On April 20th, Hengqin Development Corporation Limited and Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning Cooperation on Co-establishing MUST Base for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mr. Liu Yang, CEO of Hengqin Development Limited Liability Company and Chair Professor Liu Liang, President of MUST signed the MOU on behalf of the two parties. Deputy Director of Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee, WangRuisen, Vice Director of Administration Committee of Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai, Hong Chuangxiong, and representatives from MUST witnessed the MOU signing ceremony.
As a demonstration area exploring new mode of close cooperation between Guang Dong, Hong Kong and Macau, Hengqin New Area has been carrying its mission of contributing to Macau’s prosperity and economic diversification since its establishment and has achieved delightful results. In terms of industrial integration and diversification, Hengqin New Area has presented Macau, especially Macau enterprises and young people a lot of new opportunities, by providing development spaces for Macau to foster new or enhance competitive industries, such as cultural and creative industries and MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) industry. Since the first key project within the framework of cooperative agreement was launched, a batch of Macau enterprises has entered the Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Industrial Park. Macao-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley will be another key cooperation project with emphasis on guiding and assisting young people in Macau to start ventures in Henqing. In doing so, personnel exchanges and industrial cooperation between the two regions are expected to be reinforced. As part of Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone, Hengqin New Area will be built into a service platform for Macau’s industrial diversification with features of the era and Chinese characteristics.
Hengqin Development Corporation Limited was registered on February 1st 2015 and was officially established on April 13th 2015. It has been the third state-own enterpriseHengqin New Area following the establishment of ZhuhaiDaHengqin InvestmentCo., Ltd. and Hengqin FinancialInvestmentCo. Ltd. It will play a pivotal role in attracting businesses and capitals into Hengqin New Area, maintaining the operation of the industrial park, and providing services to various enterprises, business incubation in particular. The company aims at building a highly efficient and effective team of professionals and together to develop into a highly integrated and professional company with specialties in planning and consulting, property operation (within the park and in the whole city), and business incubation and attraction.
Established in 2000, MUST is a young university full of energy and potential. It develops so fast that it has been the largest comprehensive university in Macau and also the youngest among the “100 Top Universities in the Cross-strait Four Regions”. It has attracted students from various other regions, mainly including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and also students from other countries. The student population of MUST has exceeded ten thousand, with over 2,000 doctoral and master students and over 8,000 undergraduates. In 2010, MUST established “Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Planning” (CECP) for the purpose of improving MUST students’ competitiveness through helping students figure out their own strengths and specialties and develop their own potentials, and through launching or assisting student entrepreneurship and innovation projects. Up till 2015, the CECP has successfully launched some incubation programs and promoted quite a few entrepreneurship and innovation projects for MUST students and alumni.
Chair professor Liu Liang, President of MUST, expressed his expectations in his speech. He remarked that the two parties of the project will work hand in hand to build MUST Base for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship (“Base”)integrating industry-academia-government collaboration with incubation efforts, by utilizing the broad platform of Hengqin New Area and favorable resources of CECP of MUST. It is expected to gather projects and talents concerning youth entrepreneurship and innovation and turn the “Base” into a leading youth entrepreneurship and innovation center both nationally and internationally.
This cooperative agreement has been the first one signed relevant to Macau since the establishment of “Hengqin-Macau Youth Entrepreneurship Valley”. Mr. Wang Ruisen, Deputy Director of the Hengqin Management Committee noted that the government departments in Hengqin New Area will fully support the development of MUST Base for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and hopefully more and more young people in Macau will be attracted to Hengqin New Area to start business because of the “Base”. It takes efforts of both sides to promote prosperity and stability in both Guangdong and Macau.
