Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai yesterday pledged his government’s commitment to ensuring that Macau “is not absent nor left behind but makes distinct contributions” to the nation’s journey of becoming a scientific and technological powerhouse.
Sam also underlined that the ultimate objective of sci-tech research and development and investments in Macau should be the transformation of knowledge into productivity and the industrialisation of technologies, not the intention of merely creating a “superficially appealing technological image”.
Sam made the remarks in a speech while chairing this year’s first plenary meeting of the government-appointed Science and Technology Council at the Services Platform Complex for Commercial and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (aka Forum Macao Complex), located near Macau Tower.
The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was open to the media at the start when Sam made his opening speech.
The chief executive noted in his speech that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century at an accelerated pace, while the international landscape is complex and intricate, marked by intensified geopolitical rivalries and the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism.
At the same time, Sam said, with a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, scientific and technological innovation has become the main battlefield in international strategic rivalries. With profound changes in the external environment and various risks and challenges, Sam said, identifying changes, adapting to them, and seeking alternatives while responding to various types of uncertainties with the certainty of high-quality development constitute the strategic foundation for addressing external risks and challenges, seizing the initiative in development, and safeguarding national security.
Sam noted that the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan draws a grand project for the country’s development over the next five years, more strongly establishing self-reliance and strength in science and technology as a core strategic position in the nation’s overall development. The 15th Five-Year Plan period, Sam noted, represents a crucial five-year period that serves as a bridge for the country to reach the goal of basically achieving socialist modernisation. For Macau, Sam said, it is also a crucial five-year period, marking the transition from recovery-driven growth to high-quality development, and concrete breakthroughs in achieving appropriate economic diversification.
The central government released the full version of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan on Friday last week after the plan’s draft outline was passed by the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing on the previous day. The plan, officially known as 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, covers the period between 2026 and 2030.
In his speech yesterday, Sam pledged that his government will take the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan as the fundamental guide in drawing up and implementing Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan with high standards and a far-sighted vision. During the implementation of Macau’s third five-year plan, Sam said, his government will comprehensively and precisely align with the nation’s strategic guidelines, improve Macau’s scientific and technological innovation system, strengthen the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and closely integrate the nation’s needs with Macau’s strengths, with the aim of ensuring that, on the nation’s journey of becoming a scientific and technological powerhouse, Macau “is not absent nor left behind but makes distinct contributions”.
The local government is scheduled to launch a public consultation next month to gather opinions and suggestions from Macau’s civil society concerning its drafting of Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan.
Sam also pledged yesterday that his government will fully leverage Macau’s unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world, and continue strengthening its role as “One Centre, One Platform, One Base”, while working together with the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin to consolidate and strengthen Hengqin’s development, thereby promoting Macau’s appropriate economic diversification and supporting Macau in developing itself into a high ground for gathering international high-end talent.
The Macau government’s “One Centre, One Platform, One Base” concept refers to Macau developing itself into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and an exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as its mainstream and co-existence of different cultures.
Sam also underlined the local government’s commitment to intensifying policy support and investment efforts with the aim of fostering the development of Macau’s high-tech industry. Sam pledged that his government will advance the construction of the Macau Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park, while also attracting enterprises and investments to the park, with the aim of laying a solid foundation for the development of Macau’s tech industry.
Moreover, Sam said, his government is aiming to complete the setting-up of its “guidance fund” within this year, pointing out that the fund aims to channel private capital towards investments in Macau’s key emerging industries, solidly advance its industrial upgrading, and optimise its employment structure.
In his speech, Sam also outlined several aspects that Macau will need to address for the development of its tech industry, such as the effective management of international sci-tech research teams and organisations established in Macau, improvements in Macau’s internationalised sci-tech service system, and the cultivation of internationalised sci-tech professionals.
In addition, Sam said, Macau must also address various deeply-rooted problems hindering the development of its tech industry, such as the insufficiency of support for new business models of emerging industries and their respective platforms, the incomplete chain effect in the attraction, cultivation, use, and retention of high-end talent, the lack of space for them to apply their skills, and the uncertain impact of international competition and rivalry on sci-tech research and innovation.
Sam also underlined the need to establish and put into practice a correct view of performance concerning Macau’s efforts to advance sci-tech research, according to which, he said, the ultimate objective of sci-tech research and development and investments is not mere research for its own sake, nor is investment intended just to create a “superficially appealing technological image”. Instead, he said, the ultimate objective should be the transformation of knowledge into productivity and the industrialisation of technologies.
Sam convenes meeting about Macau’s 3rdFive-Year Plan
Meanwhile, Sam also convened a closed-door meeting at Government Headquarters yesterday concerning the local government’s upcoming drafting of Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday.
The meeting was attended by Legislative Assembly (AL) President André Cheong Weng Chon and Court of Final Appeal (TUI) President Song Man Lei, Macau’s nine principal officials, chief public prosecutor, as well as officials of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau (DSEPDR), the public entity tasked with the drafting of Macau’s third five-year plan.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Sam raised three requirements for the drafting of Macau’s third five-year plan.
The first requirement is to closely align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, while the second requirement is to conduct in-depth analysis of Macau’s internal and external development landscape over the next five years so as to ensure that the drawing-up of Macau’s third five-year plan is forward-looking, scientific and practical.
The third requirement outlined by Sam is the use of major projects and policy initiatives as drivers to coordinate key tasks across all sectors and promote Macau’s high-quality socioeconomic development.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai addresses the Science and Technology Council’s first 2026 plenary meeting at the Forum Macao Complex yesterday. – Photo: GCS
Members of the government-appointed Science and Technology Council, comprising government officials as well as experts, scholars and community leaders from the city’s science and technology sectors, attend yesterday’s meeting chaired by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai at the Forum Macao Complex. – Photo: Tony Wong
