Information management key to diversification of local economy, says professor

Professor Xue Huacheng

Digital information management could help diversify the local economy, said Xue Huacheng, a professor at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), at Friday’s 21st Cross-Strait Conference on Information Management Development and Strategy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference – hosted by MUST and attended by experts from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – Professor Huacheng urged the government to implement policies to advance information management in key industries.
He stated that digital information is not limited by the constraints of time or space, and hinted that information management could be particularly useful for Macau, given the territory’s limited resources.
“I believe that the development of the information management industry is the only way to economic diversification. Macau is very small and has limited human resources,” he said, stressing that the city’s key industries could benefit from the development of IT infrastructure.
“Industries like tourism, food and beverage, and education could develop so much faster [with] information technology.”
The role of Macau’s government in developing the information technology industry is equally important, he pointed out.
Professor Huacheng, who is also the dean of MUST’s Faculty of Management and Administration, said that policies should be implemented in order to ensure the MSAR’s sustainable development.
“In order to build a good information infrastructure in Macau, we need both governmental and non-governmental cooperation. In order to encourage the development of advanced applications, science and technology parks could be established,” he said.
MUST president Liu Liang reiterated that information technology is the key to overcoming the city’s limitations.
“The development of information technology is likely to help Macau overcome the limitations caused by the lack of land and labor resources, and explore a path of diversified economic development based on advanced applications and modern information technology,” he said in his speech at the conference’s opening ceremony.
National Taiwan University professor Chang-Sung Yu, who also attended the conference, told The Times that information technology has inspired many young graduates to develop start-up companies while still attending university.
“We have a new generation of students in Taiwan and many run their own businesses. While they’re in school, they don’t have to quit like Bill Gates or many others. By using information technology, they can attend university while still building their businesses.”