Lei Zhen is the chairman of Macau Najin Technology Co., Ltd
The Government Work Report provides a clear direction for Macao's development
This year's government work report has released a series of important policy signals, which not only reflect the country's new ideas and new measures, but also provide clear guidance for future development.
First of all, the new quality of productivity is listed as the top ten tasks of the government's work in 2024, which fully demonstrates the country's emphasis on innovation and technological development. New quality productivity mainly refers to emerging industries and formats represented by high-tech, green energy, artificial intelligence, etc. The proposal of this policy will undoubtedly promote the optimization and upgrading of the mainland's industrial structure and inject new vitality into economic growth.
Second, the complete abolition of restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector is an important measure for the mainland to further open up its market and attract foreign investment. The implementation of this policy will help improve the competitiveness of the mainland's manufacturing industry and attract more international enterprises to invest in China. At the same time, it will also provide more cooperation opportunities for Chinese enterprises, help mainland enterprises better integrate into the global value chain, and improve the level of international cooperation.
Thirdly, with regard to the work of Hong Kong and Macao, in addition to emphasizing the comprehensive, accurate, and unswervingly implemented principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong", "Macao people governing Macao", and a high degree of autonomy, the government work report specifically mentions this year that "Hong Kong and Macao will be supported to develop their economies, improve people's livelihood, give full play to their own advantages and characteristics, actively participate in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, better integrate into the overall development of the country, and maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao". This will undoubtedly provide new opportunities for the development of Hong Kong and Macao, and at the same time, it will also be conducive to the economic development and social stability of the entire region.
The policy signals released by the above-mentioned government work report, whether it is the emphasis on new quality productivity, or the guidance on the opening up of the manufacturing industry and the work of Hong Kong and Macao, all reflect the forward-looking and decision-making wisdom of the central government, and also provide a clear direction for Macao's future development.
The development of new productive forces in the Greater Bay Area has provided valuable experience for Macao
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a vanguard in China's efforts to enhance its scientific and technological innovation capabilities, and has many advantages in the development of new quality productivity, mainly in the following aspects:
First of all, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area also has the scientific and technological innovation elements of Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong, each with its own characteristics, and through complementary advantages and win-win cooperation, it can synergistically promote the rapid development of productivity levels. For example, Hong Kong has international financial and legal services, Macau has unique advantages in the tourism and gaming industry and service platform for Portuguese-speaking countries, and Guangdong occupies a leading position in terms of manufacturing base and market capacity.
Secondly, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a "highland of agglomeration" of high-end production factors such as capital, information, technology and talents, including a number of international high-level universities and state key laboratories, many domestic leading financial institutions, a complete industrial system, and a strong manufacturing foundation, which provide solid support for scientific and technological innovation.
In addition, the Greater Bay Area has a number of strategic emerging industrial clusters, such as semiconductors and integrated circuits, high-end equipment manufacturing, etc., as well as a large number of national and provincial innovation carriers, providing a good environment for scientific and technological innovation.
In recent years, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with its unique geographical advantages, resource concentration and policy support, has not only made remarkable achievements in scientific and technological innovation capabilities, but also shown great potential in promoting the development of new quality productive forces. For Macao, in the broad context of "one country, two systems" and the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area, Macao can give full play to its advantages as an international platform, attract more international innovative high-end talents, enterprises and scientific research institutions, increase cooperation and exchanges with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, take the initiative to connect with the construction of the Greater Bay Area, make better use of the scientific and technological innovation resources of the Greater Bay Area, and promote the diversified development of the local economy.
The new material industry is a new engine for the development of Macao's science and technology industry
As an international city, Macao not only has abundant funds and high-level university research strength, but also has a platform and vision in line with international standards. These advantages have provided a solid foundation for Macao's development in the field of scientific and technological innovation. However, Macao's geographical space resources are limited, which requires us to accurately select the technology industry that suits the actual characteristics of the local area as the direction of development.
First of all, among the many science and technology industries, the new materials industry has become an ideal choice for Macao's development due to its small land occupation and technology- and capital-intensive characteristics. New materials are not only the upstream foundation of many industries and application fields, but also have a very wide range of applications and a huge market scale. If Macao can deepen its efforts in this field, it will greatly promote the diversified development of the economy.
Secondly, the development of the new material industry has three characteristics: basic, leading and driving. If Macao can make a breakthrough in the field of new materials, it will not only promote the upgrading of downstream traditional industries, but also help Macao better integrate into the development of the Greater Bay Area and contribute to scientific and technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area. For example, the application of new materials can promote technological innovation in the fields of manufacturing and electronic information industry, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the entire region.
