Hosted by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government (DSEDT) and organized by Parafuturo de Macau Investment and Development Limited, the “Delegation of Technology Enterprises from Portuguese-speaking Countries to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area” visited the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Cooperation Zone), Guangzhou, and Zhuhai from the 13th to 15th of this month to exchange views with government agencies, incubators and well-known enterprises, with a view to understanding the overall business environment of the Greater Bay Area.
The delegation first visited the “Hengqin-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Valley” and had a discussion with António Lei, the Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone, Che Weng Keong, the Acting Deputy Director of DSEDT, Wang Lei, the Director of Zhuhai Science and Technology Innovation Bureau, Zhou Xiao-Shu, President of the Board of Director, of the Center for Science and Technology Exchanges and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin(Zhuhai-Hengqin Center), and Liang Yin, Chief Industry Officer of the Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Development Company Limited.
According to António Lei, with the development of Hengqin-Macao integration, the Cooperation Zone will gradually introduce policies to optimize the business environment, so that the economic and trade exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, in addition to cooperation in science and innovation, are promoted. The Bureau looks forward to more Portuguese-speaking projects settling in the region and welcomes business opportunities and collaboration. Wu Qing, Administrative director of the Zhuhai-Hengqin Center introduced the Center as the first national-level international technology exchange and transfer platform deployed by the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Greater Bay Area, providing a full chain of one-stop technology services with a “dual center” model, and constructing an integrated service system of technology platforms between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. It also aims to create a national base for the cultivation of talents for technology transfer and to unite the scientific and technological innovation resources of China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Accompanied by Lei Chon Kit, Acting Head of Technology Industry Promotion Division of the DSEDT, the delegation also visited the Zhuhai-Hengqin Center and the “Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao”.
The delegation arrived in Guangzhou the following day and was warmly received by Gong Hong-Wu, Party Secretary of Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau. The delegation participated in a symposium with nearly 20 Guangzhou science and technology innovation enterprises and institutions in Guangzhou (international) Scientific and technological Achievement Transformation Base. The symposium was hosted by Wu Hanrong, Deputy Director General of Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau. Tai Kin Ip and Che Weng Keong, the Director and Acting Deputy Director of DSEDT respectively, attended to the symposium.
According to Tai Kin Ip, DSEDT organized this delegation to the Greater Bay Area in order to create an enabling environment for scientific and technological innovation and build a bridge for scientific and technological innovation cooperation between Portuguese-speaking countries and cities in the Greater Bay Area. It was a pleasure to have the participation of representatives from many Guangzhou technology enterprises. The visit is a great opportunity for Brazilian and Portuguese enterprises as well as those of mainland to gain a deeper understanding of each other for the building blocks of a win-win cooperation in the future.
Liu Xiang, Director of Exchange and Cooperation Department of Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, introduced to the delegation Guangzhou’s innovation ecosystem and industrial platform, which will provide innovators and entrepreneurs a full-chain technological and financial service ecosystem encompassing innovation, investment, loan and financing. He also mentioned that they would collaborate with Macao in the future to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in science and innovation with Portuguese-speaking countries.
As part of the event, three Brazilian and Portuguese enterprises presented their projects in the hope of finding business partners in the mainland.
In addition, the delegation visited Guangzhou Nansha Development Exhibition Hall, Guangdong Medical Valley Nansha Industry Park, GD,HK & Macao (International) Youth Entrepreneur Hub operated by the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute.
Some of the enterprises in the delegation said the innovation capacity that China possesses is strong and China is leading in global emerging industries; while the Greater Bay Area is gathering top resources from the world, with the rapid development of science and technology and huge market volume. The enterprises are looking forward to developing business in the Greater Bay Area in the future.
Egon Zalmir Barbosa Junior, Chief Marketing Officer of the Portuguese incubator Fabrica de Startups, recognizes the prospect of emerging industries in the Greater Bay Area, such as advanced manufacturing, financial technology, biomedicine and smart cities, and believes that incubators, universities and innovation centers from Portuguese-speaking countries can make use of the Center for Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CSTCP) to realize closer ties with the Greater Bay Area and help start-ups achieve success by expanding their businesses into China and Portuguese-speaking markets.
Che Weng Keong is pleased to see that the visit has led to a number of achievements such as the establishment of some startups in Macao that are originally from Portuguese-speaking countries, the collaboration with local universities, and the signing of partnerships between the Portuguese and Brazilian Incubators and the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre. It is expected that more enterprises from Portuguese-speaking countries will come to China to explore business opportunities in the future after gaining a better understanding of the business environment in Macao and the Greater Bay Area for science and innovation.
