Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai Attends Greater Bay Area Science Forum Opening: Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Science Cooperation for High-Quality Development
The Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Sam Hou Fai, attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 2026 Greater Bay Area Science Forum in Nansha, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, on November 1. The forum runs from October 31 to November 2 and is co-organised by the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Macao SAR Government, giving Macao's Chinese science, technology and business communities a three-place platform for connecting with Greater Bay Area innovation resources.
In his speech, Mr Sam said Macao will continue to adopt a forward-looking approach, taking the initiative and striving for progress in science and technology while remaining pragmatic and truth-seeking. It will keep working on deepening regional cooperation and promoting the exchange of innovation resources, strive for reform, innovation, breakthroughs and tangible results, and contribute its strength to the development of an international centre for scientific and technological innovation.
He said global technological innovation is advancing at an accelerated pace, with continuous breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields such as super intelligence (SI) and biopharmaceuticals profoundly reshaping the industrial landscape and competitive dynamics. Against a complex and ever-changing international landscape, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a strategic fulcrum for national scientific and technological innovation, shouldering the mission of achieving a high level of self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology while enjoying unprecedented development opportunities. The country's 15th Five-Year Plan sets out a systematic framework for deepening the development of the Greater Bay Area, calling for stronger alignment of rules and integration of mechanisms in scientific and technological innovation, industrial development and public services.
Mr Sam noted that scientific and technological cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao has grown increasingly deep and substantive in recent years. Mechanisms for the cross-boundary flow of research funding have been gradually refined and joint funding schemes have steadily progressed; the development of a comprehensive national science centre in the Greater Bay Area is gathering pace, with major scientific and technological infrastructure and joint laboratories being established in succession; and the scope of mutual recognition of professional qualifications for technical personnel continues to expand, making the cross-boundary flow of innovation elements more convenient. The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has accumulated valuable experience in research and development, the commercialisation of research outcomes and industrial development, charting a viable path for collaborative innovation within the Greater Bay Area.
As one of the four major cities central to the Greater Bay Area, Macao's high-quality participation in the joint development of the Greater Bay Area is a key practical step towards integrating into and serving the country's overall development, Mr Sam said. The Macao SAR Government has officially announced the implementation of its Third Five-Year Plan, fully aligned with the strategic framework of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, setting out a clear roadmap in scientific and technological innovation, industrial diversification and regional cooperation. Macao will build on its positioning as 'One Centre, One Platform, and One Base' and 'One Highland', capitalise on its strengths as a connector between the Chinese mainland and the outside world and a meeting point for Chinese and Western cultures, and proactively integrate into the Greater Bay Area's science and technology innovation system, driven by in-depth cooperation with Guangdong and Hong Kong and underpinned by Macao's integrated development with Hengqin.
The forum, themed 'Intelligent Connectivity and Innovation: Forging Frontiers for Future Industries in GBA', focuses on emerging industries and cutting-edge technologies and features a main forum as well as a number of specialised sub-forums and special events. Mr Sam said he hoped the scientists, experts, academics and entrepreneurs taking part would share cutting-edge research findings, exchange views and foster more practical cross-disciplinary and cross-regional collaboration, ensuring innovative achievements take root in the Greater Bay Area and become tangible momentum for development. Looking ahead, Macao will accelerate the implementation of its Four Major Projects and of a government guidance fund, steadfastly promoting the city's appropriate economic diversification and opening up broader prospects for scientific and technological innovation and industrial upgrading. (Source: Government Information Bureau of the Macao SAR, released November 1, 2026)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：澳门行政长官岑浩辉在广州南沙举行的2026大湾区科学论坛开幕式上致辞。照片：澳门特别行政区政府新闻局。 / Photo: Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Greater Bay Area Science Forum in Nansha, Guangzhou. Photo: Government Information Bureau of the Macao SAR.
