On the morning of 28th January, 2026, MTel Telecommunications Company Limited, Zhejiang Y-Lab (Yongjiang Laboratory), and Wuhan YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company Limited) of Hubei Province held a grand inauguration ceremony for the joint “Joint Future Technology Laboratory” in the banquet hall on the 4th floor of Macau Tower. Dr. Choi Tak Meng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MTel Telecommunications Company Limited, delivered a speech at the ceremony, emphasizing that the launch of the laboratory marks a milestone in the three parties collaborative innovation efforts, and represents a concrete move to align with Macau’s "1+4" Development Plan for Appropriate Economic Diversification and Empower Regional Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation.

The ceremony was attended by a host of distinguished guests, including:

Mr. Lao Lan Wa, Deputy Director of the Macau Post and Telecommunications Bureau, representing Mr. Tam Vai Man the Secretary for Transport and Public Works; Mr. Chan Chou Weng, Acting Director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, representing Mr. Tai Kin Ip the Secretary for Economy and Finance; Mr. Cheang Kun Wai, Member of the Administrative Committee of the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund, representing the Chairman of the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund Mr. U U Sang; Mr. Zhang Zuowen, Director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau; Mr. Mok Sou Tou, Acting Director of the Transport Bureau; Professor Zhou Wanlei, Vice Rector of City University of Macau; Professor Sun Qiao, Dean of Faculty of Innovative Engineering at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST); and Mr. Hui Chi Yu, Senior Business Director of Bank of China Macau Branch, among other distinguished guests.Researcher Mi Xiaoyu, Chairman of Y-Lab (Yongjiang Laboratory); Mr. Yang Zhanbing, Chairman of Wuhan YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company) and Mr. Yang Huaxing, CTO of Cloud and Middle Platform of China Telecom Guangdong Branch, were invited to officiate at the inauguration ceremony, witnessing this significant moment together.

Dr. Choi Tak Meng first extended a warm welcome to the leaders, guests, and partners in attendance. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to friends from all sectors for their long-standing support of MTel Telecom's development and expressed his respect to the teams from all three parties for their efforts in establishing the laboratory.

He pointed out that, positioned as an important key city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Macau is leveraging the institutional advantages of “One Country, Two Systems,” the China-Portugal trade and economic cooperation platform, and its role as a bridge connecting domestic and international markets to vigorously advance the moderate diversification of its “1+4” industries.   High-tech industries are key to optimizing the industrial structure and fostering new-quality productive forces, and they serve as the core driver for Macau’s integration into the national science and technology innovation system; As a major homegrown telecom operator MTel Telecom remains committed to Macau's digital transformation through its city-wide network infrastructure and extensive public-private partnerships. The Joint Future Technology Laboratory marks an innovative fusion of research, technology and operations, directly connecting mainland China's technology resources with local industrial demand.

Joint Future Technology Laboratory, established through a tripartite partnership, represents not only an innovative integration of “research + technology + operations,” but also a precise alignment between high-quality science and technology resources from the mainland and Macau’s industrial needs. The laboratory will closely follow Macau’s “1+4” industrial orientation, focusing on three key areas: optical communications and next-generation information networks, electronic information materials and devices, and digital technology and its integration with local industries. It aims to establish a comprehensive science and technology innovation platform that integrates research, development, commercialization, and talent development. By leveraging the strengths of the three parties, the laboratory will generate a synergistic effect where “1+1+1>3” synergy effect thereby helping Macau to become a key hub for science and technology innovation in the Greater Bay Area and a centre for scientific and technological cooperation between the Mainland and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Dr Mi Xiaoyu, Chief Researcher at the Zhejiang Y-Lab (Yongjiang Laboratory), stated that as a key scientific research stronghold heavily invested in by Zhejiang Province, the Y-Lab (Yongjiang Laboratory) focuses on scientific and technological innovation in the field of new materials and boasts world-class research teams and advanced research facilities. He noted that, adhering to the philosophy of "complementary advantages, collaborative innovation, and win-win development", the laboratory has partnered with MTel Telecommunications Company Limited and Wuhan YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company Limited) to establish the project titled “Research and Application of High-Speed Architecture System for Multi-Wavelength Passive Optical Access Networks ", which ultimately gave birth to this co-created laboratory. Dr Mi added that it serves not only as a solid carrier for deepening cooperation, but also as an important front for focusing on key core technologies, cultivating innovative talent, and promoting the commercialisation of technological achievements, which will inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of optical communication technology.

