The Greater Bay Area: A new innovation hub for talent mobility

"In the past year, I have felt the joy of entrepreneurship and the sense of accomplishment that my dream has come true," Yan Ning, academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, said 12 months after setting up a business in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). 

Yan left her teaching position at Princeton University to set up the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. In just 12 months, the laboratory was transformed from an empty space into a state-of-the-art facility, attracting dozens of leading experts in the medical field.

Yan's journey is emblematic of the GBA's emergence as a hub for innovation and talent. The 2019 Outline Development Plan for the Greater Bay Area set the stage for this transformation, pointing the way to "build an international science and technology innovation center."

Over the past five years, collaboration between Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) has deepened, fostering a seamless flow of talent, data and capital, and strengthening the GBA's reputation as a global innovation powerhouse.

Global innovation hub

The GBA – encompassing nine cites in Guangdong and the Hong Kong and Macao SARs – is one of China's most vibrant regions for scientific and technological advancement.

In Guangming District, where the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences is situated, Shenzhen is developing Guangming Science City. The initiative focuses on three key disciplines: information technology, life sciences and new materials. With contributions from over 20 academician teams and more than 5,400 research professionals from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the district exemplifies the acceleration of innovation in the region.

To the north of Guangming Science City, clusters of laboratories and science hubs are emerging. To the south, established institutions like the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong continue to leverage their academic strengths to contribute to the region's progress.

Nancy Ip, president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, highlighted the region’s strength: Hong Kong has a strong scientific research capability and the status of an international financial center, coupled with the nine mainland cities' robust industrial system and access to a vast market. 

"Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR have complementary advantages in science and innovation, and can integrate national and even global science and innovation resources to build a world-class science and innovation ecology," she said.

In terms of higher education, the Ministry of Education in China has deepened scientific research exchanges and cooperation between Macao and mainland universities, supported Macao and mainland universities to build innovation centers, joint laboratories, and key research bases for humanities and social sciences, and deepened academic interests.

The synergy has fueled remarkable achievements. The "Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou" science and technology cluster has ranked second in the Global Innovation Index for three consecutive years; It has established 34 national and 71 provincial international science and technology cooperation bases and 20 Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao joint laboratories, and the annual growth rate of patent grants is as high as 40 percent, according to the data from the science and technology department of Guangdong Province.

Driving talent mobility

Talents in the GBA are diverse when it comes to educational background. More than 25 percent have studied abroad, and over 30 percent of these have master's or doctoral degrees, according to a report by the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University.

Currently, there are more than 200,000 Hong Kong and Macao residents working in Guangdong, with over 3,000 professionals obtaining mainland qualifications, according to the Guangdong provincial human resources authorities. Initiatives like Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass have further bolstered these efforts, bringing nearly 180,000 professionals to the city – far exceeding its annual target of 35,000.

In May this year, 11 cities in the GBA agreed to jointly attract global talents and develop the region into a favorable environment for professionals. Beyond employment, over 300,000 residents from Hong Kong and Macao now benefit from social security programs, including pensions and work-related injury insurance in Guangdong.

Empowering next generation

The GBA's commitment to talent development extends to the young people who live there. Across the area, schools have collaborated with leading regional technology companies and integrating cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) into their curricula, workshops and museum activities.

In 2019, Macao Haojiang Middle School partnered with iFlytek to introduce AI innovation education into its curriculum, focusing on STEAM education and AI courses. In one innovative class, "License Plate Recognition in Autonomous Driving," teachers guided students through the practical applications of intelligent driving technology.

According to the school, mastering key technologies such as image processing, feature extraction and recognition significantly enhances students' image analysis and processing capabilities. The course also integrates key national policies, particularly the "Macao Train Northbound" initiative in the Greater Bay Area. This not only helps students understand the country's support for Macao's development but also encourages them to explore the broader social significance and value of smart driving technologies.

In Hong Kong, the GBA Youth AI Development Centre, established by Sensetime and Zunke, aims to nurture future AI leaders. According to the companies, the center will work with various partners to expand training and exchange activities targeting primary and secondary school students and young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on the theme of AI.

Strengths of 'One Country, Two Systems'

The development of the GBA not only represents a new attempt to deepen integration and innovation across the region, but also a significant milestone in advancing the "One Country, Two Systems" framework.

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to China, Tian Xuejun, then vice minister of education in China, highlighted how such efforts exemplify the strengths of "One Country, Two Systems." Since Macao's return, the mainland and Macao have formed a situation of complementary advantages and coordinated development in educational exchanges and cooperation, he said. 

"This is a vivid demonstration of the superiority of 'One Country, Two Systems' and has played an important role in Macao's economic development, the improvement of people's livelihood and social progress," Tian added.