Macao is facing unprecedented development opportunities. By leveraging its unique advantages in funding, scientific research and internationalization platform, Macao is expected to make breakthroughs in the field of new materials industry and contribute to scientific and technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area and even the whole country. To achieve Macao's breakthrough development in the new materials industry, the primary strategy is to increase R&D investment, encourage universities and research institutions to cooperate with enterprises, and promote the industrialization of scientific research results. Second, it is essential to establish a sound industrial support system. This includes policy support, capital investment and talent training. In terms of policy, Macao should introduce more incentives, such as tax incentives and start-up subsidies, to attract and retain outstanding enterprises and talents; In terms of capital, in addition to direct investment from the government, private capital and venture capital should also be attracted to form a diversified investment environment; Talent is the key to industrial development, and Macao needs to cultivate a group of new material experts with international vision and innovation ability through education and training programs. Finally, strengthening collaborative innovation with other cities in the Greater Bay Area is the key to realizing the development of Macao's new materials industry. The cities in the Greater Bay Area have their own characteristics and are highly complementary. Macao should take advantage of its internationalization and share resources with other cities to jointly build a complementary and mutually beneficial science and technology innovation ecosystem.
The development of new quality productive forces in Macao presents opportunities in the midst of challenges
As a micro-economy, Macao's land space constraints are a challenge that cannot be ignored. Limited land resources mean limited space for industrial development, which is particularly unfavorable for the industrialization of science and technology, which requires a large amount of land support. In addition, Macau has long relied on the gaming industry as the backbone of its economy, forming a situation of "one industry dominating", resulting in a single economic structure. This unitary economic structure makes Macao's foundation in the industrialization of science and technology relatively weak, and lacks diversified industrial support, which poses a challenge to cultivating new quality productive forces.
If Macao wants to seize the opportunities in the challenges and promote the development of new productive forces, it needs to make efforts in many aspects, including continuing to promote the new model of "Macao R&D + Hengqin Transformation", the core of which is to make use of Macao's R&D advantages, combine Hengqin's land and resource advantages, and extend the industrial chain and expand the development space through cooperation with the mainland. This kind of cooperation can not only bring new industrial development opportunities to Macao, but also create a new engine for the moderate diversification of Macao's industries, thereby providing soil for the growth of new quality productivity.
On the other hand, the government should increase financial support and supporting support for key science and technology enterprises. This includes a full range of support such as financial assistance, tax incentives, talent introduction policies, and market expansion services. In particular, for those key science and technology enterprises that have a certain role as benchmarks and demonstrators, the government's support can enhance the development momentum of these enterprises, and at the same time, it can also encourage more young people in Macao to devote themselves to scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship, providing them with more confidence and opportunities.
Although there are many challenges on the road to the development of new quality productivity, these challenges can be turned into opportunities if the right response is taken. In the future, through in-depth cooperation with the mainland and the government's strong support for scientific and technological innovation, Macao is expected to optimize and upgrade its industrial structure, provide more platforms for youth innovation and entrepreneurship, and ultimately achieve sustainable economic development.
Create a "talent reservoir" to provide intellectual support for new quality productivity
Macao is promoting the development of new quality productive forces, and in the process, cultivating and introducing high-level talents and improving the overall level of talents have become challenges and opportunities faced by the Macao government, all sectors of society and the education sector.
With the University of Macau, Macau University of Science and Technology and other international high-level universities, as well as the establishment of four State Key Laboratories, it can be said that there is no shortage of high-level talents in Macao, and the real challenge is how to provide corresponding employment opportunities for the high-end talents cultivated in Macao and the Macao youth who have returned from overseas studies, so that they can stay in Macao and contribute to the development of Macao's new productive forces. To this end, the government needs to cultivate Macao's science and technology industries, such as the new materials industry, which can not only promote the development of downstream industries in multiple fields, but also greatly promote the employment of young people in Macao.
The Macao government plays a vital role in the process of improving the overall talent level. The government should play a guiding role, formulate forward-looking policies, increase the introduction and support of scientific and technological talents, and establish a stable financial investment mechanism; The role of the education sector is equally important, and courses should be developed according to the needs of Macao's industrial diversification, with a focus on cultivating talents needed for the scientific and technological innovation industry. It's not just about responding to today's needs, it's about laying a solid foundation for sustainable development in the future. Moreover, the reform and innovation of the education sector will directly affect the quality and level of talent training in Macao. Enterprises should also actively participate in the process of talent training, and can provide internship and training opportunities through cooperation with colleges and universities to enhance their professional competitiveness. We look forward to the joint efforts of the Macao government, all sectors of society and the education sector to create a "talent reservoir" to provide a steady stream of intellectual support for the development of new quality productivity.