The Northern Metropolis is not only a key engine of Hong Kong’s future growth, but also central to the special administrative region’s integration into the nation’s broader development strategies, said Linda So Wai-sze, the head of Northern Metropolis Coordination Office.
Dedicated legislation to accelerate Northern Metropolis development is targeted for completion this year, the official added, vowing to provide tailored support for enterprises to meet their different needs.
So made the remarks on Monday at a forum, organized by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, on new opportunities for the HKSAR under the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).
Adopted in March, the national strategic blueprint pledges support for Hong Kong to fast-track the development of the Northern Metropolis -- a mega project spanning about 30,000 hectares across the city’s Yuen Long and North districts and envisioned as an integrated living and economic hub.
To speed up the project, the HKSAR government has submitted legislation proposals to the Legislative Council, with a two-month public consultation underway and set to conclude by May 22.
So said the government is sparing no effort to advance the project. Once passed, the dedicated legislation is expected to remove development barriers and ease restrictions, expediting statutory procedures related to issues such as land planning, administration, and construction.
It will also help strengthen integration with the Chinese mainland by facilitating cross-border flows of people, goods, capital and data, she added.
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong, who also attended the forum, said about 80 technology companies and institutions have established a presence in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.
The park, which is part of the Northern Metropolis project, officially began operations last December. Sun said nearly 90 percent of the space in the park’s two finished wet-lab buildings has already been leased, with another five buildings scheduled to be completed this year.
Sun said the HKSAR government is also stepping up efforts to develop more research and development institutes and support projects in cutting-edge fields such as healthcare technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as sustainable energy and new materials.
“We aim to bring together more world-class innovation resources, strengthen our research capabilities and drive further technological breakthroughs and the commercialization of research outcomes, so as to bolster Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development, and contribute to the development of the country’s new-quality productive forces,” Sun said.
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To better align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, the HKSAR government aims to roll out its own five-year development blueprint this year, which Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has described as “a guiding framework for pioneering new horizons and achieving a new leap forward for Hong Kong”.
Also speaking at the forum on Monday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po stressed the importance of the city’s first five-year plan, saying that Hong Kong, as a small but highly open economy, needs a clear roadmap at a time when global supply, industrial, capital and innovation chains are being rapidly reshaped.
Chan said Hong Kong should explore three key directions over the next five years, including leveraging AI to empower its industrial ecosystem.
“In this era of AI transformation, Hong Kong does not need to be a jack of all trades, but it must position itself as a super connector -- linking world-class research, the mainland’s powerful manufacturing capabilities, and global capital networks,” he added.
Contact the writer at gabylin@chinadailyhk.com
