Chief Executive CY Leung gave only passing mention to "innovation and technology" in his first Policy Address. Most IT practitioners are disappointed at the lack of new initiatives and the absence of ICT (information and communications technology) strategies, while the nation's 12th Five-Year Plan laid out the roadmap for strategic development of innovation and technology among Hong Kong's emerging industries.

The SAR government should act decisively. Hong Kong needs a Technology and Communications Bureau (TCB) to support the development of science and technology infrastructure. Support needs to be strengthened for Hong Kong designed or produced products by government departments and public bodies. CY must develop short-term and long-term science and technology strategies under the Economic Development Commission. The scope and deliverables of the Innovative Technology and Cultural and Creative Industries, and the Professional Services Working Groups are not yet clearly defined.

I would like to suggest a tripartite relationship between Qianhai, the star of future development in Shenzhen, and Hong Kong-based cloud services center, together with a regional data center. Shenzhen will work with Hong Kong to develop that area into "South China's Manhattan", one of the foremost service industry centers in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Under the protective umbrella of international law and international banking systems, this tripartite relationship would increase the competitiveness of Hong Kong, by attracting more foreign investment to the PRD. Under this peculiar arrangement, young IT talents would have more career opportunities on high value services like banking and finance, logistics, information services and technology services.

Surprisingly, the new HKSAR government does not have a manpower and population strategy plan to cope with the nation's 12th Five-Year Plan. Simply speaking, there is no talent development plan for cultivating new IT talents in this knowledge-based economy in Hong Kong. A recent survey of job opportunities for different sectors showed the IT sector is the most promising and also the second with regard to demand. It would diminish Hong Kong's competitive standing if we fail to recruit a stable supply of IT talent, because not enough high quality graduates are prepared to enter the field.

The 12th Five-Year Plan focuses on deepening the economic cooperation of the mainland and Hong Kong, to continue the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) under the "Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Framework Agreement". In this framework, this year's policy address should have deepened and strengthened the economic and trade sectors, and promoted specific scientific and technological cooperation through investment objectives.

Hong Kong's science and technology sector has lagged behind for more than a decade. The government should do something to enhance its regional position of high-technology development.

If the government policy decision-makers continually ignore the advantages of developing Hong Kong's high technology sector and still heavily rely on Finance and Security Industry (FSI). Should CY place more emphasis on revitalizing science and technology policy for the sustainable development of Hong Kong re-engineering into a knowledge-based society?

Spencer Li is president of the Innovation and Technology Association.

(HK Edition 01/23/2013 page3)