Vol.35 (Feb) 2025 | Article no.3 2025
The Greater Bay Area (GBA), consisting of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, is a critical region for China’s economic growth and continuing technological innovation. As part of its strategic development, the GBA region is actively advancing the construction of a major scientific infrastructure — the Southern Advanced Photon Source (SAPS). This state-of-the-art facility is expected to not only provide an exceptional experimental platform for cutting-edge fundamental research but also serve as a key driver for regional economic transformation and industrial upgrading.
The SAPS project is currently in the active phase of applying for national approval in China. As a progressive scientific initiative, SAPS would address the increasing demands in materials science, biomedicine, energy technology, and other fields within the Greater Bay Area. Additionally, SAPS would play a crucial role in supporting China’s strategic goal of achieving self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology. Scientists within the GBA, particularly from Hong Kong and Macao, have expressed strong interest and high expectations for the SAPS project and have emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and academic exchange.
On October 26, 2024, the third meeting of the SAPS steering committee was successfully held in Hong Kong. This meeting not only reviewed the state of progress of the project but also fostered multiparty discussions that consolidated consensus among regional research institutions and universities. These discussions further clarified the importance of the SAPS project in driving the economic and technological development of the GBA.
The third meeting of the steering committee for SAPS took place from October 25 to 27, 2024, at the W Hong Kong Hotel, Hong Kong. During the conference, a collaborative framework agreement was signed, and the steering committee meeting was also held (Figs. 2 and 3).
Professor Jun Cao, the Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivers the opening speech, emphasizing the background and significance of the SAPS project
The CSNS Science Center has formalized a collaboration agreement with the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians, the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Center, and universities in Hong Kong and Macau. The agreement aims to address the demands of Greater Bay Area users for an excellent, fourth-generation synchrotron radiation facility
The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Center jointly organized the conference. It received substantial support from the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians and several higher education institutions in Hong Kong and Macau. These institutions, listed alphabetically, included the following:
City University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Baptist University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Macau University of Science and Technology
The University of Hong Kong
University of Macau
The breadth of institutional participation in the project underscores the strength of the regional collaborations and provides a solid foundation for the successful advancement of the SAPS project.
The theme of the conference was “Jointly Building the Southern Advanced Photon Source in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.” Discussions centered on the technical framework, application prospects, and regional collaboration models of the SAPS project (Figs. 4 and 5).
Professor Sheng Wang, deputy director of the Institute of High Energy Physics and director of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Science Center, introduces the CSNS located in Dongguan, Guangdong. CSNS represents the first national-level major scientific infrastructure in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Previously, it collaborated with 7 universities in Hong Kong and Macau to complete nearly 76 research projects, establishing CSNS as a role model for scientific collaboration and coordinated innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region
Professor Hongzhe Sun of the University of Hong Kong discussed the high levels of interest by Hong Kong and Macau universities for SAPS
Participants, addressing the practical needs of the GBA, examined the SAPS project’s potential to drive scientific and technological innovation and to support regional economic development. There was unanimous consensus that the construction of SAPS would serve as a powerful engine for the scientific and industrial development of both the Greater Bay Area and China as a whole.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area serves as a critical driver of China’s national economic development, leveraging its abundant industrial resources and strong research capabilities. However, the region lacks an excellent synchrotron radiation research facility that can support interdisciplinary research. This gap is especially pronounced in fields such as materials science, energy technology, biomedicine, and even clinical applications, where there is huge demand for high-brightness and high-resolution synchrotron light sources. For example, research teams at the City University of Hong Kong are encountering bottlenecks in characterization techniques while developing novel energy materials. Similarly, the University of Macau has identified an urgent need for high-resolution imaging technologies in advanced materials science and biomedical research. The construction of SAPS would address these challenges by providing the advanced technical infrastructure required to overcome existing limitations, enabling scientists to achieve groundbreaking results in their respective fields.
