I&T boost welcomed amid push to resume Sha Tin reclamation

The innovation and technology initiatives in the policy address show unprecedented support for the industry's development, says I&T czar Alfred Sit Wing-hang.

Sit said it is also necessary to resume the Ma Liu Shui reclamation project for the sector's development and expects that any objection would be "minimal."

The Ma Liu Shui reclamation project in northwestern Sha Tin was put off in 2019 after residents' opposition.

"The objections in the past mainly came from concerns of transportation support and all sorts of issues that may cause current residents some problems," Sit said.

"But since we are going to have the land mainly for I&T development, we can expect the objections or the problems that will be caused to the residents to be highly minimized."

Sit said there is no fixed percentage how much of that land will be deployed for I&T.

"For the sea reclamation [on the] eastern corridor, they [other bureaus] may need time for more thorough studies before we can really know about the program that we can have. And also we need to know the demand from the trade industry," he added.

Apart from the revival of the project, it was also proposed that 150 hectares of land in San Tin/Lok Ma Chau to develop the San Tin Technopole, five hectares in Lau Fau Shan to build landmark I&T facilities comparable to Cyberport, as well as 6.5 hectares for research use by the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University be reserved.

But Sit said the 87-hectare loop area where the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park will be located will be available first. The park is estimated to see its first batch of buildings established from 2024.

Asked why there is a need to set up an InnoLife Healthtech Hub in the park, Sit said this was to make good use of the current resources, including 16 life and health-related laboratories in the InnoHK research clusters and the eight State Key Laboratories in life and health disciplines that are scattered around Hong Kong.

Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology Anne Choi Suk-han - asked if the proposed Science Park/Pak Shek Kok station of the East Rail Line would be too far away from the Hong Kong Science Park Phase 3 - said the distance between the new station and the Phase 3 park will be about 800 meters - which is not that far.

carine.chow@singtaonewscorp.com