As the "Policy Address 2021" proposes the "Northern Metropolis" development plan, it is foreseeable that Hong Kong will once again enter the stage of vigorous development of infrastructure projects in the next ten or twenty years.
Recently, the community has also heatedly discussed the implementation methods of future infrastructure projects. Some voices have suggested that in view of the overruns and delays in large-scale projects in the Hong Kong industry in the past ten years, companies and personnel outside Hong Kong should be directly responsible for Hong Kong. In future infrastructure projects, there is a tendency that not "exchanging blood" will not be enough to solve the problem.
Written by: Zhang Xinyu, Convener of Engineering Major and Chartered Engineer (Hong Kong and UK) of "New Directions in Hong Kong"
The proposal of the "Northern Metropolis" can foresee that Hong Kong will once again enter the stage of vigorous development of infrastructure projects in the future.
(Picture of "Northern Metropolis Development Strategy")
However, how to ensure that the construction period and budget of large-scale infrastructure projects are in line with the plan during the delivery process is a common problem faced by the world. The various factors involved are quite complicated and may not be oversimplified as a "replacement" problem.
In fact, as an international metropolis, Hong Kong’s local engineering professional services have always been one of Hong Kong’s core global competitiveness, playing a key role in promoting the development of society, economy and various infrastructure construction.
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2019, Hong Kong ranks third in the world in terms of engineering and infrastructure competitiveness.
At the same time, the latest 2020 Global Competitiveness Report published by the Lausanne School of Management (IMD) in Switzerland also pointed out that Hong Kong's infrastructure has risen from 22nd to 14th in the global ranking.
The Hong Kong Government’s report statistics also show that there is a strong international demand for Hong Kong’s excellent engineering services. Except for Western Europe and North America, many Asian countries have urgently needed to improve domestic infrastructure (such as ports, housing) in order to cope with rapid economic growth (such as India and Indonesia). And urban planning, etc.) have also contributed to the steady growth of the international business of Hong Kong engineering companies.
The Mainland and Macau are also the largest markets for the export of Hong Kong's architectural design, engineering and surveying services.
Take railways as an example. As a native Hong Kong brand, MTR Corporation has considerable business in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Macau and Chengdu. The Hong Kong side holds 49% of the shares and is mainly responsible for daily operations. The company operates more than 25% of the subway network in Beijing, employs more than 10,000 employees, and receives awards from the local government throughout the year.
It can be seen that Hong Kong has participated in various large-scale infrastructure constructions all over the world, and its high-quality professional services are not only widely recognized, but the efficiency and reliability of Hong Kong's engineering professional services are also at the forefront of the world.
Zhang Xinyu, the convenor of the "Hong Kong New Direction" engineering major, believes that following the new wave of infrastructure construction, Hong Kong should trust its own talents and rebuild its reputation in the engineering industry.
(Profile picture)
However, Hong Kong projects under the prestigious reputation in the local market have experienced ups and downs in recent years.
In 2008, the "Top Ten Infrastructure Projects" launched during the time of the then Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-quan had serious delays in most of the projects. The funding for the projects continued to increase. The quality of the Shaanxi-Zhongshan line project even repeatedly broke out in scandals. The development of the overall society and people's livelihood has caused many adverse effects.
These projects involve different owners, almost covering most of the well-known architectural design firms, consulting companies and contractors in Hong Kong and even around the world.
It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Hong Kong construction industry has encountered serious challenges and confidence crises in the past ten years.
This overall industry challenge can be traced back to the 1997 Asian financial turmoil and subsequent economic downturn.
The severe recession at that time led to the shrinkage and halt of the development of infrastructure projects in the local market. It also resulted in the loss of a large number of talents in the industry for nearly a full decade (1998-2008).
After the introduction of the "Ten Major Infrastructure Projects", various large-scale projects were launched in 2013. The number of projects and the scale of the projects have caused a significant shortage of professionals and the labor market who have not recovered their vitality.
Analyzing this problem from a macro perspective, it is not difficult to find that if market conditions rise sharply, too many projects can easily lead to overspending and cause quality problems, and too few projects will directly affect the livelihood and development of the industry.
"Hong Kong New Directions" believes that after the government puts forward the concept of the northern metropolis, it should formulate a supporting and forward-looking infrastructure development blueprint as soon as possible to make early deployments for future social needs and emerging technology trends, and by ensuring the amount of public works in Hong Kong Stability to alleviate the industry’s long-term problem of "to death and starvation".
"Hong Kong New Direction" believes that after the government puts forward the concept of the northern metropolitan area, it should formulate a matching and forward-looking infrastructure development blueprint as soon as possible to make early deployment for future social needs and emerging technology trends.
(Profile picture)
While facing up to the various setbacks encountered by the construction industry in Hong Kong over the past ten years, to be
fair, it should also be noted that the past ten years have also nurtured a large number of Hong Kong youths with practical experience and who have truly grown up from the setbacks. Generation of professionals and management talents.
Not only should this group of people not be regarded as abandoned generals who will be eliminated by the "replacement", they are Hong Kong's precious talent pool.
Through the efforts and struggles of the predecessors, Hong Kong has moved from rapid growth to high-quality development.
The next grand plan for Hong Kong's northern metropolitan area should be the best stage for the new generation of Hong Kong professionals to display themselves.
Hong Kong’s new direction believes that we should trust Hong Kong’s own talents. By cooperating with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and actively promoting progressive and innovative engineering design, we can not only build a better home for the next generation, but also have the conditions to lead the new generation in the process. The international standards of Hong Kong have once again rebuilt the international reputation of the Hong Kong industry.
Hong Kong has always been favored by global talents. It has not only gained a lot of knowledge, experience, opportunities and wealth, but also the key significance is that through interaction with global talents, local elites broaden their international horizons and further enhance local competitiveness. This is the future. The cornerstone of sustainable development.
Therefore, the so-called "exchange of blood" thinking is not objective and fails to prescribe the right remedy.
Leaders and representatives of the industry, the government and the general public should take the initiative to care for and cultivate local talents, cherish and support the hard-won local brands. This is an attitude that truly loves Hong Kong and is responsible for our common future.
Hong Kong New Direction: Members come from all corners of the world, including lawyers, engineers, architects, doctors, principals, university professors, teachers, social workers, psychologists, journalists, directors, information experts, accountants, bankers, entrepreneurs, etc.
Although the growth experience is different, they all have a true love of Hong Kong's home and country, and the spirit of working hard to make changes by seeking truth from facts.
Committed to advocating a promising government, breaking the capital monopoly, rebuilding sincere exchanges and mutual benefit between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and finding a new direction for Hong Kong.
(The article was originally published in "FT中文网", "Hong Kong 01" was reprinted with the author's authorization, and the content was deleted by the editor.)