Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai addressed the opening ceremony of the 2026 Greater Bay Area Science Forum today in Nansha, Guangzhou, the Macao Government Information Bureau (GCS) said in a statement.
Sam reaffirmed that Macao will adhere to forward-looking planning, proactive action, a pragmatic and enterprising spirit, and truth-seeking results. It will continue to exert effort in deepening regional cooperation and promoting the exchange of innovation resources, thereby driving the mutual reinforcement of technological innovation and industrial development. Macao will strive to achieve reform, innovation, breakthroughs, and tangible results, contributing Macao’s strength to the building of an international science and technology innovation centre, according to the statement.
Sam noted that global technological innovation is accelerating its evolution, with continuous breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields such as AI and biomedicine, profoundly reshaping the industrial landscape and competitive structure. Amid a complex and volatile international environment where scientific and technological cooperation and competition increasingly form the core battlefield of comprehensive national strength, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), serving as a strategic fulcrum for national technological innovation, shoulders the major mission of achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening while welcoming unprecedented development opportunities.
Sam also said that the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan has made systematic deployments for deepening the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, explicitly proposing to strengthen regulatory alignment and mechanism connectivity in areas such as technological innovation, industrial development, and public services. It aims to give full play to the pioneering and exploratory role of major cooperation platforms and accelerate the development of an internationally first-class bay area, providing important top-level design and institutional guarantees for the three regions to deepen their cooperation, according to the statement.
Sam also said that scientific and technological cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao has continuously deepened and progressed in recent years. Mechanisms for the cross-border flow of scientific research funds have been gradually refined, and joint funding programs have been steadily advanced. The construction of the Greater Bay Area Comprehensive National Science Center has accelerated, with major scientific and technological infrastructure and joint laboratories successively deployed. Furthermore, the scope of mutual recognition of professional qualifications for technical talent has continued to expand, making the cross-border flow of innovation factors more convenient. Concurrently, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has accumulated beneficial experiences in scientific research and development, achievement transformation, and industrial cultivation, exploring a viable pathway for coordinated innovation in the Greater Bay Area. Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao share common roots and complementary advantages, having already formed an increasingly close cooperative pattern in talent, technology, capital, and international resources.
Sam further pointed out that as one of the four central cities of the Greater Bay Area, Macao’s high-quality joint construction of the Greater Bay Area is an important practice in integrating into and serving the overall national development strategy. The MSAR Government has officially promulgated and implemented its third five-year plan, fully aligning with the national 15th Five-Year strategic deployment and clarifying the roadmap for development across areas such as technological innovation, industrial diversification, and regional cooperation.
Sam also said that standing at a new historical starting point, Macao will base itself on the development positioning of "one centre, one platform, one base" and "one highland", giving full play to its unique advantages of connecting internally while engaging globally, as well as blending Chinese and Western cultures. Taking deep cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao as the guiding thread and the integrated development of Macao and Hengqin as an important reliance, Macao will proactively integrate and work together to build the GBA’s scientific and technological innovation system.
Sam noted his belief that, under the theme "Smart Linkage of the Bay Area, Moving Forward toward New Horizons: Forging a New Frontier for Future Industries”, the forum fully embodies the contemporary significance of facing technological frontiers, serving national strategies, and grasping future development. Sam said he looks forward to participating scientists, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs sharing cutting-edge achievements, exchanging views, and facilitating more cross-sectoral and cross-regional pragmatic cooperation so that innovative achievements can take root and transform into actual development momentum within the GBA.
Looking to the future, Sam said that Macao will accelerate the implementation and effectiveness of four key projects and government-guided funds, solidly promote appropriate economic diversification, and expand broader space for technological innovation and industrial upgrading. Macao will face challenges with an enterprising posture and fulfill its responsibilities with a pragmatic and accountable work style. Hand in hand with sibling cities in the GBA and domestic and international partners, Macao will strive to open up a new phase of high-quality development, making new contributions to the advancement of Chinese modernisation.
The 2026 Greater Bay Area Science Forum is co-hosted by the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the HKSAR Government, the MSAR Government. The three-day forum ends tomorrow. This year's edition focuses on future industries and cutting-edge technologies, featuring an opening ceremony, a main forum, multiple professional sub-forums, and special activities, the statement noted.
Editor's note: This Chinese-language statement by the Macao Government Information Bureau (GCS) has been arranged and edited by The Macau Post Daily.
Caption: Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai addresses today’s opening ceremony of the 2026 Greater Bay Area Science Forum, in Nansha, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. Nansha is a district of Guangzhou and a State-level New Area. Nansha is located about 80 km north of Macao by road."– Photo: GCS
