Chan Wing Kin, Chairman of the Macau Greater Bay Area Artificial Intelligence Association Deputy Director of the Vocational Training Committee of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Information Technology)
New quality productivity, a new driving force for Macao's economic transformation
For Macao, the concept of new quality productivity may still be a relatively abstract word for many people, and many people do not know much about the connotation of new quality productivity, but in fact, Macao has entered the stage of new quality productivity. The core of new quality productivity lies in continuous innovation and continuous industrial upgrading. In order to promote this process, the Macao government is actively promoting technological innovation and nurturing emerging industries to enhance the competitiveness of the overall industry. At the same time, through the implementation of the talent introduction plan, strengthen personnel training, and improve laws and regulations, we will create a good environment for the development of new quality productive forces.
Looking back at the 2024 Policy Address, we can see a clear shift in the Macau government's policy formulation. Compared with previous years, the content of this year's report is more specific and clear, especially in the "one plus four" industrial development plan. That is, "to do better, better and stronger comprehensive tourism and leisure industry, accelerate the development of traditional Chinese medicine and health industry, modern financial industry, high-tech industry and traditional industry transformation and upgrading, exhibition and trade and cultural and sports industry". This plan was officially written into the Policy Address, marking the establishment of the Macao government's new ideas and directions for industrial development. The concept of "one plus four" industrial diversification refers to the development of four other related industries with one leading industry: integrated tourism and leisure industry as the core. This "one plus four" industrial layout will help achieve sustainable economic development, and at the same time lay the foundation for Macao's long-term prosperity and stability. It can be said that Macao's current policy direction and development plan are based on the core of new quality productive forces, and promote the diversification of industries and the development of the overall economy through the "one plus four" strategy.
In this context, new quality productivity has become the driving force for Macao's economic transformation, which is crucial to promoting the development of Macao's economy in the direction of diversification and high quality. Next, how to give full play to Macao's unique advantages and achieve industrial diversification and high-quality development is a major issue that we need to solve at present.
The in-depth integration of Macao and Hengqin will jointly develop emerging industries
In recent years, with the in-depth integration of Macao and Hengqin, Macao has ushered in a historical opportunity for transformation and upgrading, which not only brings a new development space for Macao, but also opens a new starting point for the joint development of emerging industries between the two places. The implementation of the policy of the Hengqin In-depth Cooperation Zone indicates that the central government attaches great importance to and strongly supports the future development of Macao. The policies of the Hengqin In-Depth Cooperation Zone include two important documents: first, the Master Plan for the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council in September 2021, which provides high-level, directional and strategic guidance on how Macao can make use of Hengqin; Second, the Overall Development Plan for the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, announced by the National Development and Reform Commission on 28 December 2023, concretely implements the development direction of Hengqin. In this development plan, Macao needs to complete many tasks, including: the development goals to be achieved by 2024, 2029 and 2035; develop scientific and technological research and development and high-end manufacturing industries, link up with Macao to build a scientific and technological innovation platform, accelerate the construction of a characteristic microelectronics industry chain, and accelerate the cultivation of digital economy; Develop Macao's branded industries such as traditional Chinese medicine, build a world-class production base of traditional Chinese medicine and an innovation highland, and promote the agglomeration and development of Macao's branded industries. These policy documents not only point out the direction for Macao's development, but also provide a clear positioning for Macao's role and status in regional cooperation.
As part of the country, Macao's overall economic development has been incorporated into the central government's planning, which is not only conducive to Macao's access to the national resource supply network, but also helps to form synergies with other provinces and cities. Moreover, in addition to its policy advantages, Macao also has a unique advantage in that it does not have the burden of traditional industries, which makes it more flexible and efficient in the development of emerging industries. In fact, except for the "one" of the industrial layout of "one plus four", that is, the comprehensive tourism and leisure industry, the other four major industries are actually the industrial structure of new quality productivity. The development of these industries depends on scientific and technological innovation, and the demand for talents is particularly urgent. Therefore, in order to achieve industrial diversification, it is crucial to cultivate talents who can meet the needs of emerging technology and innovation industries, and at the same time, it is crucial to implement talent introduction plans, provide financial and policy support, which will promote the rapid growth and large-scale construction of the other four major industries in Macao's "One Plus Four" industrial layout, except for the integrated tourism and leisure industry.
