Hetao has solidified its position as a linchpin for integrating innovation resources of Shenzhen and Hong Kong over the past two years, fostering a hub where research, manufacturing and market access converge, officials and business leaders said.
They made their remarks on Friday, which marked the second anniversary of the launch of the development plan for Hetao’s Shenzhen Park.
The 3.89-square-kilometer Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, located in the Lok Ma Chau Loop near the border and consisting of a Shenzhen Park and a Hong Kong Park, serves as an important platform for promoting innovation and technology cooperation between the two cities.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, issued the development plan for Shenzhen Park on Aug 8, 2023, aiming to build it into a world-class science and technology pivot.
ALSO READ: Exclusive: Hetao’s HK Park set to welcome first tenants soon
Remarkable progress has been made since the launch of the blueprint. According to official statistics, Hetao has attracted more than 440 tech enterprises and 15,000 scientific research talents, with over 100 high-tech research projects underway. Several Fortune Global 500 companies, including Apple, Siemens and Starbucks, have set up research and development centers within the zone.
Zhong Hai, director of the development office of the Hetao cooperation zone’s Shenzhen Park, said that the key to Hetao becoming a world-class scientific research hub lies in developing a systematic institutional framework focused on facilitating the cross-border flow of scientific research elements.
“This means an all-around opening-up centered on ‘global talents’, oriented towards the ‘entire innovation process’ and advocating ‘cultural diversity’,” Zhong said. Qiu Hesong, founder and president of Hong Kong-based medical tech firm Jiying Technology, which specializes in artificial intelligence-powered genetic tech development and applications, said Hetao’s preferential policies have made cross-border movement much easier for researchers, which helps save time and costs for the company’s research.
“The mainland’s massive market offers an ideal testing ground for large-scale applications that are nearly impossible to replicate in Hong Kong or overseas. This is where Hetao’s role as a bridge between the country and the outside world shines,” he said.
ALSO READ: 23 Greater Bay Area firms make Fortune Global 500 list
Qiu added that Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch's support in terms of resources, partnerships and funding has played a vital role in promoting its growth on the mainland. “We have so far signed cooperative agreements with 42 mainland hospitals and are in talks with 400 to 500 more, which is a huge leap from about a dozen hospital partnerships back in 2023, when we moved into the park,” he said.
Ada Sun, chief operating officer of Vista InnoTech, which is based in Hong Kong with a subsidiary in Shenzhen, hailed Hetao as a “guidepost”, giving her company “the best of both worlds”. The firm develops miniature gimbal-stabilized camera modules from Shenzhen while tapping Hong Kong’s international networks for global outreach.
She said that Shenzhen boasts an unparalleled microelectronics supply chain, adding, “You can find every component in the city, down to the smallest screw.” Meanwhile, Hong Kong plays a crucial role in expanding international client networks and facilitating the export of technology and products worldwide.
Chen Yang contributed to this story.
