Healthtech Hub Pools Research Talent

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Establishing the InnoLife Healthtech Hub in the Hong Kong Shenzhen Innovation & Technology Park will pool the research strengths and resources of laboratories to create greater synergy, Secretary for Innovation & Technology Alfred Sit said today.

Elaborating on the innovation and technology (I&T) initiatives in the 2021 Policy Address during a press conference, Mr Sit noted that the life and health-related laboratories in Hong Kong and the Mainland are scattered across different locations.

“We now have 16 life and health-related laboratories and eight State Key Laboratories linked to the life and health sciences disciplines. We also have the InnoHK research clusters.

“The problem itself is that they are scattered around in many different areas. So how can we make good use of those resources already on hand, the resources that we have, to create a better synergy effect.”

He explained that grouping these laboratories together in the Lok Ma Chau Loop could help provide a larger platform to develop Hong Kong's life sciences.

“When we are talking about the development of the land supply to support our building of infrastructure for I&T development, we need to understand very well that what we have is the Loop area - we have altogether 87 hectares that we can make use of to develop our innovation and technology centre.”

As for the Science Park expansion, Mr Sit emphasised that more studies needed to be carried out before construction work could begin.

“For other areas, for example, the Eastern Corridor, the sea reclamation, more time may be needed for more thorough studies to be conducted before we can really know about the programme that we can have.

“Also, we need to know about the demand from the trade and industry before we decide (on) the programme.

“So in the coming future, we are going to conduct some studies with other bureaus to confirm the programme before really proceeding with the real construction work.”

Mr Sit added that the Loop development will go ahead.

“At the present moment, what we have on hand is the Loop for development use, that we have already secured funding from the Legislative Council for, so we are going to proceed with the construction works and make ready the land supply, the building supply to support our innovation and development in those areas.”