Hong Kong's innovation and technology sector is in a golden moment for developing and optimizing itself through improving research and development conditions and for enhancing the cultivation of tech talent with strong support from the central government, according to officials and experts from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Their remarks came at a symposium on Tuesday in Hong Kong that highlighted new opportunities for the SAR's innovation and technology development brought by the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

Speaking at the symposium, Tan Tieniu, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, said the city's innovation and technology industry has entered a new stage of development, as the central government has paid unprecedented attention to the industry since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

Expounding on central and local policies, Tan noted that Hong Kong has unique advantages in developing its innovation and technology sector, since it has a solid research basis.

However, there is still room to improve regarding the SAR's optimization as an innovation and technology center, the conditions for conducting scientific research and the cultivation of talent, Tan added.

Xu Jie, deputy director-general of the Department of International Cooperation (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, told the symposium via video link that the ministry has formulated instructions for Hong Kong and Macao researchers on how to locate and reserve national scientific research equipment.

Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Secretary Alfred Sit Wing-hang said in a speech that as an important contributor to the national development of science and technology, the SAR has strong scientific research strengths, especially in life sciences. He thanked the central government for the many favorable policies for Hong Kong that acknowledge its strengths in these areas.

Sit said the SAR government will strive to contribute to national science and technology development via the new "dual-circulation" development paradigm, under which the domestic market is the mainstay and the domestic and international markets support each other.

In addition, he said, Hong Kong will enhance its global collaboration on science and technology and will continue to forge and deepen technological collaboration with the Chinese mainland.