全球創科專才爭奪戰 香港先天不足考驗大

<轉載自2018年5月9日 明報 社評>

世界各地爭相發展創新科技，各出其謀吸引國際人才。香港面對這場全球人才爭奪戰，如果不想落於下風，必須積極應對。香港創科發展已經落後於人，本港不少創科公司都慨嘆本地人才短缺，招聘困難，無法不假外求，政府推出「科技人才入境計劃」（下稱「人才入境計劃」），配合業界需要，邁出正確一步，然而若要吸引更多優才來港，當局還須採取更多措施，改善本港創科生態，彌補先天不足，不能要國際科研人才屈就。

延攬人才無分地域 特快入境滿足需要

世界經濟論壇創辦人史瓦布形容，世界進入「人才主義」（Talentism）時代，人才因素決定創新能力，創新能力又愈來愈決定一個經濟體的競爭力。發展創新科技是特區政府重點工作，去年當局公布《智慧城市藍圖》，提出「人才入境計劃」，涵蓋生物科技、數據分析、人工智能、機械人技術和網絡安全五大類專才，目標就是解決創科人才短缺問題。

輸入外來專才從來是敏感議題，容易扯上「與本地人爭飯碗」一類爭議，香港與內地矛盾不休，更令到輸入內地人才的討論相當政治化，然而本港創科優才不足，乃是不爭事實。台灣一些創科業界人士認為，科研人才無分地域，沒必要抗拒大陸創科人才，如果本港仍然戴着有色眼鏡看待輸入內地科研人才，目光未免太過狹隘。

目前本港資訊科技界出現「有人無工做，有工無人做」情况，一些前線人員投訴人工低、難搵工，一些科網公司卻表示招聘困難，究其原因，是本港創科人才培育跟時代需要脫節。本世紀初科網泡沫爆破後，本港從未認真重視科技產業發展，不少大學生放眼「錢途」，有得選擇寧可讀醫科或商科，純理科淪為次選，導致科研人才培育出現斷層。眼下的創科新時代，需求最大的是數據分析、人工智能等專才，而不是10多年前最吃香的網絡工程師，一些生物科技或人工智能公司亦稱，在香港難覓相關技術專才。政府若不加快引入外來優才，必然窒礙本港創科長遠發展。

由美國到日本，現今很多國家都積極吸引外地創科優才，「科研人才綠卡制度」、「創業家簽證」等措施層出不窮。相比之下，香港顯然未夠進取。現時本港主要透過入境處的一般就業政策、輸入內地人才計劃，以及優秀人才入境計劃，招攬內地和外國專才來港，然而這些安排要麼門檻偏高，要麼不夠靈活簡便，遠遠未能滿足創科發展需要。

「人才入境計劃」最大好處，是簡化申請手續加快審批速度，以及規定創科公司輸入專才之餘，必須提供機會栽培本地人才。根據新計劃，提出申請的創科公司，每聘用3名非本地專才，必須聘用一名本地全職僱員和兩名實習生，從事與科技相關工作。有關做法可以減少「搶飯碗」疑慮，理論上亦有助提升本地人才技能。當然，新計劃執行起來會否荒腔走板，需要在未來大半年認真觀察。政府部門官僚作風，可以令審批手續遠比想像麻煩；新計劃提出，持有特定大學碩士或博士學位者來港工作毋須經驗，有關門檻會否過低，無助提升本地人才技能，也需要密切留意。

港欠可持續創科生態 租金高昂礙吸引專才

政府銳意吸引國際科研人才是好事，然而他們來不來香港，說到底還是看香港的吸引力。

現今很多創科公司和人才寧選深圳不來香港，一大原因是香港「先天不足」，既未有一個可持續發展的創科生態，生活成本也高得驚人。本港科研人才不足，影響外國創科公司進駐香港的意欲；創科產業發展緩慢「好工」太少，倒過來又令到學生擔心「錢景」，對投身科研卻步，形成惡性循環。本港大學每年都有約千名修讀創科相關課程的博士生畢業，然而願意投身博士後研究的人卻寥寥，這種情况自然不利本港科研發展。

其次，本港居住成本高昂，恐怕亦令不少外來專才卻步。本港租金水平之高，已嚴重蠶食各方面的競爭力，一些外國科研專才來港，月入可能由2萬多港元起步，當中至少一半收入卻要用來交租。上屆政府斥資8億元，在科學園旁邊興建一座「創新斗室」，打算提供500個住宿單位，配以共用工作空間等設施，以市值租金六成，租予園內初創企業人員和外地科研人才，然而單位每個只有區區200呎，月租也接近1萬元。也許政府認為，推出這種「靚劏房」是吸引人才的好措施，然而看在外地專才眼裏，更大感覺可能是勉強屈就。若然深圳或新加坡同樣提供不錯的工作機會，外來專才會否願意在港發展，實屬疑問。住屋問題困擾香港，一日不解決，永遠只會拖香港發展的後腿。

HK's challenge in the global talent race

AS the world scrambles to develop innovation and technology (I&T), every part of the world is leaving no stone unturned to attract talent. If Hong Kong does not want to be left behind in this global competition, it must act proactively. The city is already lagging behind others in terms of I&T development. Many local I&T companies have complained about the shortage of local talent and difficulties in recruitment, saying that they are left with no choice but to seek talent from abroad. The latest Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) introduced by the government, aimed at meeting the needs of the industry, is a step in the right direction. However, in order to attract more talent to Hong Kong, more measures are needed to improve the ecology of local I&T and compensate for its inherent weakness. There is no reason why talented people from abroad should feel they are demeaning themselves by coming to our city.

