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The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, today (March 2) announced the appointment of Mr Nicholas W Yang as Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology, and Non-official Member of the Executive Council (ExCo).
"The current-term Government is committed to promoting diversification of the economy. Innovation and technology are crucial to the enhancement of Hong Kong's competitiveness and the improvement of people's quality of living. It is regrettable that, as a result of filibustering by pan-democratic Legislative Council (LegCo) Members, even after discussion of four sessions for 16 hours, the proposals for the establishment of the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) were not passed at LegCo's Finance Committee (FC) meeting on February 14," the Chief Executive said.
"The Government was forced to withdraw the relevant FC items. However, we will race against time and proceed to move an amendment to the resolution at the LegCo and submit again the proposals for creation of posts and funding to the FC as soon as possible after the passage of the Appropriation Bill 2015.
"Hong Kong cannot continue to lag behind our competitors. There is a pressing need to take forward the development of innovation and technology. I now appoint Mr Nicholas Yang as the Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology, with immediate effect on a non-remunerated basis. Mr Yang will advise me and the Government on the development strategy for innovation and technology, 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," Mr Leung said.
"At the same time, I also appoint Mr Yang as a Non-official Member of ExCo with immediate effect. Mr Yang has extensive experience and international perspective in innovation and technology. With Mr Yang joining ExCo, he can help the Government more effectively formulate policies relating to innovation and technology," Mr Leung added.
The Chief Executive will also reorganise the existing Steering Committee on Innovation and Technology and turn it into the Advisory Committee on Innovation and Technology, to be chaired by Mr Yang. The terms of reference and membership of the advisory committee will be announced in due course.
"Before the setting up of the ITB, the above arrangement will enable the Government to promptly and actively promote the development of innovation and technology, including consulting the industry as well as providing strategic views on the future development of innovation and technology. The Government will spare no effort and continue to strive for the earliest establishment of the ITB," the Mr Leung said.
Following are the biographical notes on Mr Yang:
Aged 59, Mr Nicholas W Yang graduated from the California Institute of Technology in the United States in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, followed by a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University in 1978 and 1982 respectively.
Mr Yang worked as a senior design engineer for Intel Corporation in 1978 and subsequently as a strategic management consultant for Bain & Company. He returned to Hong Kong in 1983 and pursued his career as Executive Director and Deputy Group Managing Director of Shell Electric Mfg. (Holdings) Limited. He became senior consultant and director of several venture capital and private equity investment firms in 2002. Mr Yang was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited in 2003. He was Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 2010 to February 2015.
Ends/Monday, March 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:51
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