Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong on Wednesday said that 100 enterprises in the SAR have expressed interest in signing up for an initiative that allows for smoother flow of data between Hong Kong and nine cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Last June, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the national internet regulator, Cyberspace Administration of China, signed an agreement to facilitate data flow within the GBA.

This was followed by the launch of the "GBA Standard Contract" in December, which allows businesses in Hong Kong and their mainland counterparts to exchange each other's personal information upon signing the contract.

The initiative is currently limited to the banking, credit reporting, and healthcare sectors.

Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme, Sun said 100 firms showed interest in the initiative, and if everything goes well it would be expanded to all sectors in the next few months.

He reassured the public that while the initiative streamlines data transfers from the mainland to Hong Kong, the flow of data in the opposite position is still under strict regulation.

“All data leaving Hong Kong must still obtain consent from the person involved and authorised by the person involved. Second, data transfers are strictly regulated by the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance."

“Hong Kong has always had a strong awareness of protecting personal privacy, both at government and civil levels,” he added.

Separately, Sun said Hong Kong's technology sector is thriving, noting that many start-ups began operations over the past year.

The tech chief said the government has put a lot of effort in encouraging universities to shift their focus from solely research, to turning their ideas into real-world products and businesses.