Macao's talent introduction strategy leads the development of four major industries
However, Macau also faces a number of challenges. Among them, the most prominent is how to solve the problem of insufficient resources, especially the problem of talents. Whether it is modern finance, traditional Chinese medicine, big health or other scientific and technological products, artificial intelligence needs to be used. In major cities across the country, especially in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, there is a very large demand for artificial intelligence talents, and cities such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have attracted a large number of experts and technical talents in the field of artificial intelligence with their strong economic strength and scientific research foundation. However, it is undoubtedly a big challenge for Macao to attract enough AI talents, especially top talents.
When discussing the development prospects of any industry, we have to mention a classic philosophical question - is it the chicken or the egg? This problem is compared to the development of the industry and the supply of talents, and the relationship between the two is like a chicken and an egg, influencing and promoting each other. The Macau government plays a crucial role in this process. The government is both a guide and a promoter. When formulating relevant policies, the government should fully consider the needs of the industry and provide a good development environment for enterprises and talents. Macao's current "Talent Introduction Plan" aims to attract and nurture mid-to-high-end talents and support the diversified development of Macao's economy. However, for the cultivation and introduction of grassroots talents, we still need in-depth thinking and planning. In addition, it is also important to strengthen cooperation with renowned universities and research institutions in the Mainland and internationally, and establish a talent training and exchange mechanism. At the same time, the government also needs to let the public understand the future development trend of the industry through publicity and education, and guide them to choose promising professions. In addition, we also need to pay attention to the training of cross-border positions. With the development of science and technology, there is a phenomenon of cross-integration in many industries. For example, the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and artificial intelligence can create new jobs. Therefore, we need to cultivate more talents with cross-border capabilities to adapt to future development needs. Finally, we should also pay attention to the introduction of overseas students. They have received advanced education and training abroad and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. We need to formulate corresponding policies to attract them to return to China for development and contribute to the development of Macao. This is a process that requires the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and talents, and it is also a problem that we need to think deeply about and solve when facing future challenges.
It is also for this reason that the Government has set up a Talent Development Committee chaired by the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, and has formulated a series of talent introduction plans to tie in with the "1+4" strategy of moderate economic diversification. These programs are designed to attract and develop high-quality talent to meet the talent needs of the four major industries in the future. The first phase of the talent introduction plan will be launched in the second half of 2023, mainly focusing on attracting high-end talents such as academicians and leading figures, and has received applications from top industry leaders from different countries and regions, such as academicians of the world's major economies and academies of engineering, core managers and founders of well-known enterprises at home and abroad, as well as professionals from local universities and key industries. However, the development of an industry not only needs high-end talents, but also middle-level and grass-roots talents. Therefore, the second phase of the talent introduction plan, which is expected to be implemented in May this year, is aimed at outstanding international students in Macao higher education institutions who have been trained in disciplines such as computer applications, network engineering, health industry and modern finance, and is expected to have no more than 200 qualified non-local outstanding students every year. After all, Macau's local population is limited and local talents are scarce in line with the requirements of the four major industries, which makes it particularly important to attract talents from the outside, especially those mainland students who have lived in Macao for several years and have some understanding of Macao's local culture and social environment, so that they can integrate and contribute to the development of the industry more quickly, which will not only help promote the integrated development of Macao and Hengqin, but also solve the problem that may affect the development of emerging industries due to the shortage of human resources.
In this era full of challenges and opportunities, Macao's economic transformation is not only the adjustment of industrial structure, but also the upgrading of talent skills, and the future development of Macao requires both the introduction of foreign talents and the participation of local people, especially in the field of culture, tourism and exhibition, which has huge industrial development potential. To this end, Macao residents should actively upgrade their skills to adapt to the needs of the new industry. In this regard, the government's policy measures are important, but Macao's future development also depends on the efforts of every citizen and their preparation for future opportunities.