Guangzhou's Nansha district, which is part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, is to establish four startup and internship bases this year for young professionals from Hong Kong and Macao, focusing on cultural exchanges, creative design and talent training.

Talents in liberal arts will also be offered a platform to bring their innovative ideas into full play with another facility dealing with startups in the sector.

However, most of the existing incubators favor technology innovation startups.

Johnny Ng, founder and chairman of Hong Kong-based investment company Goldford Venture, said a survey of about 1,000 graduates in Guangdong province and Hong Kong has found that 25 percent more Hong Kong youths taking up science and engineering prefer to setting up their own businesses than those in liberal arts.

He pointed out that the innovative projects of liberal arts students are mostly culture-related, and have encountered obstacles in raising funds due to a lack of technology elements.

Gao Fei, president of the Youth Federation in Nansha, said one of the new platforms will be an incubator for cultural creativity, new media operators and innovative design.

He said it is expected to open after next month's Spring Festival.

Gao said there's also a base specializing in industrial design, integrating the advanced manufacture industry in the Pearl River Delta and design talents in Hong Kong.

Apartments will be provided for talents in the zone to reduce their costs of starting a career away from their hometowns.

A delegation of more than 150 talents from Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou visited Nansha last Friday to Sunday, and many of them found the area ideal for realizing their dreams.

Tang Loong-wai, a young professional in music, said he planned to build an international music training institute on the mainland, and found Nansha an attractive place to start with.

"I'd like to open a company in Nansha because of the opportunities here as the starting point of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Tang, "We'd like to create our own brand here at first and then expand to Southeast Asian nations through activities, such as competitions."

He found the Hong Kong market for high-end education relatively saturated, while it's just taking off on the mainland and in Southeast Asia.

But Hong Kong has a matured system and rich talents in this field, Tang added.

grace@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 01/19/2016 page8)