雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM has published its Global Competitiveness Report for 2016-2017. Out of 138 economies around the world, Hong Kong is ranked number nine, a fall of two places from last year. This is attributable to its continued stagnation in innovation and technology.

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世界經濟論壇發表新一年度全球競爭力報告（下稱報告），在138個經濟體當中香港排名第9，較去年下跌兩級，與本港在創新科技領域持續滯後有關。

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According to the report, for seven years in a row, Hong Kong has maintained the top ranking for the highest quality infrastructure in the world. It is ranked fourth for its financial sector and 23rd — a lower position — for its innovation and technology. The report says that the challenge lying ahead of Hong Kong is how it can "evolve itself from one of the world's foremost financial hubs to an innovative powerhouse". In terms of comprehensive competitiveness, Hong Kong is being gradually overtaken by neighbouring countries and regions like Singapore, South Korea and Shenzhen. The primary reason is that our city has been relying on its existing advantages and lacks aggressiveness, while those neighbouring countries and regions have seized the opportunities and forged ahead. Innovation and technology, in particular, is where Hong Kong is lagging far behind, so much so it has become a structural "short stave" of its competitiveness. Innovation and technology is a yardstick of national power for any country. To a region, it is a "thermometer", as it were, for its economy. That Hong Kong is lagging behind in innovation and technology has not only dragged down its competitiveness; it also impacts on its economic prospects. Hong Kong cannot afford to be in two minds any longer. It should exert itself and seek to carve out a position for itself in the field of innovation and technology.

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報告指出，香港在基建方面的評分連續7年名列前茅，金融領域發展全球排第4，在創科範疇較弱則排名23位。報告認為，香港的挑戰是如何由全球其中一個重要的金融中心，發展成創新科技中心。香港的綜合競爭力逐步被周邊國家例如新加坡、韓國和地區例如深圳超越，主要就是一直在吃老本不思進取，而那些國家地區則把握機會奮勇向前，特別是在創新科技方面，香港已經被大幅拋離，成為競爭力結構性的短板。就一個國家而言，創新科技是國力強弱的檢驗標準，於一個地方則是經濟盛衰的溫度計；香港創科滯後，不僅拖累競爭力，實際上攸關經濟前景。香港再無左顧右盼的本錢，必須埋頭苦幹，在創科領域打出一片天地。

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Looking at Hong Kong from the perspective of its innovation and technology, we are convinced that effort should be made in the devotion of resources and the application of outcomes. The government has the inescapable responsibility for both aspects. First, more resources should be devoted to Research and Development (R&D) in Hong Kong. According to a study published by Our Hong Kong Foundation late last year, Hong Kong's total spending on R&D (including the government's investments and businesses' R&D expenditures) made up only 0.75 per cent of Hong Kong's GDP, a percentage significantly lower than those of other countries and regions. In Israel, for example, the percentage was 4.4 per cent, while it was 4.2 per cent in South Korea, 3.4 per cent in Japan, 2.8 per cent in the United States, 2.4 per cent in Taiwan, 2.1 per cent in Singapore and 2.1 per cent in Mainland China (4 per cent in Shenzhen and 6 per cent in Beijing). No doubt R&D involves high risks, and large investments are not a guarantee of success. But investing too little is even less likely to generate results. It can be said that the amount of expenditure on R&D determines the outcomes. Given Hong Kong's minimal amount of investment in R&D (as shown by above-mentioned figures), it is very natural that the related industries have had a barren patch all along.

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審視本港創科現狀，應該在投入和產出下工夫，政府在這兩方面都有不可推卸的責任。首先，本港要在研發（R&D）投入更多資源。據團結香港基金去年底發表的研究報告，香港就科研投入資源（包括政府投入部分和商業研發開支），只佔GDP約0.75%，遠低於其他國家地區。例如以色列是4.4%、韓國4.2%、日本3.4%、美國2.8%、台灣2.4%、新加坡2.1%及中國大陸2.1%（其中深圳為4%、北京6%）。科研存在高風險，投入多不等於有成果，不過投入少更難取得成果。因此，可以說科研開支決定收成，從上述數字顯示，香港在研發投入資源之少，轉化為產業顆粒無收，就是自然的事。

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Second, the government should play a leading role in the transformation of R&D into applied technology. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings published late last year, Hong Kong universities received particularly low marks in "knowledge transfer". While Peking University and Tsinghua University were both awarded 100 marks in that area, the University of Hong Kong had only 53.7 marks, and the Chinese University, 37.5 marks, the Polytechnic University, 45.1 marks, the University of Science and Technology, 68 marks. This shows that there is a huge gap between Hong Kong universities and their mainland counterparts in this aspect, which will affect not only those universities' positions in rankings but also Hong Kong's economic development.

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其次，政府在促成創科轉化為應用技術方面，也應成為主導角色。根據去年底《泰晤士高等教育》全球大學排名，本港的大學在「知識轉移」的得分特別低。北京大學和大陸的清華大學在知識轉移都是100分，香港大學只有53.7分，中文大學37.5分，理工大學45.1分，科技大學68分，顯示本港的大學與內地重點學府差距甚大，其影響不單關乎大學排名，與經濟發展也有關係。

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Hong Kong factories can achieve success in R&D as well if the government's policies come as an encouragement to them. Are they good at nothing but low-end manufacturing or speculation in the property market? No they are not. As long as there is an incentive, these companies can make use of their wisdom to achieve results in R&D.

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本港廠商只要獲政策鼓勵，也有在研發取得成果。本港廠商並非只做低端生產，也並非只懂得炒樓；只要有誘因，他們的智慧就會迸發出科研成果。

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明報社評2016.09.29

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Raymond Ng
Lecturer
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/NG,_Raymond_Wai-man-140.html

焦妮娜
講師
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/JIAO,_Nina-108.html