In the context of escalating international competition in science and technology, China’s 14th Five-Year Plan emphasizes the need to accelerate the construction of major scientific infrastructures to meet strategic national goals. As a fourth-generation diffraction-limited synchrotron radiation source, SAPS would play a vital and irreplaceable role in areas such as new material development, drug design, and energy technology, thereby offering critical support for solving major technological challenges.
Simultaneously, the SAPS project would directly contribute to the economic transformation and industrial upgrading of the Greater Bay Area. For instance, experimental data generated by SAPS would enable the region’s high-end manufacturing industries to accelerate the development and application of new materials. In the biopharmaceutical sector, SAPS would facilitate faster drug discovery processes. These advancements would significantly enhance the Greater Bay Area’s competitiveness in the global industrial chain, injecting new vitality into its regional economy.
The development of the SAPS project highlights the collaborative strengths of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. By integrating research resources from Hong Kong, Macao, and Mainland China, SAPS would not only serve as a model for regional collaboration but would also attract leading scientists and research teams from around the world. This initiative would further elevate China’s influence on the global scientific stage, displaying China’s commitment to advancing international scientific cooperation.
As an international financial and technology hub, Hong Kong plays a pivotal role in the SAPS project. Its universities possess a strong foundation in synchrotron radiation technology and related fields. For example, the University of Hong Kong has achieved notable success in biomolecular structure analysis, while the City University of Hong Kong has demonstrated exceptional innovation in energy materials research.
Additionally, Hong Kong’s internationalization advantages enable it to attract top talent, fostering international collaboration and supporting the development of the SAPS project. Through participation in SAPS, Hong Kong could further integrate into China’s national innovation system, strengthen its position in the global scientific landscape, and contribute to both regional collaboration and China’s overall development.
In recent years, Macao has significantly increased investment in higher education and scientific research, aiming to promote economic diversification. Institutions such as the University of Macau and the Macau University of Science and Technology have demonstrated strong research capabilities in fields such as biomedicine and materials science. Their active involvement in the SAPS project would inject fresh momentum into Macao’s scientific progress.
Macao’s scientists have emphasized that the construction of SAPS will create new opportunities for local research while facilitating Macao’s integration into the Greater Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem. By collaborating with universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong, Macao can achieve significant advancements across multiple fields, setting a benchmark for regional cooperation and contributing to the area’s scientific and economic development.
As a fourth-generation synchrotron radiation source, the SAPS project would play a pivotal role in advancing fields such as materials science, biomedicine, and energy technology. For example, SAPS would enable scientists to investigate the microscopic structure of novel battery materials, accelerating breakthroughs in new energy technologies. Furthermore, it would facilitate the analysis of dynamic molecular processes, providing critical data for the development of anticancer drugs. These achievements would directly address China’s strategic technological priorities, offering strong support for achieving self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.
The construction and operation of the SAPS project would stimulate the growth of high-end manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, and the technology services sector in the region. For instance, experimental data generated by SAPS would allow businesses to develop new materials and drugs more efficiently, shortening research and development cycles while reducing costs. This enhanced efficiency not only would improve the competitiveness of regional enterprises but also would attract more high-tech companies to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, fostering a self-sustaining cycle of innovation and growth.
The successful implementation of the SAPS project would serve as a benchmark for regional collaboration within the Greater Bay Area, offering valuable insights for future cross-regional cooperative initiatives. Additionally, as a globally accessible scientific facility, SAPS would attract leading international scientists and research teams, further enhancing China’s prominence on the global scientific stage.
The construction of the SAPS would represent a significant milestone in the Greater Bay Area’s journey to becoming a global hub for scientific and technological innovation. During the conference, participating scientists expressed their enthusiasm for the SAPS project and emphasized the immense potential for regional collaborations.
SAPS not only would be a critical facility for addressing regional research demands but also would be a key driver for advancing China’s national strategies and fostering economic development. As the project progresses, the GBA is set to further solidify its position as a global innovation powerhouse, contributing valuable knowledge and resources to China’s economic and social progress.
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