What if crossing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border became so easy that people stopped thinking of it as crossing a border at all? The opening of the rebuilt Huanggang Port on Monday brings that possibility a step closer. With around-the-clock operations and an enhanced joint inspection system, a journey that once involved queues, shuttle buses and separate immigration checks can become significantly faster. Yet the port’s greatest value may lie beyond the minutes saved at the gates. It offers the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region an opportunity to turn closer ties with Shenzhen into new growth in innovation, business and tourism.

Designed to handle 200,000 passenger trips daily, with capacity potentially rising to 300,000 after the Northern Link Spur Line opens, the new port represents a major upgrade in cross-boundary travel. Under the joint inspection and one-time clearance arrangement, travelers can complete procedures for both sides through a single inspection process. Passenger clearance can fall from around 30 minutes to approximately five, while private cars can pass through in less than two minutes under the new integrated arrangements.

For frequent travelers, the benefits are more than a matter of convenience. Predictable journeys make cross-boundary commuting, business meetings and family visits easier to organize. When the cost of traveling between two cities falls, the range of opportunities people can realistically pursue expands. Integration becomes less an abstract policy ambition and more a practical part of everyday life.

Behind this improvement lies an equally important achievement. Hong Kong and Shenzhen have different administrative systems, data standards and security requirements. Making them work together requires careful coordination among multiple departments, compatible digital systems and secure information exchange. The new port demonstrates how technology and institutional cooperation can overcome practical barriers while respecting the distinct arrangements on each side.

This is a useful model for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Building infrastructure is essential, but the greater prize comes when the systems using that infrastructure work together. Huanggang shows how administrative innovation can complement physical investment, offering lessons for other areas of cross-boundary cooperation.

One of the biggest beneficiaries could be innovation and technology. The port sits close to the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, a strategic platform for research collaboration between the two cities. Hong Kong brings internationally connected universities, scientific talent and a strong research base. Shenzhen contributes advanced manufacturing, technology enterprises and extensive industrial supply chains. Together, they have the ingredients to turn scientific discoveries into commercial applications more effectively.

But innovation depends on more than laboratories and funding. Researchers need to move between facilities, exchange expertise and work with industry partners without unnecessary delays. The new port’s 24-hour operation and much faster clearance offer a practical advantage. Proposed arrangements such as a whitelist system for eligible researchers could further simplify routine journeys between the two sides of Hetao. Planned transport improvements, including a cross-river bridge targeted for completion in 2027, could strengthen this relationship further.

The ambition should be to make cross-boundary research feel as natural as moving between neighboring campuses. That will require continued progress on researcher access, equipment movement, data governance and intellectual property protection. With the right arrangements, Hetao could become a compelling example of how two cities with different systems can combine their strengths to accelerate innovation.

The same opportunity extends to Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis. The removal of cargo inspection functions at the rebuilt port releases more than 40 hectares (0.4 square kilometers) of land for development, creating additional scope for the wider Hetao area. Together with improved transport links, this could support a more integrated ecosystem of universities, research centers, technology companies and supporting businesses.

The SAR government now has an opportunity to align these investments with a clearer economic vision. Accelerating the Northern Link and its spur line, attracting high-quality research institutions and encouraging technology enterprises to establish a presence in the area would help turn the Northern Metropolis from a development blueprint into a productive economic cluster. The objective should be not simply to build more facilities, but to create an environment where talent, research and capital reinforce one another.

There is also a more immediate opportunity to capture economic value from the port’s around-the-clock operations. Late-night dining, shopping, cultural events and tourism could benefit from a more convenient flow of visitors between the two cities. Hong Kong’s northern districts could develop distinctive experiences that encourage travelers to stay longer and spend locally, including food, cultural attractions and nature-based tourism.

The key is to turn passenger volume into genuine economic activity. Convenient onward transport, clear directions, attractive destinations and services that meet travelers’ needs will help determine whether the port becomes a gateway to local businesses or simply a place people pass through. Good planning can create opportunities for surrounding communities while ensuring that increased traffic is managed effectively.

These ambitions also fit Hong Kong’s broader development priorities. The city’s first five-year plan, announced last month, seeks to align local development more closely with national priorities, including deeper integration into the Greater Bay Area. Huanggang gives that ambition a tangible expression, demonstrating how infrastructure and institutional innovation can support economic cooperation.

The next phase should focus on results. How much easier will it be for researchers to collaborate? How many businesses will benefit from more efficient journeys? How quickly can released land support productive activity? And how much new spending can surrounding communities attract? These are the measures that will determine the port’s lasting contribution.

Huanggang Port has made crossing the border faster. The bigger opportunity is to make the region more innovative, commercially dynamic and attractive to talent. A gateway is valuable not merely because it moves people through it, but because of what happens on the other side. If Hong Kong and Shenzhen build on this achievement with thoughtful planning and sustained cooperation, the new port could become a catalyst for a more competitive Greater Bay Area, and a stronger platform for Hong Kong’s next chapter of growth.

The author is chairman of the Asia MarTech Society and sits on the advisory boards of several professional organizations, including two universities.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.