Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung says plan is to develop new economies and target young people
JOYCE.NG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Friday, 20 November, 2015, 12:04pm
UPDATED : Friday, 20 November, 2015, 12:14pm
Nicholas Yang with Leung Chun-ying speaking before media today in Admiralty. Photo: Sam Tsang
The newly appointed innovation and technology minister says Hong Kong will undergo “re-industrialisation” with land to be used for “smart production” to create job opportunities for Hongkongers.
This is one of the nine focus areas of his bureau, said Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, who was today appointed by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying as the Secretary for Innovation and Technology. The State Council approved the appointment.
“We will be developing new economies to let the people, especially young people, have more job opportunities,” Yang said at a media briefing this morning.
“We should seize opportunities under re-industrialisation and ‘the Internet of Things’ to propel smart production, to find out what kind of industries can be developed using Hong Kong as the base,” he added. “This will create quality and diverse job opportunities.”
The other focus areas of the bureau were to include collaboration with top research organisations worldwide, setting up private funds and angel funds to encourage new businesses, the development of Hong Kong as a ‘smart city’ technologically, and solving social problems especially for the lives of the elderly and disabled.
In view of his new role, Yang would no longer be an adviser to the chief executive, a post offered to him earlier this year as filibustering by lawmakers thwarting funding to set up the bureau.
READ MORE: Hard to be optimistic about Hong Kong innovation and technology bureau
The Taiwan-born Yang, 60, holds a master’s in electric engineering and a master’s in business administration from Stanford University. He was Cyberport’s chief executive officer from 2003 to 2010. He went on to spend five years at the Polytechnic University as executive vice-president.
Regarding the new minister, Leung said: “Mr Nicholas Yang has provided me with constructive advice on development strategy, with a focus on how Hong Kong can make the best use of our advantages of ‘one country’ and ‘two systems’ and how we can strengthen co-ordination between the government, industry, academia and research sectors.”
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1880782/new-hong-kong-tech-bureau-chief-aims-create-quality-and
