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Ying Xu

Weishi Zhang

The recent opening of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Hetao cooperation zone is a defining milestone in Hong Kong’s journey to become an international tech hub.
Heralded by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu as a pivotal moment for local innovation, this is more than just a new facility; it marks a strategic transformation in Hong Kong’s economic identity. The park is designed as a world-class industry-academia-research platform for collaboration, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
However, its success depends on a seamless integration into the Greater Bay Area. Cross-border collaboration challenges remain, particularly concerning the movement of data, knowledge, talent and capital across administrative boundaries.
From an industrial perspective, the Hetao park underscores Hong Kong’s deliberate shift from virtual digital industries towards tangible hi-tech, high-value production, such as biotechnology and AI.
The park’s research-plus-industrial pilot testing model is a critical step in this transition – bridging the gap between the city’s strong academic research (powered by its top-rated universities) and commercialisation, while embedding Hong Kong’s innovation chain into the Greater Bay Area’s supply networks, market and manufacturing ecosystem to create globally competitive “Innovated in Hong Kong” brands.
Spatially, the Hetao park illustrates a significant geographical reorientation of Hong Kong’s innovation and tech ambitions, expanding beyond the traditional urban areas to the very edge of the border with Shenzhen. This is not merely a response to land scarcity, but a strategic move to enhance physical and functional connectivity within the Greater Bay Area.

Located at the natural confluence of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Innovation Corridor, the park acts as a gateway – transforming a once-peripheral area into a central node in a regional network. Infrastructure such as the new cross‑border bridge reduces the friction of distance, turning the vision of an integrated Bay-area economy into reality.
From an innovation ecosystem perspective, the cooperation zone embodies the maturation of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong innovation axis and the broader Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong knowledge corridor, having attracted at least 60 enterprises.
The “one zone, two parks” structure fosters a complementary dynamic: Hong Kong contributes its international outlook, robust intellectual property protection and world-class research talent, while Shenzhen provides rapid prototyping capabilities, advanced manufacturing and access to a vast domestic market.
This collaborative ecosystem accelerates technology transfers, facilitates joint international ventures and strengthens the Greater Bay Area’s innovation resilience, advancing it towards a self-sustaining global science tech hub.
However, the path faces systemic challenges rooted in cross-border governance. First, the operational mechanics for cross-regional integrated innovations remain complex. Differing legal and regulatory systems between Hong Kong and mainland cities can create coordination gaps.


Second, restrictions in cross-border flows of data, technology and knowledge – critical in the AI era – risk hindering collaborative research and development. Third, barriers to capital mobility persist, despite special arrangements. Broader limits on cross-border capital flows can restrict venture funding and scale-up financing.
Finally, talent mobility can be impeded by visa barriers, differing recognition of professional credentials and lifestyle disparities, deterring the movement of key researchers and entrepreneurs.
Addressing these challenges requires Hong Kong to leverage its unique institutional strengths while aligning with broader national and Greater Bay Area innovation strategies. The solution lies in bold institutional experimentation within the Hetao zone.
Hong Kong should advocate for this area to become a genuine policy test field, implementing pioneering measures such as a “white list” system for credentialled researchers, expanded cross-border financial facilitation, secure data-sharing frameworks and joint governance bodies like a Hetaco cooperative council as a dedicated forum to resolve administrative hurdles and coordinate development.

Furthermore, Hong Kong must fully embrace its role as the Greater Bay Area’s “superconnector”, leveraging its international networks to attract global research and development investment and help mainland innovations access international markets. Deeper collaboration with Shenzhen on shared infrastructure – such as joint laboratories – will reinforce trust and interdependence.
In essence, Hetao park is a powerful symbol of Hong Kong’s reimagined future in the national and global innovation landscape. By leveraging local strengths and responding to the cross-border and regional coordinated development strategy, Hong Kong is executing a strategic pivot towards tangible hi-tech development, a geographical leap into cross-border integration and a commitment to innovation ecosystem synergy.
Realising this depends on the ability of all stakeholders to break new ground in cross-border cooperation. It will not only steer Hong Kong’s economic future but also significantly advance the Greater Bay Area’s ambition to become a fluid, dynamic and globally competitive hub for scientific and technological innovation.


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An aerial view of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park which, together with the Shenzhen park on the other side of the river, forms the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, seen on December 22. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (centre right) and other Hong Kong and mainland officials attend the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park on December 22. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (right), at the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Northern Metropolis, with (from left) Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xu Qifang on December 22. Photo: Eugene Lee

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The city is pivoting towards hi-tech development and greater cross-border integration while committing to innovation ecosystem synergy


The city is pivoting towards hi-tech development and greater cross-border integration while committing to innovation ecosystem synergy.


Hong Kong Science & Technology Park

Shenzhen

Greater Bay Area

Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI)

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China technology

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Greater Bay Area: Business, Property & Tech

AI: Policy

Northern Metropolis

John Lee

Regulation

Hong Kong innovators

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Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


With Hetao tech hub, Hong Kong is reimagining its economic future

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The city is pivoting towards hi-tech development and greater cross-border integration while committing to innovation ecosystem synergy

The city is pivoting towards hi-tech development and greater cross-border integration while committing to innovation ecosystem synergy