Sands China, DSEDT and FDCT Hold ‘Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching’
Enhancing cross-sector collaboration to build a tech exchange platform for Macao and Hengqin
(Macao, May 29, 2025) – Sands China Ltd., the Macao Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) co-organised and held a unique ‘reverse business matching’ event for the first time at The Londoner Macao® Thursday, promoting collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions on the development of tech-based ‘smart tourism’ solutions in Macao and Hengqin.
In traditional business matching, businesses or organisations pitch their products or services to corporations, who then consider whether it can meet a need. But with the Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching event, Sands China invited academic and research institutions from Macao and Hengqin to learn about the company’s current, specific operational needs so that participants could then offer customised, practical solutions for existing needs at Sands China.
The aim is to precisely match and connect relevant academic and research personnel with Sands China business units, with the intention to guide the transformation of scientific research achievements based on practical technological demands. This will foster in-depth collaboration between technological innovation and the real economy, thereby promoting the development of smart tourism solutions.
The event attracted around 140 participants. Sands China representatives presented the technological support and industrial requirements the company needs for advancing smart tourism. A Q&A and networking session followed, enabling academia and research personnel from Macao and Hengqin to prepare for submitting preliminary proposals to create solutions tailored for Sands China. Over the six-month project duration, both parties will maintain close collaboration with monthly progress reviews, aiming to establish a sustainable communication platform for smooth project implementation.
With the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance as the event’s adviser and the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre as the implementer, the initiative aims to facilitate industry-academia-research collaboration by organising activities such as business matching – supporting the transformation of academic research in tertiary institutions across Macao and Hengqin into practical applications. It seeks to further promote in-depth integration and development between the two regions, aligning with the Macao SAR government’s “1+4” economic diversification strategy.
In his opening remarks, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government Tai Kin Ip said: “The SAR government has prioritised moderate economic diversification, with technological innovation serving as the core driving force behind this strategy. Enhancing technological innovation capabilities can inject new momentum for sustainable development in Macao – this event is a concrete example of that. By precisely aligning the technological needs of large-scale integrated tourism and leisure enterprises with the commercialisation capabilities and the research strengths of tech firms in Macao and Hengqin as well as the efforts of universities, we aim to create a ‘tourism + technology’ exchange platform. Application scenarios are the starting line for technological transformation and the accelerator for industrial advancement. We hope other entities, large enterprises, and integrated resort operators will open up more applications and share their needs with tech firms and university teams in Macao and Hengqin, working together to elevate the quality of development.”
Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd., said: “As industrial transformation continues to deepen, technological innovation has become the core engine driving high-quality societal development. As Macao’s largest integrated tourism and leisure enterprise, Sands China has been actively advancing technological development and efficient management through diversified initiatives, supporting business growth and industrial upgrading. This reverse business matching initiative fosters innovation and synergy between industry, academia, and research in Macao and Hengqin, facilitating ideal connections for precise smart solutions and advancing Macao’s ‘1+4’ economic diversification strategy. It creates more opportunities for local SMEs, tech start-ups, and youth entrepreneurs, collectively contributing to Macao’s vision of becoming a world centre of tourism and leisure. We sincerely thank the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao for its guidance, as well as DSEDT and FDCT for their strong collaboration. Moving forward, we aim to continue utilising the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre to accelerate the transformation of Macao’s scientific and research achievements into real-world applications.”
Guests of honour at the event were Tai Kin Ip, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government and deputy director of the executive committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; Yau Yun Wah, director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Che Weng Keong, president of the administrative committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR Government; Wu Chuangwei, director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; Claudia Xu Jian, vice rector of the University of Macau; Tang Jiale, vice president of the Macau University of Science and Technology; Grant Chum; Dave Sun, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited; and Paulo Cheong, senior vice president of human resources for Sands China Ltd.
The Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching initiative is part of Sands China’s support of the Macao SAR government’s policy to promote the sustainable development of smart tourism and the high-tech industry in Macao and Hengqin. Under the umbrella of the company’s F.I.T. support programme for local suppliers, Sands China established the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre in 2023, dedicated to discovering and supporting local innovative enterprises with development potential. It aims to not only facilitate the optimisation and refinement of existing products and services, but to also facilitate the development of new and innovative solutions targeted at the integrated resort industry. The Incubation Centre seeks to help entrepreneurs transform their conceptual ideas into commercially viable offerings that are poised for success in the marketplace.
Photo caption: Guests of honour participate in an opening ceremony Thursday for the Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching event at The Londoner Macao.
Left to right: Dave Sun, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited; Claudia Xu Jian, vice rector of the University of Macau; Che Weng Keong, president of the administrative committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR Government; Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd.; Tai Kin Ip, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government and deputy director of the executive committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; Yau Yun Wah, director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Wu Chuangwei, director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; Tang Jiale, vice president of the Macau University of Science and Technology; and Paulo Cheong, senior vice president of human resources for Sands China Ltd.
Photo caption: At the Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching event Thursday at The Londoner Macao, Sands China representatives present the technological support and industrial requirements the company needs for advancing smart tourism, followed by a Q&A session.
Photo caption: Participants attend the networking session at the end of the Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching event Thursday at The Londoner Macao.