Welcome Message from Mr Victor LAM, JP

I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners on their remarkable achievements at the Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Awards 2022!

Steered by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and organised by Hong Kong ICT industry associations and local professional bodies, the Hong Kong ICT Awards is an annual signature event that commends and promotes the outstanding local innovations and ICT applications. It aims to encourage the local enterprises and ICT industry elites to make continuous efforts to pursue innovation and excellence, and design applications with extraordinary quality and creativity to improve citizens’ quality of life and achieve economic benefits for our community as a whole. Over the past 16 years, many of the ICT Awards winners have also achieved great success in international competitions and swept a considerable number of awards. Their achievements are indeed impressive and demonstrate that the standard of research and application of ICT in Hong Kong is very high.

Innovation and technology (I&T) provides key impetus for Hong Kong to build a digital government and a smart city. In the 2022 Policy Address, the Chief Executive has announced the Government’s major targets in building digital government which include making all government services online in two years and achieving full adoption of “iAM Smart” to provide one-stop digital government services so as to realise “a single portal for all government services” within three years. To expedite the development of digital government and smart city, we are conducting an e‑government audit in two phases to propose innovative I&T solutions for all government bureaux and departments. We target to complete the audit within 2023 so that respective government bureaux and departments can embark on implementation of the recommendations from the second quarter of 2023 with a view to launching 100 new and enhanced systems by end of 2025. Members of the public will then be able to enjoy more convenient digital government services through the use of advanced I&T applications and the digital infrastructure and shared platforms provided by OGCIO. I look forward to building closer collaboration with all members of the ICT industry and working together to implement these important missions.

I&T talent is the key to facilitating Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T centre. The 2022 Policy Address stated that the Government will proactively compete for I&T talent by formulating targeted facilitation measures for attracting top-notch I&T talent to bring with them their businesses or R&D outcomes to Hong Kong, enhancing the existing technology talent schemes, and actively introducing overseas and Mainland I&T talent to engage in R&D work in Hong Kong. On the other hand, we will step up the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, and expand the scope of the STEM Internship Scheme to offer local I&T internship opportunities to university students studying STEM related programmes overseas or at GBA campuses established by designated local universities. By continuously nurturing local I&T talent and adopting a result-oriented approach, we are determined to gear Hong Kong’s I&T development at full steam, and live up to our country’s high expectations.

Last but not least, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Steering Committee, the Grand Judging Panel and the Standards Assurance Sub-Committee, all the Leading Organisers and the judges for their selfless dedication and hard work to bring the “Hong Kong ICT Awards 2022” to a successful close. Thank you.