Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong toured a startup incubator and community workspace and met local officials during a visit to the Netherlands earlier this week.

Prof Sun paid a visit to the Amsterdam Venture Studios Startup Village. Using converted containers as offices, the village currently comprises 35 startups focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology, and aims to promote interaction, collaboration and knowledge sharing among them.

At the village, Prof Sun visited Omni Wind Tech BV, a Dutch startup that is developing compact wind turbines for commercial and community settings. He was briefed on its strategies and core technologies, and learned about its efforts to promote sustainable development through green innovation.

Prof Sun also visited Nearfield Instruments, a supplier of advanced metrology solutions for the semiconductor industry. The company focuses on high-precision measurement technology to support manufacturing in the high-end nano-electronics industry.

Later on, Prof Sun met Deputy Director-General for Foreign Economic Relations in the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yvette Van Eechoud to exchange views on promoting innovation and technology (I&T) collaboration.

Prof Sun said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to maintaining relations with European countries, including the Netherlands.

He emphasised that as an international city, Hong Kong has long played the role of a super connector and super value-adder. He added that the current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to developing the city as an international I&T centre and that there is therefore broad scope for collaboration between Hong Kong and the Netherlands on I&T.

The technology chief also called on Charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands He Shiqing and briefed him on Hong Kong’s efforts to deepen international exchanges and co-operation and achieve better integration into China’s national development.

Prof Sun thanked the embassy for supporting enhanced co-operation between Hong Kong and the Netherlands in I&T development and for helping to attract enterprises and investment.

Prof Sun’s visit to the Netherland has concluded and he will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.