Secretary for Innovation & Technology Alfred Sit today visited a primary school in Tai Wai and a secondary school in Tin Shui Wai for an update on schools' views on the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme and the Knowing More About IT Programme.

Mr Sit's first stop was PLK Dr Jimmy Wong Chi-Ho (Tin Sum Valley) Primary School to better understand pupils' learning experience in information technology (IT) through watching their unconventional e-Orch practice with iPads as musical instruments. He was also briefed by students on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology deployed in the Sky Garden project to collect data.

At Man Kwan Pak Kau College, Mr Sit joined student sharing sessions on their learning experience and achievements in innovation and technology (I&T), including their research and development journeys and experience gained from I&T activities and competitions.

Mr Sit said he was glad to see students master science, technology, engineering and mathematics knowledge and apply this knowledge to solve problems in their everyday lives such as utilising environmentally friendly materials to create a chlorine generator, using artificial intelligence to monitor the safety of seniors living alone, designing an emotion fairy augmented reality app, building a drowsiness alert system using artificial intelligence in the facial landmark function, using a smart near-field communication food labelling system and applying a distant turtle monitoring system using IoT technology.

Mr Sit noted that talent is the key to I&T development and pointed out that in addition to attracting talent from other places to Hong Kong, the Government has been actively nurturing local I&T talent. Efforts have been stepped up in recent years to enlarge local technology talent by extending additional IT programmes to secondary and primary schools to train up the next generation of I&T talent from an early age.

Mr Sit said the 2021 Policy Address has put forward a number of I&T initiatives that are forward-looking and groundbreaking.

He added that the determination in developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub brings massive support to I&T development, injects impetus into Hong Kong's diversified economy and creates more quality employment opportunities for young people.

The IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme and the Knowing More About IT Programme subsidise schools to organise extracurricular activities and nurture new I&T talent.

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer set up a one-stop support centre for the IT innovation lab programme to support schools' application procedure, progress, procurement of IT equipment and professional services and scheduling of activities.