HKPC Summer Internship Programme Inspects GBA Industrial Development Nurturing Overseas and Local Elites to Become Hong Kong’s Next Generation “InnoTalent”

(Hong Kong, 23 August 2023) Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) concluded its “Summer InnoTalent” Programme (the Programme) with success followed by a Graduation Ceremony today. This year, the Programme expanded to invite students from universities in the Mainland and attracted overwhelming responses with over 1,000 applications, among which 56 outstanding interns from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas were selected. For the first time, the Programme recruited students from universities in other cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and organised field trips for interns to learn about the commercialisation progress of new industrialisation projects in the Mainland cities in the GBA, aiming to provide interns from around the world with a fruitful mix of practical experiences, visits, and exchange activities to understand the development of innovation and technology (I&T), and successful cases of industrial commercialisation in the GBA, expanding their employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the future.

During the internship journey, interns from around the world not only gained firsthand experiences of the daily work activities of HKPC’s management through “job shadowing”, but also visited the training centres of public service and mass transportation service providers. Interns also had the opportunities to participate in the innovation workshop organised by HKPC and the mass transportation service provider, during which they presented their innovative ideas and concepts to the enterprise’s management, who was also engaged in interactions with the interns, allowing them to understand the business considerations when applying I&T, and enriching their practical experience beyond academic theories.

For the first time, the Programme included a visit to an enterprise located in Huizhou in the GBA, Ka Shui Science and Technology Park, for interns to learn about the commercialised application examples of new industrialisation. This allowed the interns to gain an in-depth understanding of the long-term development strategies and advantages of new industrialisation, and better equip themselves for joining the related industries in the future. In addition, experts shared with interns the strategic positioning of the GBA and how to proactively integrate into the development of GBA through seminars, enlightening them with a comprehensive overview of the I&T development in the GBA. To build the pathway from now to future, the Programme also provided the interns with “FutureSkills” workshops, including a design thinking course that enabled interns to understand the pain points of clients and devise appropriate solutions through perspective-taking and identifying the problem. Expert sharing sessions were also arranged for the interns, allowing them to understand the development trends and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT. HKPC also invited experts to teach interns the relevant skills to enhance their presentation capabilities, allowing them to equip themselves early and strengthen their competitiveness.

At the Project Presentation Competition, interns showcased different novel ideas, under the theme of “Dare to Try”, based on what they had learned throughout the Programme, and they received valuable comments from the management of HKPC. The innovative ideas included a real-time station traffic monitoring system, barrier-free self-service boarding system and a virtual fitting room, etc.

Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Acting Executive Director of HKPC, said, “HKPC has been committed to expanding Hong Kong’s talent pool in I&T and cultivating local talent at different stages. Unlike other internship programmes, HKPC allows interns to participate in various phases of I&T, from ideation to research and development, and application. Interns also have the opportunities to interact with real customers, enabling them to boldly propose innovative ideas to the management and enhance their practical experience through communications. This year’s summer internship programme has first expanded to Mainland universities, with 45 elite students from different higher education institutions worldwide being hired, in addition to 11 Mainland students recruited from the GBA through the Innovation and Technology Commission’s ‘STEM Internship Scheme’, as we aim to bring together stars of the future from around the world to the stage of I&T. With HKPC’s rich experience and staunch support in the field of I&T, we believe that the young talent in I&T will broaden their horizons and knowledge and benefit from this Programme. We wish all interns to make good use of their experiences and contribute to Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T centre, thereby encouraging the interns to continue thriving in their I&T journey, and become the ‘InnoTalent’ in the future.”

Among the selected interns this year, half of them were from local universities such as The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, etc., while 30% of them were from overseas tertiary institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, National University of Singapore, and University of Toronto from Canada, etc. The remaining interns were from Mainland universities, including Peking University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen campus) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou campus). The interns expressed that they benefited a lot from the Programme. For their learning experience sharing and photos, please refer to the appendix for more information.

The next cohort of the Winter InnoTalent Programme will be opened for applications in October 2023. Details will be announced in due course. Please stay tuned.

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For the first time, the Programme included a visit to an enterprise located in Huizhou in the GBA, Ka Shui Science and Technology Park, for interns to learn about the commercialised application examples of new industrialisation.

The interns demonstrated their creativity in the Project Presentation Competition in line with the theme of “Dare to Try”.

At the Graduation Ceremony, Mr Emil YU Chen-on, BBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of HKPC (fifth from right), Legislative Council Member Mr LUK Hon-man (fourth from right), Ir Paul POON Wai-yin, MH, Council Member of HKPC (fourth from left), Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Acting Executive Director of HKPC (third from right), Ms Vivian LIN, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief People & Culture Officer of HKPC (third from left) and Mr Edmond LAI, Chief Digital Officer of HKPC (second from left), witnessed the achievements of the 56 summer interns who have become the budding stars of the future in I&T.