Tan Yifan, Chang Zhipeng

cicitan2011@gmail.com

HONG KONG entrepreneurs and office workers in Qianhai said the newly released Qianhai plan was a shot in the arm for them to continue to pursue their careers in the area and to encourage their peers to find a niche in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Soon after the unveiling of the plan Monday to construct Qianhai into a top strategic platform for Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, a mega hub for the modern service industry, finance and technology, Hong Kong entrepreneurship service provider Wang Kai, who co-funded GBA Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (YIE), said he was thrilled to expect the last barrier for the free flow of talent, technology and capital to be broken, creating a greater opportunity for Hong Kong and Macao youth.

“The plan aims not just to simply expand Qianhai’s physical space, but reach to more people and resources,” said Wang. “It encourages more incubation platforms and venture capital companies to settle in Qianhai, which has boosted us to set up more entrepreneurship spaces for Hong Kong and Macao people.”

Witman Hung Wai-man, principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at Qianhai Authority, said those who responded to the plan first in Hong Kong were the leading figures in professional fields. “A friend of mine from the medical industry consulted me immediately after the plan was disclosed. He was hesitant before to set up a hospital in Qianhai.”

Hung said that Qianhai has become a “shop” for Hong Kong, who plays a “white-collar producer and supplier” role.

Yu Gwong-tou, who set up a startup Cooh Science Biology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. in Qianhai last year, said the plan will facilitate his company to conduct more cooperation with first-tier institutions.

“The plan supports Qianhai to introduce new types of R&D institutions and will help them cooperate with advanced hospitals and renowned universities from Hong Kong, Macao and foreign countries, which is a great opportunity for us,” he said. “Besides, we may be able to cultivate talents we need with those institutions.”

With the help of Qianhai Authority, Yu has established partnership with Googol Tech and South China Agricultural University.

“The agglomeration effect will attract people, especially those with technology support skills to come,” said Lo Yuen-lai from BM TeK, a Qianhai-based AI algorithm-focused company. “New products such as charging piles, service robots and parking lot management systems will be more widely applied as the plan mentioned the integration of modern service and advanced manufacturing industries.”

Lee Hang-yin, a Shenzhen University graduate and now a Qianhai-based incubator employee, said the plan has strengthened her confidence in career development in the area.

“I believe Qianhai will become an even better place for the development of Hong Kong people. The working experience here is satisfying. I moved into a low-rent talent apartment and obtain monthly subsidies from local and provincial governments. I will recommend more peers to come,” she said.