【明報專訊】Amid the intense competition in the global scramble for talent, Hong Kong is facing fierce competition. The Policy Address will be published later this month, and all eyes are on how the government will respond to the situation. Hong Kong's economy needs to be upgraded and transformed to allow the construction of more new engines of growth. The thirst for talent is acutely felt across all fields — from finance, technology to the creative industry. However, the pandemic outbreak, the emigration wave, the ageing population and other unfavourable factors have caused shortages in both talent and manpower in many traditional and emerging industries. Attracting talent and importing foreign labour to alleviate the manpower shortage are two different concepts that need to be dealt with separately. In order for Hong Kong to snatch overseas talent, fully reopening the city's borders and restoring normalcy is only a precondition. The SAR government needs to formulate a comprehensive talent policy. Apart from providing more economic incentives, what's more important is to show the talent pool that Hong kong is ideal for living and working, and that in Hong Kong, they will have both a promising career prospect and a quality life with their families.