Search Menu
Language Menu
Mobile Menu
OGCIO
14-10-2022

Opening Remarks by Mr. Victor Lam, JP, Government Chief Information Officer, at the “QUANTUM HK Symposium” (with photos)


Mohamed (Mr. Mohamed BUTT, Executive Director, HKPC), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to speak to you all at the Symposium today. As the finale of the Hong Kong Productivity Council’s (HKPC) “Quantum Technology Awareness Promotion Programme in Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area”, this Symposium provides an excellent platform for our renowned scholars and industry experts in the area of quantum technology to inspire and enlighten us with their insights and visions into the tremendous potentials of this ground-breaking technology in Hong Kong as well as in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Generally believed to be an astonishing technology of the future, quantum technology is widely known for its capacity to uncover unimaginable new possibilities and bring about revolution in a wide range of aspects, including more powerful computing, more secure communications, more reliable navigation and more advanced sensor technology. In fact, the understanding of the quantum nature of matter and its application is nothing new. It has always been used in our daily lives gadgets without being noticed, for example, in our smart phones, sensors, computers, LED light bulbs, GPS, to name but a few. According to McKinsey & Company, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive, and finance are the first four industries which will benefit the most from the applications of quantum technology. The global market of quantum technology, which is driven by growing government and private venture funding, increasing R&D expenditure of major technology companies, strategic collaboration, partnerships, and mergers, is expected to grow at a high double digit annual rate until 2030.

Noting its unprecedented potential, our country attaches great importance to the development of quantum technology and has included it in the National 14th Five-Year Plan as one of the key development projects. Actually, our country has already achieved a series of world-leading breakthroughs in quantum communications over the past few years, including the launch of the world’s first quantum satellite Micius (墨子號) in 2016 and a second new satellite Jinan 1 in July this year, the opening of the world’s first trunk line for secure quantum telecommunications between Beijing and Shanghai in 2017 and the building of the world’s first quantum computing machine in 2017. These breakthroughs fully demonstrated China’s emergence as one of the world’s leaders in quantum technology.

Being the most open and a world-class international city in the GBA, Hong Kong has a solid technological foundation for more vigorous I&T development. Our universities are advancing in quantum technology research. A research team from the Department of Physics of The University of Hong Kong, with the support of the Research Grants Council and other research centres, has discovered clear evidence to characterise a highly entangled quantum matter, the quantum spin liquid, from large-scale simulations on supercomputers. This pivotal research work has recently been published in one of the leading journals in quantum materials. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology opened a Center for Quantum Technologies in 2021 which aims to consolidate and amplify the University’s collective in-depth research in quantum technology and take the study to the next level. Our world-class laboratories and research centres, our sound intellectual property protection system, coupled with the advanced technology commercialisation and manufacturing capabilities of other GBA cities will pave the way for building Hong Kong into a key international hub for quantum technology in the future.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the HKPC for lining up our elites in quantum technology and putting together such a rich programme today. I would also like to salute our honorable scholars and professors for your remarkable achievements in R&D and your great efforts in nurturing ICT talent for Hong Kong. I wish you every success in scaling new heights in your profession. For fellow audience, I am sure that all of you will find this symposium exciting and rewarding. Thank you very much.

- ENDS -