Since its official opening in December 2025, the HSITP has attracted more than 60 local and overseas I&T enterprises and research institutions to sign tenancy agreements. The occupancy rate of the two wet laboratory buildings currently exceeds 80%. Vincent Ma, Chief Executive Officer of HSITP, pointed out that the tenant enterprises are mainly concentrated in artificial intelligence and data science, as well as life and health technology, which together account for approximately 80%. The remainder are in advanced manufacturing, covering cutting-edge areas such as microelectronics, new energy and robotics. These include leading enterprises such as Meta Intelligent Technology, HaiChen Energy Storage, Goertek Microelectronics, Shokz Technology and the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. This demonstrates that the Park already possesses the capability to attract high-quality institutions to settle.
Leveraging the “one zone, two parks” advantage
Ma believed that the greatest strength of the HSITP lies in leveraging the “one zone, two parks” advantage. The Hetao Co-operation Zone adopts the development model of “one river, two banks, one zone, two parks”, in which the Hong Kong Park and the Shenzhen Park complement each other in institutional and industrial strengths, forming a collaborative innovation pattern. He explained that the HKSAR Government is advancing the cross-boundary facilitation of people flow, logistics, capital flow and data flow through the dedicated legislation for the Northern Metropolis (“dismantling walls and loosening bonds”) and the white list mechanism in the Hetao Co-operation Zone. It is also promoting mutual recognition of cross-boundary standards and regulatory coordination. The construction of the western cross-river pedestrian bridge connecting the two parks has commenced, with the target of completion before 2027. This will further facilitate the movement of research personnel between the two places.
In the overall layout of the Northern Metropolis, the HSITP and the San Tin Technopole form a clear division of labor. Ma stated that the Hetao Hong Kong Park focuses on “R&D + pilot production”, while the San Tin Technopole undertakes prototype development and mass production stages. This division provides enterprises with a complete space from R&D to industrialization. It also closely integrates with the industrial chain of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). This helps enhance the efficiency of integrating the innovation chain and industrial chain, and strengthens Hong Kong’s bridging role in the Greater Bay Area.
International talent and national planning
Facing global I&T competition, Ma considered that the unique advantage of the HSITP lies in its position of being backed by the motherland while connecting to the world. Combined with institutional innovation under “One Country, Two Systems” and the “One Zone, Two Parks” arrangement, it can link international research resources with the complete industrial chain of the Greater Bay Area. The Park focuses on developing life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, as well as advanced manufacturing. It provides wet laboratory facilities that meet international standards. Through incubation programs, the Park attracts talent from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas. Talent apartments and other supporting facilities are also being progressively improved, receiving positive feedback.
Ma pointed out that the HSITP closely aligns with the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan. Through the “R&D + pilot production” model, it fills the critical gap in the commercialization of research outcomes, promotes deep integration of the innovation chain and industrial chain, and focuses on areas such as artificial intelligence and life and health technology to help cultivate new quality productive forces. Leveraging the advantages of “One Country, Two Systems”, the Park can pool global resources and support enterprises to “go global”, becoming an important source of new quality productive forces in the Northern Metropolis.
Opportunities for the business community
For the Hong Kong business community, Ma indicated that the greatest opportunity of settling in the HSITP is to connect research resources, the Greater Bay Area’s industrial system and international markets, thereby accelerating enterprise R&D, transformation and business upgrading. He believed that the Chamber can play a bridging role by promoting connections between member enterprises and research institutions, organizing study visits and project matching platforms, and assisting enterprises to better participate in the development of the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Co-operation Zone.
Looking ahead to the next five to ten years, Ma believed that as the Northern Metropolis continues to advance, the HSITP will become an important driving force for Hong Kong’s high-quality economic development and help form the “South Finance, North Innovation” pattern. By 2030, the first phase of the Park will be completed and the innovation ecosystem will take initial shape. By 2035, the Hetao Co-operation Zone will move towards an internationally leading level, gathering top-tier teams, strengthening pilot production and transformation capabilities, and injecting strong momentum into Hong Kong’s economic restructuring, GDP contribution and job creation.
