within the GBA will be unparalleled in other urban agglomerations, given that the area is a gathering place for high-end talent, both domestic and foreign,” said Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
“By utilizing Hong Kong’s international financial services, international trade services, and international intellectual property protection and trading services, the scientific and technological innovations in the GBA will be greatly enhanced,” Leung said.
In a video speech delivered to the forum, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said cities in the GBA have various advantages and can strengthen the collaborative innovation and development of industry, academia and research.
“The high-end manufacturing industry in Guangdong is thriving, providing solid support for the mass production of scientific and technological research and development achievements,” he said.