The central government has placed greater emphasis on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s role in driving technological innovation, with the vision of creating a world-class hub nurturing tech-driven advancements.

In the latest Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, the country identified developing international technological innovation centers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, the Yangtze River Delta, and the 11-city Greater Bay Area as pivotal to its goal of achieving high-level technological self-reliance.

Zhang Guoping, an associate researcher at the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, said that compared to recent Government Work Reports — which underlined the Greater Bay Area’s economic radiation effect in accelerating regional development — this year the nation expects it to play a greater leading role in the field of science and technology.

This shift aligns with the heightened strategic importance of technological advancement in national development, he said. “In the current international landscape, securing a leading position in the tech field has become a cornerstone of the survival and progress of nations and regions, which has raised the goal of accelerating technological advancement to unprecedented heights.”

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In addition to safeguarding national security and enhancing international competitiveness, technological innovation can foster new forms of production forces and boost services trade. It is also significant for other development priorities like expanding domestic demand and cultivating new growth drivers, Zhang added.

Compared to urban clusters around Beijing and Shanghai, he believes the Greater Bay Area's advantage in the sci-tech field lies in its competitive tech enterprises, comprehensive industrial chains, and connections with Hong Kong universities renowned for their strong research capabilities.

Calling for deeper collaboration among the nation's major innovation hubs, Zhang said he hopes tech giants in the Greater Bay Area will partner with more top educational and scientific institutions in Beijing and Shanghai for technology transfers.

Contact the writer at bingcun@chinadailyhk.com