The Greater Bay Area Science Forum 2025 opened on Saturday in Nansha, Guangzhou, on December 7, under the theme "Industry-Research Integration Drives Smart Innovation in the GBA."

Co-hosted by the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong SAR Government, and the Macao SAR Government, the forum brings together more than 50 leading scientists, including a Turing Award laureate and academicians from China and abroad, alongside representatives from government, business, and academia. Discussions span key frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, green energy, network communications, and the low-altitude economy, aiming to strengthen the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a globally influential international innovation hub.

Meng Fanli, the Governor of Guangdong Province, highlighted the region's strong innovation ecosystem, comprehensive industrial base, competitive business environment, and vast market potential. He extended an open invitation to scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and global talent to collaborate with and invest in Guangdong and the GBA.

At the opening ceremony, 12 universities from Hong Kong and Macao, including the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), the University of Macau, the University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University, jointly signed an initiative to deepen their participation in building the GBA's international sci-tech innovation center. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released updates on major scientific infrastructure projects underway in Guangdong, while the city of Guangzhou issued new policies promoting the integration of scientific and industrial innovation.

During the main forum, Turing Award laureate John Hopcroft, a professor at Cornell University and a foreign academician of CAS, shared insights on AI development, risk regulation, and differences in talent cultivation between China and the United States. He emphasized that every new technology has advantages and disadvantages and the importance of regulatory frameworks to minimize risks.

CAS also showcased 123 major scientific achievements from 33 research institutions at the forum. The exhibits focused on large-scale scientific facilities, the low-altitude economy, marine ranching, artificial intelligence, next-generation energy storage, and biomedicine, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge advances in Guangdong.