Stephen WongandArthur Tsang

The View | To become a tech hub, Hong Kong must unleash the power of university researchers

On the mainland, a strong focus on research, and entrepreneurial spirit within academia have driven the country’s success as a breeding ground for innovation

In Hong Kong, technology development has been sluggish and entrepreneurship is less encouraged among university researchers. This must change

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Buildings in Shenzhen form a backdrop to residential buildings in Hong Kong on June 24. The cities should collaborate to attract global tech talent. Photo: Bloomberg

Stephen WongandArthur Tsang

Published: 2:15pm, 11 Aug 2022

Prenatal genetic tests, surgical robots and even sampling scoops that have been used on a mission to the moon: the innovations President Xi Jinping saw during his visit to the Hong Kong Science Park show the city’s enormous potential for putting research findings to real-life use.

Yet, technology development in Hong Kong has been sluggish, and much effort is still needed for the city to evolve into China’s international innovation and technology hub, as envisaged by the president.

On the mainland, a vibrant higher education sector, a strong focus on research and development, and entrepreneurial spirit within academia have been key drivers of the country’s success as a breeding ground for innovation and technology.

After all, it is through collaboration between academia and industry that technological solutions are revealed. Mainland university researchers are strongly encouraged to undertake contracted research, and much funding is reserved for performance bonuses.

Specifically, there is no limit on how much overhead funding can be used for bonuses, while up to 20 per cent of research funding can go to bonuses. When intellectual property rights arise from research projects, mainland universities allow inventors to hold a majority share of the patent, or at least a royalty-free long-term licence. This arrangement respects innovation and encourages stronger translational research and technology transfers.

Hong Kong, however, does not provide comparable incentives for academia and industry to collaborate. University researchers do not enjoy bonuses for contracted research, nor can they hold patents on research projects.