The admission of talented people from outside Hong Kong has long been a sensitive topic and is often easily associated with controversial accusations like "taking away local people's jobs". To a certain extent, the endless conflicts between Hong Kong and the mainland have also politicised the discussions about the admission of talented people from the mainland. However, as some people in the Taiwan I&T industry believe, I&T talent should not be defined geographically, and there is no need to resist I&T talent from the mainland. If Hong Kong people still look at the issue through a glass darkly, one may well say we are really too narrow-minded.

Today, the local I&T industry is facing a situation of "no jobs for some people but no people for some jobs". On the one hand, some front-line workers complain about poor wage and difficulty in finding a job. On the other hand, some hi-tech companies talk of difficulty in hiring people. The reason behind this is the problem that the local nurturing of I&T talent does not keep up with the demands of the times. Ever since the dotcom bubble burst at the beginning of the century, Hong Kong has never taken seriously the development of the hi-tech industry. Many university students who have their eyes on the "prospect of earning money" prefer the medical or the business school to pure science. That created a succession gap in the nurturing of technology talent. The current new I&T era requires talent mostly in the fields such as data analysis and artificial intelligence, not the network engineers who were most sought after more than a decade ago. Some bio-technology or artificial intelligence companies have also spoken of difficulty in finding talent with relevant skills in Hong Kong.

At present, mainland or overseas talent is mainly introduced into Hong Kong through the Immigration Department's General Employment Policy (GEP), Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) and Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS). But these arrangements are either too strict in terms of entry threshold or not flexible enough, and are excessively insufficient to meet the needs of I&T development.

The biggest advantage of the new TechTAS is the streamlined application procedure and the fast-tracked approval time. At the same time, it requires the I&T companies to open up chances for nurturing local talent while seeking talent from outside Hong Kong. Under the new scheme, applicant companies must hire one local full-time employee plus two local interns in technology-related work for every three non-local people admitted. This arrangement can allay doubts of "taking local people's jobs". Theoretically it can also help upgrade the skills of local talent.

Of course, we still have to examine seriously in the coming months whether the new scheme will depart from its original intention in its implementation. Bureaucracy in government departments may make the approval procedures far more complicated than expected. Moreover, the scheme also suggests that work experience is not compulsory for those with a master's or doctoral degree from specified universities. We will need to watch closely whether such a threshold is too low and is of little help in upgrading the skills of local talent.

全球創科專才爭奪戰 香港先天不足考驗大

世界各地爭相發展創新科技，各出其謀吸引國際人才。香港面對這場全球人才爭奪戰，如果不想落於下風，必須積極應對。香港創科發展已經落後於人，本港不少創科公司都慨嘆本地人才短缺，招聘困難，無法不假外求，政府推出「科技人才入境計劃」（下稱「人才入境計劃」），配合業界需要，邁出正確一步，然而若要吸引更多優才來港，當局還須採取更多措施，改善本港創科生態，彌補先天不足，不能要國際科研人才屈就。

輸入外來專才從來是敏感議題，容易扯上「與本地人爭飯碗」一類爭議，香港與內地矛盾不休，更令到輸入內地人才的討論相當政治化，然而本港創科優才不足，乃是不爭事實。台灣一些創科業界人士認為，科研人才無分地域，沒必要抗拒大陸創科人才，如果本港仍然戴着有色眼鏡看待輸入內地科研人才，目光未免太過狹隘。

目前本港資訊科技界出現「有人無工做，有工無人做」情况，一些前線人員投訴人工低、難搵工，一些科網公司卻表示招聘困難，究其原因，是本港創科人才培育跟時代需要脫節。本世紀初科網泡沫爆破後，本港從未認真重視科技產業發展，不少大學生放眼「錢途」，有得選擇寧可讀醫科或商科，純理科淪為次選，導致科研人才培育出現斷層。眼下的創科新時代，需求最大的是數據分析、人工智能等專才，而不是10多年前最吃香的網絡工程師，一些生物科技或人工智能公司亦稱，在香港難覓相關技術專才。

現時本港主要透過入境處的一般就業政策、輸入內地人才計劃，以及優秀人才入境計劃，招攬內地和外國專才來港，然而這些安排要麼門檻偏高，要麼不夠靈活簡便，遠遠未能滿足創科發展需要。

「人才入境計劃」最大好處，是簡化申請手續加快審批速度，以及規定創科公司輸入專才之餘，必須提供機會栽培本地人才。根據新計劃，提出申請的創科公司，每聘用3名非本地專才，必須聘用一名本地全職僱員和兩名實習生，從事與科技相關工作。有關做法可以減少「搶飯碗」疑慮，理論上亦有助提升本地人才技能。

當然，新計劃執行起來會否荒腔走板，需要在未來大半年認真觀察。政府部門官僚作風，可以令審批手續遠比想像麻煩；新計劃提出，持有特定大學碩士或博士學位者來港工作毋須經驗，有關門檻會否過低，無助提升本地人才技能，也需要密切留意。