Overview of the Hetao Innovation Hub
The Hetao innovation hub, a pivotal cross-border initiative under Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis megaproject, has seen significant interest in its first phase. The chairman of the hub revealed that two of its wet laboratory buildings are fully leased, indicating strong demand from various enterprises.
According to Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming, who also chairs the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, over half of the tenant companies are from mainland China. As of the end of May, around 90 enterprises had signed contracts with the hub. Virtually all floor space in the two wet laboratory buildings has been leased out.
The companies come from a wide range of backgrounds, with mainland China accounting for about 51 per cent, local enterprises making up around 35 per cent, and overseas companies comprising roughly 14 per cent. These overseas enterprises include companies from South Korea, Switzerland, and Finland.
Among these enterprises, about 10 are listed leading corporations, while around 70 per cent are start-ups. The new tenants showed a mix of both large and small enterprises as the hub has some matching initiatives in place. The goal is to have the leading companies guide the start-ups to help them grow gradually.
Key Tenants and Development Progress
Among the leading enterprises are Lenovo from Hong Kong, the UK's AstraZeneca, and Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology. Choi added that, among the eight buildings in the first batch of Phase One, two are wet laboratories and one is a talent apartment complex, with all three now essentially fully utilised.
As for the remaining five buildings—including the No 1 multi-purpose building, which has already topped out and has about 70 per cent of its space leased—they are expected to be completed by the end of this year. Choi noted that nearly half of the leading corporations and start-ups are establishing a presence in Hong Kong for the first time.
He said that because the Loop serves as a cross-boundary collaboration platform between the mainland and Hong Kong, it offers unique advantages in attracting foreign firms to the innovation hub. "Many companies are eager to secure an early foothold here because of these advantages," he said.
Operational Framework and Future Plans
The innovation hub operates under the "one zone, two parks" vision. Choi also mentioned that personnel from the two zones would be subject to different immigration and customs arrangements. For example, Shenzhen personnel entering Hong Kong via the Lok Ma Chau Loop park would largely face no movement restrictions. However, Hong Kong personnel heading to the Shenzhen park will face restrictions such as immigration checks.
The Hong Kong park covers 87 hectares (215 acres), while Shenzhen's spans 302 hectares. The Hetao area plays a crucial role in advancing cooperation in the Greater Bay Area under the nation's 15th five-year plan. The Hong Kong park will be organised into specialised clusters covering fields such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence, and data science.
In a previous wide-ranging interview with the South China Morning Post, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said Hong Kong and mainland China were expected to begin sharing cross-border data within the year, when more companies will start operating in the Hetao innovation hub. He said a dedicated data facility was needed to ensure the relevant data remained securely within the Hong Kong park of the Hetao zone, adding that various life science and artificial intelligence (AI) firms had already expressed interest in the data-sharing policy.
No comments:
Post a Comment