The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Professor Sun Dong, visited Canada from November 4 to 6 to enhance ties and cooperation between Hong Kong and Canada in the fields of innovation and technology (I&T). His visit included stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo where he engaged with local leaders, entrepreneurs, and academic institutions to explore opportunities for collaboration.
During his stay in Toronto on November 4, Professor Sun visited the MaRS Discovery District as well as the Centre for Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Engineering of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Professor Sun encouraged the University to co-operate with universities in Hong Kong to participate in the InnoHK research clusters to strengthen global research and development collaboration. He also met with leaders of the local I&T industry including a start-up that provides storage and delivery services in North America.
In the evening, Professor Sun attended a networking dinner and had an exchange with the youth members of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) (Toronto Section) and Hong Kong young people studying in Toronto. He encouraged the young people to consider Hong Kong as an ideal destination for career development.
On November 5, Professor Sun was in Ottawa to attend and deliver a keynote speech at the Seminar on Life Science and Global Health themed “Innovation · Inclusion · Impact” organised by the HKCBA (Ottawa Section) and Invest Hong Kong. In his keynote speech, Professor Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s strategic advantages in the development of life and health technologies, particularly the flagship InnoHK initiative which has built collaboration with more than 30 world-renowned universities and research institutes, including those in Canada, further positioning Hong Kong as a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation. Professor Sun also remarked that there is a lot of room for bilateral collaboration between Hong Kong and Canada in fields such as green technology, renewable energy, environmental protection and sustainability.
Professor Sun also met with the members of the Canada-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group, and Members of Parliament at the Parliament Building, as well as calling on the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Mr Wang Di, discussing areas of mutual interests.
Professor Sun’s trip culminated on November 6 with a visit to the University of Waterloo, where he met with the President and other members of the university. He also toured the Institute for Quantum Computing and the School of Optometry and Vision Science, which has partnered with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to set up a Centre for Eye and Vision Research in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park under the HKSAR Government’s InnoHK initiative.
Professor Sun’s visits highlighted the ongoing collaboration between Hong Kong and Canadian institutions in advancing research and transforming innovations. He returned to Hong Kong in the morning on November 8.
For details of Professor Sun’s itinerary and text of his speech, please visit:
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/05/P2024110500202.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/06/P2024110600228.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/07/P2024110700264.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/06/P2024110600213.htm
創新科技及工業局局長結束加拿大訪問
香港特別行政區（香港特區）政府創新科技及工業局局長孫東教授十一月四日至六日訪問加拿大，旨在加強港加兩地在創新科技領域的合作。孫東教授訪問的城市包括多倫多、渥太華和滑鐵盧，他與當地領袖、企業家和學術機構探討合作機會。
孫東教授在十一月四日訪問多倫多，參觀創科樞紐MaRS園區及多倫多大學應用科學與工程學院的分析及人工智能工程中心。他鼓勵該大學與香港的大學合作參與InnoHK創新香港研發平台，加強國際間的研發合作。孫東教授亦與該市的創科界領袖會面，包括一間在北美提供倉儲和配送服務的初創公司。
孫東教授傍晚出席交流晚宴，與港加商會（多倫多分會）的年青會員及在多倫多升學的香港青年交流。他鼓勵青年人考慮以香港作為發展事業的理想目的地。
孫東教授在十一月五日到渥太華出席由港加商會（渥太華分會）與香港投資推廣署合辦的全球健康與生命科學創新研討會並發表演說。他介紹香港在推動生命健康科技發展的策略性優勢，特別指出旗艦研發項目InnoHK已經與超過30所世界知名大學和研究機構包括加拿大建立合作關係，進一步將香港定位為尖端研究和創新中心。孫東教授深信香港和加拿大還有很多雙邊合作的空間，例如綠色科技、可再生能源、環境保護及可持續發展等。
孫東教授亦在國會大樓與Canada-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group成員及加拿大國會議員會面，並拜會中國駐加拿大大使王鏑，就大家共同關注的議題進行交流。
孫東教授最後一站是十一月六日到訪的滑鐵盧大學，他與該大學校長及其他教職員會面，同時參觀了大學的量子計算研究所及眼科視光學及視覺科學學院。該學院與香港理工大學合作在香港科技園區設立眼科及視力研究中心，此合作是香港特區政府推動的InnoHK研發項目。
孫東教授今次訪問進一步促進港加兩地機構在推動研究和轉化創新方面的持續合作。孫東教授於十一月八日上午返回香港。
有關孫東教授的詳細行程及演說內容，請瀏覽：
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/05/P2024110500202.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/06/P2024110600228.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/07/P2024110700264.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/06/P2024110600213.htm