Dr Yang Zhanbing, Chairman and General Manager of Wuhan YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company) pointed out that as a national Specialised, Refined, Distinctive and Innovative’ (SRI) ‘Little Giant’ enterprise, Wuhan YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company) is deeply engaged in the research and development of high-tech solutions for fiber optic access networks, possessing robust capabilities in core optical communication devices and technology transfer. As the primary access system service provider for MTel Telecom, YOTC (Yangtze Optical Technologies Company) will inject critical core technologies and efficient R&D (Research and Development) momentum into the joint laboratory, driving a precise alignment between scientific research outcomes and industrial demands.

Professor Sun Qiao, Dean of the Faculty of Innovation Engineering at the Macau University of Science and Technology, said in her speech that the three collaborating institutions possess deep expertise and powerful research capabilities across fields such as optical communications, advanced materials, smart manufacturing, and access network technologies. She stated that the Faculty looks forward to working closely with all partners to conduct forward-looking research using the laboratory as a platform, promote the transformation of scientific achievements, and cultivate talent with global perspectives and engineering capabilities, thereby jointly contributing to Macau's smart city applications and digital economy development.

Yang Huaxing, Director of the Cloud Platform at China Telecom Guangdong, mentioned in his speech that China Telecom's Shaoguan branch has reached an important cooperation agreement with MTel Telecom. The partnership will fully leverage the industrial advantages of the Shaoguan Data Centre cluster to build a "bridge" connecting Macau with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area computing hub. Shaoguan stands as South China's sole hub node in the national integrated computing network. Its computing cluster has established the largest intelligent computing hosting capacity in South China, with a total investment exceeding 60 billion RMB, and has also given rise to the world's first commercial Ascend supernode for intelligent computing.

Regarding the future development of the laboratory, Dr Choi Tak Meng proposed four major plans: First, the laboratory will deeply focus on Macau's local needs, emphasizing implementation and practical results, so that technological innovation directly serves urban development, industrial upgrading, and the improvement of public livelihoods; Second, it will build an open and collaborative platform, opening up its R&D (Research and Development)and testing resources to attract high-quality global scientific and technological forces, promoting the validation and transformation of cutting-edge technologies within Macau; Third, the laboratory will focus on the transformation of achievements, opening up the entire chain spanning "basic research, technological R&D (Research and Development), product testing, and market application." It will cultivate versatile scientific talent and construct an ecosystem that integrates industry, academia, research, and application. For instance, the partners plan to jointly develop wearable medical equipment such as smart bandages embedded with flexible sensors, achieving remote medical monitoring through NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) technology; Fourth, it will eye regional integration, using the laboratory as a vehicle to deepen scientific and technological cooperation between Macau and mainland provinces, while combining the advantages of Macau's platform for China and Portuguese-speaking countries to explore innovative development models, helping Macau integrate into the overall national development framework.

“With the surging tides of the Haojiang, Science and tech innovation sets sail; working together, we can look forward to a promising future.” Dr Choi Tak Meng stated at the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony that the moderate diversification of Macau’s industries is a long-term endeavor requiring sustained effort. The three parties, he concluded, will take the joint laboratory as a new starting point, using innovation as the sail and cooperation as the oar, to jointly cultivate the fruits of scientific innovation, create a brilliant technological calling card for Macau, write a new chapter in diversified industrial development, and forge new brilliance in the technological integration of the Greater Bay Area.

The participating organizations on the day are as follows:

Executive Council of the Macau SAR, Legislative Assembly of the Macau SAR, Macau Post and Telecommunications Bureau, Economic and Technological Development Bureau, Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, Transport Bureau, Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau, Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau, Macau Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center, Macau Science Center, Macau University of Science and Technology, City University of Macau, Macau Tourism University, Macau Polytechnic University, Companhia de Electricidade de Macau-CEM,S.A., Macau Water Supply Company Limited, Kiang Wu Hospital, Teledifusão de Macau,S.A., Macau Cable Television Company Limited, Macau Lotus TV Media via Satélite, Limitada, New H3C Group Co., Limited, China Telecom (Macau) Company Limited, Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited, China Communications Services (Macau) Company Limited, China Unicom (Macau) Operations Limited, Netcraft Information Technology (Macau) Limited, Macau Network Information Centre, Keng Ou Certified Public Accountants, OCT Law Firms, Bank of China Macau Branch, China Guangfa Bank Co., Ltd. Macau Branch, Tai Fung Bank Limited, Macau Pass Company Limited, Macau Pass Group Holdings Limited, AIA International Limited, Macau Institution of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Youth Committee of Macau Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Public Utilities Concern Association, Macau Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, General Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macau, Macau Civil Servants Federation, Macau Human Resources Association, Federal General Commercial Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises, Macau University of Science and Technology Alumni Association, Information Technology Association, Internet Society of Macau, Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District, Macau Institution of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, MIEME, Sun Yat-Sen University Macau Alumni Association, Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Macau Women’s General Association, Cheung Kwai Ching Designers Limited, and many other institutions.