The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government unveiled a top-level design outline for transforming the 210-hectare San Tin Technopole into midstream innovation and technology facilities for prototyping, pilot production, and small-scale manufacturing, with the goal of developing a full industry value chain that integrates upstream, midstream, and downstream industries.
Upon full operation, San Tin Technopole will contribute at least HK$250 billion ($32.1 billion) to Hong Kong’s GDP annually and provide over 300,000 full-time jobs such as research and development experts, advanced production staff, and support personnel.
The administration on Thursday promulgated the Conceptual Outline of the Development Plan for the Innovation and Technology Industry in the San Tin Technopole. According to the outline, the development of San Tin Technopole will start next year, and the development stage will consist of five phases, with the goal of completing the initial general layout of the industrial development within the next 10 years.
The layout of the new innovation and technology (I&T) land in the San Tin Technopole will be divided and developed into three development hubs (Hetao Hub, Chau Tau Hub, and Ki Lun Hub) and three industry development corridors focusing on the life and health technology, artificial intelligence and robotics, and microelectronics and advanced industry.
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Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said San Tin Technopole has three major advantages. First, it enjoys a location that can facilitate the commercialization of cross-border R&D results.
“It is adjacent to the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and closely connected to the I&T ecosystems of Futian and Huanggang. As a natural extension of the Hong Kong Park, the new I&T land in the San Tin area can integrate with the comprehensive industry supply chains in the mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, facilitating the transformation and industrialisation of research outcomes derived from the Hong Kong Park,” Sun said at the Thursday news conference.
The technology chief said it is paramount for Hong Kong to build up a certain degree of commercialization and implementation including pilot-scale and small-scale production. Without this, high-value-added industries cannot be established in Hong Kong and talent cannot be attracted, and the mission entrusted to Hong Kong by the country to become a high-end talent hub cannot be fulfilled.
Second, the 210 hectares of new I&T land can meet the spatial needs of different segments of the industry chain, enterprises of varying scales and different technology fields, giving it a scale advantage.
San Tin Technopole also enjoys an excellent transportation network and is close to Shenzhen and the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park, providing a favourable ecological environment and strengths as a livable place.
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Sun said that even upon full operation of San Tin Technopole, the SAR’s other two I&T developments — Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport — will retain their own unique positioning in Hong Kong’s I&T development.
“Cyberport focuses on big data and cybersecurity, and Science Park is a comprehensive industry-academia platform with multiple R&D centers. While Hetao focuses on R&D, San Tin Technopole serves as an extension to commercialize Hetao’s scientific and technological achievements,” he said.
The outline raises the likelihood of the government establishing a dedicated company for developing San Tin Technopole in collaboration with market forces, thereby leveraging market resources to accelerate development and optimize development costs.
Permanent secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi said, “The dedicated company development model will have a very good guiding effect on attracting efficient market capital and technology, with a certain degree of flexibility retained in the structure.”
Under the development model, the government may establish a main company that can own subsidiary companies to handle the investment models of individual plots and the needs of different enterprises, he added.
