SHENZHEN is now seeking further cooperation with the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) in terms of sci-tech innovation and international exchange under the framework of the World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organization (WICCO), a nongovernmental and nonprofit organization which promotes innovation cooperation across the world.

Initiated in Shenzhen last year, WICCO currently has 28 member cities and 49 member organizations from 22 countries and regions across the world. Macao is one of the member cities.

A delegation from the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office led by Gu Ting, who is vice president of Shenzhen People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, from Wednesday to Friday visited government agencies, industrial associations, international trade service platforms and universities in Macao in promotion of WICCO.

“Under the framework of WICCO, an international cooperation network will be established, enhancing mutual understanding and complimentary cooperation between its member innovative cities and organizations and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA),” said Gu during a meeting on the recent progress and future work plan of WICCO with the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao SAR on Wednesday.

Gu stated that WICCO will help Macao bring its science and technology capabilities and R&D results to marketplaces through building exchange platforms and holding promotion events and sci-tech fairs.

A delegation from the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office meets with representatives from the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region on Wednesday. Photos by Wang Haolan except otherwise stated

His idea was acclaimed by Chan Chou Wang, who is the head of the Technology Application and Support Division of the bureau. “In Macao, universities and research institutions are the major entities for scientific and technological research and development,” he said. “We have a total of four State key laboratories in University of Macau and the Macau University of Science and Technology. So being a WICCO member can enhance our exchanges with the GBA and other member cities across the world, which also helps improve Macao’s local innovation chain.”

Chan also stated that Macao, as an exchange and communication platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, is also willing to promote WICCO to innovative cities and organizations in Portuguese countries and enhance more innovation cooperation between those countries and the GBA.

For Ding Tian, deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) (Macao Forum), joining in WICCO not only promote the innovative cooperation and exchanges between the GBA and Portuguese countries, but can also help the members better shape and present their city images to the world.

A delegation from the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office pose for a photo with representatives from Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao).

“Macao is now restructuring its economy. So WICCO will provide a platform for the SAR to actively get in touch with the advanced innovation resources in the GBA,” said Ding during a meeting with the delegation Friday. “We also hope to join hands with WICCO in making promotions and organizing events, so as to attract more Portuguese cities and organizations to join.”

Initiated by the Central Government in 2003 and hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Forum Macao is a multilateral, intergovernmental co-operation mechanism aimed at promoting economic and trade exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, by using Macao SAR as a connecting platform between those places. Currently, the forum has a total of nine Portuguese-speaking member countries, namely, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, East Timor and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The office of secretariate of the Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) in Macao SAR. Sun Jin

The delegation met Jason Ho, president of the Macao Technology General Association, on Thursday to seek for cooperation between WICCO and the association in attracting overseas enterprises and holding sci-tech innovation events under the framework of the BEYOND International Technology Innovation Expo.

The delegation meets with representatives from the Macao Technology General Association on Thursday.

Hosted by the association, this year’s BEYOND expo was held from Sept. 21 to 27 at a special metaverse online exhibition venue, which had three categories including healthcare, sustainable technologies and consumer technologies, and has attracted more than 500 exhibitors from more than 120 countries and regions. It is also the world’s largest international sci-tech expo held in metaverse.

The delegation also visited the University of Macau and its State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI as well as the Macau University of Science and Technology and its State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, respectively.

A scene at the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City at the University of Macau. Sun Jin

Representatives from Shenzhen pose for a photo with representives from the Macau University of Science and Technology on Thursday. 

Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JdrZIx4I21GWuRfxPj5Ltg