In the Media

特殊目的收購公司（Special Purpose Acquisition Company；簡稱SPAC）早於1990年代已在美國出現。以SPAC融資 上市雖非主流，但對比傳統的首次公開招股（IPO），SPAC能提供更快捷的途徑進入公開市場，尤其便於初創公司。

Thirty one academics of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have been named by Clarivate in its list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2021” as the most influential in the world. Their works have been highly cited by fellow academics and are hence making a significant impact in ongoing research in their respective fields of study. The number of world’s top researchers at HKU has more than doubled that of 2020’s, and remains to be the highest among universities in Hong Kong. It is also the first time that HKU is listed among the top 50 universities globally. Highly Cited Researchers are selected for their exceptional research performance, determined by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in Web of Science.

Billionaire owners of Chinese developers have dipped into their own pockets for at least US$3.8 billion to save their troubled companies from default, as a cash crunch engulfs the industry. From sales of luxury assets to stakes in sought-after listed companies, the personal balance sheets of China's property tycoons have become key for investors to determine whether developers will meet their debt obligations.

The Hong Kong government put forth the reindustrialisation initiative in 2016, with the aim of improving Hong Kong's economic structure. However, over the past five years, the manufacturing industry has accounted for only 1% of the Hong Kong's GDP, and Hong Kong's economic development is still struggling to shake off an over-reliance on financial and professional services.

中美對抗的前景：理念之爭還是體制之爭? 國家主席習近平最近與美國總統拜登舉行視像峰會。有人可能認為中美關係會出現新轉機，但有鑑雙方基本態勢依舊，中美戰略對抗的格局不會因為最高領導人之間的會面而產生重大改變。

特首林鄭月娥在10月發表了最新一份《施政報告》，其中大篇幅強調推動新界北的發展，並重點推出了「北部都會區」戰略。北部都會區包括元朗和北區兩個地方行政區，佔地約300平方公里，計劃落成後可容納250萬人居住。北部都會區的構想展現了香港政府少見的宏大格局。社會各界對此反應熱烈，很多評論指出北部都會區的建設，有助緩解香港當前面臨的諸多問題，例如土地供應長期不足、產業結構單一、創科發展緩慢、經濟活動過度集中在維港兩岸等。但也有分析人士持觀望態度，主要是質疑香港政府對於這樣一個宏大規劃的實際執行能力。

The Hong Kong Productivity Council said on Monday technology companies are eager to manufacture more of their products in the SAR, but they need support to help nurture talent.

2018年諾貝爾經濟學獎得主William Nordhaus在領獎致詞時說，技術革新帶人類走出石器時代，但氣候變化卻以最嚴峻的方式，威脅將人類打回原形。氣候變化的危機、對策及國家之間的互動，將會是本世紀的主要議題之一。上周日開始在蘇格蘭格拉斯哥舉行的COP26 會議，可能是有關討論的一個里程碑。

The number of US firms using Hong Kong as a regional base has dropped sharply in the last decade while the number of mainland Chinese companies with a presence in the city more than doubled, according to official figures.