HK new tech bureau chief vows to create diverse job opportunities

Hong Kong will undergo "re-industrialisation" with land to be used for "smart production" to create job opportunities, chief of the newly established Innovation and Technology Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said Friday.

This is one of the nine focus areas of the bureau, said Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, who was appointed Friday by the State Council as the Secretary for Innovation and Technology.

"We will be developing new economies to let the people, especially young people, have more job opportunities," Yang said at a media briefing.

"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 are to include collaboration with top research organizations 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.

Regarding the new secretary, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said, "Yang has extensive experience and an international perspective in innovation and technology. I strongly believe that he is well suited for the Secretary post and would lead the bureau in formulating holistic policies and expediting the development of innovation, technology and related industries in Hong Kong."

Yang, 60, holds a master's degree 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 Hong Kong Polytechnic University as executive vice-president. Endit