Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the LSCM Logistics Summit 2022 today (September 30):
 
Alan (Board Chairman of the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM), Dr Alan Lam), Simon (Chief Executive Officer of the LSCM, Mr Simon Wong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning. I am so glad to join you all today at the LSCM Logistics Summit for the very first time in my capacity as the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry. This annual signature event of the LSCM has always been an excellent platform for technology experts, industry leaders and academics to get together and exchange views on the development of innovation and technology (I&T). Also, a series of novel technologies developed by the LSCM and its partners will be showcased here at the Summit.
      
     The theme of this year's Summit is "Rise Above the Challenges with Innovation", which is particularly relevant to what we all are now facing. For the industry, I&T is the main key to unlock the potential of businesses and engines to drive the industry forward amidst the pandemic and beyond. The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, obviously, has led to significant disruptions yet changes in the global supply chain and business models. Many industries have already accelerated the adoption of automation and digitalisation in order to stay competitive and to prepare for the challenges under the "new normal".
      
     We in the Government are working hard on a strategic roadmap that will set out the tactical directions and key objectives of Hong Kong's I&T development. One of the four major directions is to build a more liveable smart city. In this area, I am glad to see that the LSCM has been collaborating with different government departments and developed various systems using IoT (Internet of Things) technologies to support Hong Kong to become a smart city, thereby enabling our members of the public to enjoy the convenience and improvements to their daily lives brought by the technological advancement, and certainly making Hong Kong a better place to live.
      
     Another strategic direction is to build up an overarching ecosystem for I&T. It is essential to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration among the Government, industry, academic and the research and development (R&D) sectors, so that we could connect upstream research to midstream technology transfers, downstream industrial development, commercialisation and markets. The LSCM, as one of the five public R&D centres to drive and co-ordinate applied research, is an integral part of the ecosystem. Other than acting as a focal point for technology collaboration among the parties mentioned above, our public R&D centres should also work closely with the industries, understand their I&T needs, encourage them to invest in R&D and help commercialise R&D outcomes to enhance our industries' competitiveness, thereby supporting re-industrialisation in Hong Kong.   
      
     Ladies and gentlemen, we are determined to build Hong Kong into an international I&T hub, which is underpinned by the National 14th Five-Year Plan. I hope that with the insight to be shared by many I&T leaders at this Summit, and in collaboration with various stakeholders in the I&T community, more and more brilliant and innovative ideas would be generated and eventually realised. I look forward to witnessing more exciting collaborative projects from the LSCM and its partners. 
      
     To close, I would like to extend my appreciation to the LSCM colleagues for their contributions and dedication to the development of I&T in Hong Kong over the years. May I wish you all a fruitful, enjoyable and inspiring Summit. Thank you very much.

Ends/Friday, September 30, 2022
Issued at HKT 12:13

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