Public and experts' votes align closely, showing society's enthusiasm for Hong Kong's innovation and technology development. Accompanying policies and incentives are recommended as support measures.
Since 2020, the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre has been hosting the "Hong Kong Top 10 Innovation and Technology News" selection event annually. This event aims to help the public revisit the past year's research accomplishments in Hong Kong and pay tribute to the hardworking scholars and researchers in the field of science and technology.
For the 2024 selection, Hong Kong's universities, tech parks, and major media outlets provided their support. The centre curated a list of the 70 most talked-about local science and technology news items over the year on its website, WeChat public account, and other social media platforms, allowing the citizens of Hong Kong to vote online for the "2024 Top 10 Innovation and Technology News." These news items were categorized into four sections: Policy & Integration, Innovation Awards, Platform Cooperation, and Scientific Achievements. The expert panel consisted of academicians, university representatives, state key laboratory and engineering sub-centre representatives, who also cast their votes. Their results were compared with the public votes.
Here are the public's selected results for the "2024 Hong Kong Top 10 Innovation and Technology News," chosen by 2,916 members of the public (listed in stroke order):
Policy & Integration Category:
Eight Hong Kong and Macau universities + Bay Area Academicians Alliance + Beijing-Hong Kong Center co-sign agreement with state units to co-establish Southern Advanced Photon Source
Innovation Awards Category:
2024 Future Science Prize winners announced
Platform Cooperation Category:
iFLYTEK and its subsidiary iFLYTEK Healthcare set up in Hong Kong, investing 400 million
Hong Kong AI Science Popularization Training Base inauguration ceremony and signing of the establishment of the Baidu Intelligent Cloud (Hong Kong) AI Innovation Center
Scientific Achievements Category:
A blood test for precise Alzheimer's diagnosis
Four major AI medical models provide diagnoses for 30 cancers and diseases
First-ever non-invasive diagnostic system for inflammatory bowel disease using gut microbes
New mRNA drug for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma: induces cancer cell death
Nano-robots enhance thrombolytic effect, reducing brain damage in stroke patients
Precision model predicts viral gene evolution, boosting influenza vaccine efficacy
Expert Panel Results for the 2024 Hong Kong Top 10 Innovation and Technology News (listed in stroke order):
Policy & Integration Category:
Enterprises participate in Northern Metropolis development
Innovation Awards Category:
2024 Future Science Prize winners announced
Platform Cooperation Category:
2024 Digital Economy Summit attracts over 4,000 participants
iFLYTEK and its subsidiary iFLYTEK Healthcare set up in Hong Kong, investing 400 million
Scientific Achievements Category:
Four major AI medical models provide diagnoses for 30 cancers and diseases
Local university leads Chang’e-8 international cooperation project: lunar multi-functional mobile robot and mobile charging station
The world's first “Liver Cube” wins gold at Geneva Invention Exhibition, offering optimal treatment plans for liver cancer patients
Research on delaying Alzheimer's progression
Deciphering "crystal language," creating a reversible crystal coding system
Mitochondrial "lizard-tail survival strategy," a mechanism for maintaining cell health
Comprehensive Analysis of Voting Results
Public Selection
In the Policy & Integration Category, the top two choices are:
"Eight Hong Kong and Macau universities + Bay Area Academicians Alliance + Beijing-Hong Kong Center co-sign agreement with state units to co-establish Southern Advanced Photon Source" (28.7%)
"Enterprises participate in Northern Metropolis development" (22.6%)
In the Innovation Awards Category, the top picks are:
"2024 Future Science Prize winners announced" (45.3%)
"Winners of the third Bank of China Hong Kong Science and Innovation Award 2024 announced" (28.8%)
In the Platform Cooperation Category, the leading selections are:
"Hong Kong AI Science Popularization Training Base inauguration ceremony and signing of Baidu Intelligent Cloud (Hong Kong) AI Innovation Center" (31.7%)
"iFLYTEK and its subsidiary iFLYTEK Healthcare set up in Hong Kong, investing 400 million" (28.4%)
In the Scientific Achievements Category, the primary choices are:
"Four major AI medical models provide diagnoses for 30 cancers and diseases" (28.9%)
"First-ever non-invasive diagnostic system for inflammatory bowel disease using gut microbes" (28.5%)
The results from the Policy & Integration Category reflect the public's interest in the planning of Hong Kong’s international innovation and technology hub and the Northern Metropolis development. There is a noticeable engagement regarding the collaboration between Hong Kong universities and major scientific projects in the Bay Area. It is recommended that greater emphasis be placed on promoting the benefits of research and results transformation in supporting social and economic development, as well as enhancing the transparency of the Northern Metropolis development progress. The organization will also explore more opportunities to foster collaboration between Hong Kong universities and mainland scientific projects to assist the government in advancing the international innovation and education hub planning while cultivating talent for the local and neighboring regions.
The Innovation Awards Category results indicate that two relatively new technology awards originating from Hong Kong have caught the public’s attention. Notably, the Future Science Prize, often referred to as “China's Nobel Prize,” received over 40% of the votes in this category. However, the organization notes that the limited options available for voting reflect a broader issue relating to Hong Kong's support for scientists and the encouragement of innovation and results transformation. There is a recommendation for the government and private sectors to establish more research achievement awards.
Results from the Platform Cooperation Category show a strong interest among voters in collaborations between mainland digital technology platforms and Hong Kong, with outcomes primarily related to the convenience and technological applications that benefit everyday life. The organization suggests further exploration of specific applications for developing smart cities to provide better advice to the government.
The findings in the Scientific Achievements Category align with previous trends, leaning toward advancements in “life health and medical technology,” primarily focusing on the development of new medical technologies and research into novel treatment methods.
Expert Panel Evaluation
Comparing the expert panel's voting results with the public's, the experts exhibited similar preferences in the Policy & Integration and Innovation Awards Categories. In the Platform Cooperation Category, the top two choices among experts were:
"2024 Digital Economy Summit attracts over 4,000 participants" (35.7%)
"iFLYTEK and its subsidiary iFLYTEK Healthcare set up in Hong Kong, investing 400 million" (50%)
For the Scientific Achievements Category, the leading selections were:
"Four major AI medical models provide diagnoses for 30 cancers and diseases" (50%)
"Local university leads Chang’e-8 international cooperation project: lunar multi-functional mobile robot and mobile charging station" (64.3%)
The experts focused their voting on exploring resources to support research efforts, including long-term funding and investment needs, which contrasts with the public's preference for more immediate and visible solutions. The combined results from both groups indicate a shared enthusiasm for advancing Hong Kong's scientific development, with a clear interest in enhancing cooperation along the entire value chain of “production, learning, research, and application.” Furthermore, the synergy between government policies and investments will be crucial in advancing the modernization of industrial systems and accelerating the development of new productive forces, allowing Hong Kong's scientific expertise to shine.
This collaborative effort reflects a collective commitment to fostering innovation and enhancing the region's competitiveness in the global market.