Aim to build a technological and scientific innovation event with global influence

Organized by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macau Special Administrative Region (Macau Economic Bureau) and involving the Economic Development Bureau of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Deep Cooperation Zone (Cooperation Zone), a delegation of representatives from innovative and scientific enterprises and institutions in Macau and Hengqin (the Delegation) is currently visiting Lisbon, Portugal.

During the visit, the Delegation has visited local representative research institutions, science and technology parks, incubators, and high-quality innovative enterprises, promoting the latest business environment in Macau and Hengqin and introducing the Hengqin International Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

The Delegation has engaged in visits and exchanges with local representative organizations in the science and technology industry, industrial parks, and high-quality innovative enterprises. These include Taguspark, the largest science and technology park in Lisbon, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of the University of Lisbon, major technological innovation incubators such as Fábrica de Startups and Beta-i, Startup Portugal as the representative of Portugal in the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA), as well as Virtuleap, a champion in the 2022 Macao-Portugal Science and Technology Enterprise (Macao) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

Dai Jianye, Director of the Macau Economic Bureau, stated that Macau and Hengqin and Portuguese-speaking countries have always had close ties, and Portuguese innovative enterprises can consider Macau as their preferred window when expanding into overseas markets. This visit will deepen the understanding of the technological industries in both places and attract more Portuguese companies to settle and develop in Macau and Hengqin.

Li Ziwei, Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Cooperation Zone, added that Hengqin, with its geographical proximity to Macau and a business environment aligned with Macau and international standards, possesses attractive industrial foundations and favorable policies. Particularly in new industries with a focus on technology and innovation, Portuguese entrepreneurs are encouraged to actively explore investment and development opportunities in Hengqin.

Seizing this opportunity, the organizer of the Hengqin Science and Innovation Competition, Zhuhai Hengqin Development Co., Ltd., held a roadshow on the afternoon of June 6th local time at Taguspark in Lisbon. They invited Zheng Lirong, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Smart Science and Technology, and Zheng Yiwei, founder of AHA, an entrepreneurship youth organization in Macau, who respectively shared insights on the future development of artificial intelligence, how the Cooperation Zone creates a convenient and considerate business and living environment for young entrepreneurs, and other related topics.

Deng Feng, General Manager of the Zhuhai Hengqin Development Co., Ltd., stated during the roadshow that in order to attract enterprises from Portuguese-speaking countries to Macau and the Cooperation Zone, this edition of the competition has incorporated many elements from Portuguese-speaking countries. It has set up the "New Green Lotus Award" specifically for companies from Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries with high development potential. There are a total of 10 prizes available.

This award can be combined with the awards in the startup or growth categories, further attracting and gathering outstanding talent and technology projects for entrepreneurship and development in Macau and Hengqin.

In addition, the Delegation also visited the Chinese Embassy in Portugal and held discussions with Zhao Bentang, the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, to deepen the exchanges on technological innovation cooperation between China and Portugal. They also visited the Portuguese Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (AICEP) to enhance understanding of the latest developments in the interconnection of industries between Macau, Hengqin and Portugal.

Portugal is an important gateway to Europe. Through this visit, the Delegation aims to provide more Portuguese companies with a deeper understanding of the development opportunities in Macau and the Cooperation Zone. Furthermore, taking advantage of this year's competition, Macau's role as an international gateway to Portuguese-speaking countries will be utilized to consolidate technological innovation resources between Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries, promote collaborative development between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in the field of technology, and elevate mutual exchanges and cooperation to a new level.

The members of the Delegation include Dai Jianye, Director of the Macau Economic Bureau, Xie Yongqiang, Deputy Director of the Macau Economic Bureau, Li Ziwei, Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Deep Cooperation Zone, Zheng Lirong, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Smart Science and Technology, and Deng Feng, General Manager of the Zhuhai Hengqin Development Co., Ltd., along with other relevant representatives from enterprises in Aomen and Qinzhou.