Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong began his visit to Beijing today.

He paid a courtesy call on Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Vice President Zhang Yaping, briefing him on the Hong Kong Innovation & Technology (I&T) Development Blueprint and providing an overview of the city's latest I&T development.

Prof Sun thanked the CAS for its staunch support for Hong Kong’s I&T development and the promotion of scientific research exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Both sides discussed the work of the academy's Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation and the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians as well as the future development of the academy's joint laboratories and higher education institutions in Hong Kong.

They also had a discussion on the work to promote the participation of Hong Kong education institutions and scientific research organisations in exchange activities for technology talent and youth organised by the CAS. Both parties reached a consensus on a number of development strategies.

The tech chief then visited the CAS Institute of Automation where he received a briefing on its achievements in artificial intelligence and relevant commercialisation projects.

He also learnt more about the institute’s development directions and strengths in neuroscience, 3D reconstruction, medical robots, multimodal AI and industrial vision smart devices.

At the Center for Research on Intelligent Perception & Computing, Prof Sun was briefed on its research and development achievements, representative applications and core technologies.