GUANGZHOU, China, Jun. 3, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ --
From June 6 to 7, 2025, the International Science, Technology and Innovation Forum (ISTIF) of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will make its inaugural appearance in Hong Kong. Jointly hosted by the BFA and the HKSAR Government, the Forum will be held under the theme "Transitioning Towards the Future: Powered by Science and Technology Innovation". The forum will arrange in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics including the global innovation ecosystem, international science and technology governance, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, innovation chain and industrial chain of new quality productive forces, life sciences, AI, future mobility, and quantum technologies.
Established in 2019, the ISTIF of BFA serves as a comprehensive platform for high-level dialogue across government, business, and academia in the field of scientific and technological innovation. The Forum brings together participants from the Mainland and overseas to share insights on emerging scientific and technological trends, foster global innovation collaboration, to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previous sessions, held in Macao (2020), Guangzhou (2022), and Zhuhai (2023), have yielded meaningful outcomes, establishing long-term sci-tech cooperation mechanisms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, enhancing technology transfer along the Belt and Road Initiative, and promoting global governance of AI. The Forum has established itself as a key platform for international dialogue and partnership in sci-tech innovation.
Hong Kong enjoys a unique advantage as a gateway connecting the Chinese mainland, the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world. In the past few years, Hong Kong's sci-tech innovation development has entered the fast lane, relying on the combined advantages of industrial clusters, fundamental R&D, and its position as the finance center. Hosting the ISTIF will further elevate Hong Kong's role as both a "super-connector" and "super value-adder" between China and the world, supporting the Greater Bay Area to build itself into a globally influential hub for technological innovation.
Today, the world is undergoing a new wave of scientific and industrial revolution. Transformations in the field of science and technology are unfolding at an unprecedented pace. While technological advancement continues to deliver profound benefits to humanity, it is also reshaping societies in unprecedented ways. Issues such as data security, technological ethics, and privacy protection have become global concerns, posing serious challenges to the current system of technology governance. The ISTIF of BFA 2025, to be held in Hong Kong, is set to provide valuable insights for strengthening international cooperation in sci-tech innovation. It will contribute to the development of a new global governance framework for science and technology, foster the growth of cutting-edge technologies and future industries, and help elevate international collaboration to a new level.
Source: The Organizing Committee of the ISTIF of BFA 2025
