As countries find a path to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, Macau, a special administrative region on the south coast of China, could serve as a key platform, connecting traditional industries with emerging industries, Foxconn founder Terry Gou said on Tuesday during the BEYOND Virtual conference.

On Tuesday, the BEYOND Expo opens online with BEYOND Virtual, a nearly month-long online conference. BEYOND Virtual will offer 18 panel discussions, featuring 40 distinguished speakers from around the world. The panels will provide deep-dive discussions on trending and critical topics in the tech sector. The Expo will host an on-site event from December 2 to 4 at the Venetian Macao Convention and Exhibition Center.

Below is the transcript of the opening day speech from Terry Gou, Founder of Foxconn. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.


Terry Gou, Founder, Foxconn

First, I would like to congratulate the successful opening of BEYOND Expo 2021 in Macau. I wish BEYOND every success from Taiwan.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have continued to pay huge amounts of social costs. The world is also facing the issue of transformation and is developing a new model of globalization. Therefore, at this critical moment, Macau will have the opportunity to play an important role in bridging the East and the West, linking traditional industries and emerging industries, and recreating Macau’s historical brilliance.

We have now entered the third decade of the 21st century. It is foreseeable that this decade will be a decade in which technological progress and innovation dominate economic growth and development. I think the Asia-Pacific region, mainland China, and its three regions will be one of the regions with the most potential for technological development, and it is also an important region that leads industrial tech innovation.

Therefore, we also believe that the Asia-Pacific region needs an international technology platform to promote Asia-Pacific innovation to the world and to discover and gather global innovations.

Today, technology is affecting and transforming various traditional industries. Technological innovations that drive world progress could also contribute to the sustainable development of the global economy, society, and environment. We are on the cusp of transformation. Innovation will bring huge opportunities to various industries.

It is a pity that I cannot participate in the BEYOND International Technology Innovation Expo in Macau. I believe that BEYOND Expo will bring the world’s attention to Macau, and to the power of innovation in Asia. I look forward to participating in the next BEYOND. Together, I will be working hard with you for a better future.

BEYOND Virtual kicks off on November 9th with ‘What’s Next?’ from global industry leaders & investors