Research Projects
TechMatrix will recently carry out two research projects.
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Policy Research – “Hong Kong’s Technology and Innovation Policy” headed by Prof Yan XU of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.
The background: Hong Kong’s economy has enjoyed strong growth in recentyears. However, the transformation of Hong Kong’s economy has remained as a significant problem. The increasingly high labor cost and the recently implemented regulations on labor protection in the mainland of China,especially in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area, has once again challenged Hong Kong’s industrial sector. In fact, it is not the first time for HongKong to meet such a challenge – the situation was the same 30 years ago when Hong Kong’s labor cost went up. It was the open-door policy of China that has enabled Hong Kong to maintain its traditional business model by simply moving factories to the PRD area - a paradigm change from “Made inHong Kong” to “Made by Hong Kong”.
This time, should Hong Kong escape from upgrading and transforming itself again by simply moving its factories to other places with labors cheaper than that of the PRD? In the context of globalization and the evident trend of prioritizing technology and innovation industry in the world,Hong Kong may have no other choice but to transform its economy and develop its technology and innovation sector. In the mean time, the new models of technology innovation, such as open innovation, may offer Hong Kong a great chance to leap foreword to be a strong technology and innovation – orientated economy. A visionary policy on technology and innovation development is thereby needed at this critical moment.
The hypothesis: There have been several myths that have affected the development of technology and innovation in Hong Kong, such as Hong Kong is too small to develop technology-orientated industry; Hong Kong dose not have a solid foundation for technology development in terms of talents and culture, and therefore should focus on finance and other non-technology sectors; and etc. This study argues that economies with similar population can build up very strong technology industry, and no economy is born with comparative advantages in technology-orientated industrial sector. If Hong Kong is able to build itself into a leading financial center in about three decades, it is able to build itself into a technology and innovation-oriented center too if an appropriate policy is implemented.
The methodology: This research project will provide a review of the development of Hong Kong’s technology and innovation industry and its policy within the context of the so-called “output-thinking”. It will also benchmark Hong Kong with other economies that have similar population in terms of the development of technology and innovation–orientated industry. With reference to experiences of other economies, and on the basis of latest academic research findings, this project intends to address key strategic policy issues in promoting the development of Hong Kong’s technology and innovation industry.
The potential find-outs: On the basis of study, suggestions will be provided on formulating an effective technology and innovation policy and establishing an effective mechanism to implement the policy. This study will also address how the “open innovation” approach enables Hong Kong to move beyond the “Made by Hong Kong” business model.
Members of Policy Research Study Group:
- Yan XU (Project Manager)
- C. K. Wong (Convener of the Group)
- K.F. Wong
- KK Yeung
- KK Yeung
- MY Wong
- YM Fan
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Cultural Research - “A Study of the Internet Culture of Generation Next” headed by Dr. Patrick MOK of the Hong Kong University and Prof. Louis LEUNG of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
It is widely believed that a generation has come of age since the late 1990s. Growing up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet, this generation of next forms their life views and develops distinctive media culture likely different from their previous generations. Would the difference between Generation Next and the older generations be real and substantial? Does that difference matter? Putting these questions in a wider context, we are interested in finding out whether the difference would lead to an emerging inter-generation culture divide in Hong Kong. This hypothesis is of course subject to test. But the wider implication of the inquiry would open up further explorations of cultural premise that is vital to the development of knowledge/information society in Hong Kong or to innovation activities.
Concerning about how culture affects the development of knowledge society, the TechMatrix Research Centre commissions a study to take stock of the Generation Next, with an attempt to explore and clarify how and in what way they are different in conceiving life situations and the social impacts of information technologies. The uniqueness of Generation Next would also be articulated in the formation of their own identity and making that in contrast to previous generations in term of the variety of uses of media including the Internet.
The research team is led by a study group comprising members from the IT sector, consulting sector and academic field. Inquires will be made in regard to “technology culture”, “inter-generation culture” and “views on life”, in addition to the social demographic profile of Generation Next. The study is a fact-finding research based on telephone survey. The sample size is about 800 and the fieldwork will be conducted by Center for Communication Research, the Chinese University Hong Kong. Members of the study group expect its preliminary findings would be released in late June, and the study could further substantiate research agenda such as media usage, innovation and creative culture of the youth that the Research Centre would undertake in next phase of research.
Members of Cultural Research Study Group:
- Patrick Mok (Co-Project Manager)
- Louis Leung (Project Manager)
- Ringo Lam (Convenor of the Group)
- Atung Lee
- Charmaine Hui
- Gary Wong
- Ian Li Chi Fai
- Jeffrey Au
- Leona Wong
- Mathias Woo
- Paul Chan
- Roger So
- SIU Yue Hei