The competitiveness of the local I&T sector depends heavily on the attraction and development of young talent.

To this end, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), which has been driving the growth of the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong and neighbouring regions, has intensified its efforts to develop technology leadership and entrepreneurship with the launch of HKSTP InnoAcademy and its signature scheme, the Technology Leaders of Tomorrow (TLT) programme.

The goal of the trailblazing initiative – the first of its kind in Hong Kong – is to draw in committed young science and engineering graduates and I&T practitioners with less than two years of work experience from around the world.

The programme offers young talent a unique package of tools and support that will help them pursue a career in the local I&T sector.

“Talent development, attraction and retention are crucial factors in sustaining the growth momentum of Hong Kong’s I&T sector,” Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said at the TLT programme’s launch event.

“HKSTP recognises that grooming quality talent into inspiring and stand-out leaders is a critical ingredient to maintaining the city’s global competitive edge.

“By leveraging our partnerships and connections with key industry leaders, training providers and universities, we aim to help our partner companies nurture and create the needed skill sets of their talent.”

Even at the start of its pilot stage, the TLT programme has received the full support of five partner companies of HKSTP across five strategic technology areas, including artificial intelligence (AI) & robotics, biomedical technology, data and smart city and fintech.

Local STEM graduates are of high quality, Dr Benjamin Li Xiaoyi, a veteran of Hong Kong’s biomedical technology sector, said.

He hopes the city will provide better career prospects for those interested in research and development (R&D) among other specialised areas in the I&T industry.

Li is the founder and CEO of Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holdings, a listed research-driven biopharmaceutical company, which has been operating in Hong Kong and mainland China for more than 20 years.

The rapid evolution of new technologies also means it is crucial for I&T practitioners to acquire new and additional skill sets.

HKSTP InnoAcademy has been specially created as a comprehensive training platform to support the continuing development of young I&T talent as they learn and upskill during different stages of their careers, Dr Claudia Xu, chief commercial officer of HKSTP, said.

With its extensive and robust ecosystem, which features more than 900 start-ups and companies at Hong Kong Science Park, HKSTP will be working with key industry leaders, such as Microsoft Hong Kong, IBM Hong Kong and Amazon Web Services, and major universities in Hong Kong, to curate and develop a sustained series of skill-enhancing programmes.

Xu said the new initiative will include career opportunities, flexible online and on-the-job training and learning programmes with a variety of content, approaches and formats.

The programme‘s first cohort of eight recruits was selected from among more than 600 local and international applicants – 60 per cent of whom earned master’s degrees or PhDs from world-renowned universities.

The eight TLT talent will undergo an intensive 26-month journey in the Hong Kong Science Park ecosystem. After a two-month internship at HKSTP, they will join individual partner companies as they embark on a 24-month, full-time R&D job placement.

The TLT programme’s global recruitment drive has opened up a host of new possibilities.

“HKSTP leverages its strong ecosystem to support the talent development for the partner companies: it helps attract talent from around the world,” said Li, whose firm – one of the programme’s partner companies – has been at Science Park since 2005.

The immersive HKSTP internship has been designed to cultivate the interns’ leadership skills.

It features extensive innovation and leadership development courses, job shadowing, mentoring and the chance to engage in impactful projects to drive the city’s I&T development. The interns will also have unique access to networking opportunities with leading entrepreneurs.

Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holdings has recruited Rigil Kent Yeung, who has a PhD in life science from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). As a soon-to-be assistant project manager at the company, Yeung hopes to immerse himself in clinical study and research into drug development.

“I’ve always wanted to bridge the link between R&D and product commercialisation, so Lee’s Pharmaceutical is the perfect fit for me,” Yeung said.

“My career goal is to specialise in R&D into biomedical technology. Thanks to the Hong Kong government’s substantial investment in biotech and the fast-expanding global market, I can foresee promising prospects in the sector.”

Quincy Lin Tsui Hin, who has a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences (physical) from the University of Cambridge, in the UK, and is among the first batch of TLT talent, said he hopes to learn soft skills – attributes such as social and communication skills – and gain a clear understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset in Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. He was an intern at a British biotech company before joining the programme.

“The entrepreneurial mindset is about welcoming new ideas, innovating and a willingness to try things out, Lin said. “This two-month internship at HKSTP should give us an early overview of the types of communication skills expected in the local I&T industry.”

After his HKSTP internship, he will join SenseTime Group, one of the world’s most valuable AI unicorns.

Lin, who is fascinated by the opportunities offered by AI, hopes to apply creative thinking and physics’ problem-solving framework to this field.

“At SenseTime, I hope to get robust learning and knowledge of AI, coding and machine learning,” he said.

“I also want to build my network within the company and in Science Park. Having these connections will be useful for my career progression.”

Wang Haoqi, the only woman among the TLT talent, is a computer science and science in mathematics graduate from HKUST.

Wang said she is passionate about research and looking forward to improving her skills and technical knowledge by working with the company’s experienced researchers.

“I also wish to build up connections in the local I&T ecosystem,” she said.

Wang also hopes to see more women working in the I&T field, which currently appears to be dominated by men.

“There are women whose achievements are recognised and they contribute to gender equality,” she said. “To encourage more talented women to join I&T, we need more women as role models.”

Wang said Hong Kong has built a diversified and inclusive environment in which international talent can thrive.

“The government supports start-ups set up by foreigners and we enjoy access to international connections as many global groups have their operations in the city,” she said.

HKSTP InnoAcademy’s aim is to become the go-to learning hub that offers Hong Kong’s I&T professionals everything they need to upskill themselves, and contributes to the continued nurturing of future technology leaders and pioneers.

“We also want to convey the message that talent is vital to the I&T sector’s sustainable development,” Xu said.

“We aim to further ignite the interest of young STEM graduates so that they will consider building their careers in I&T.”