Kazakhstan, Hong Kong ‘can build biotech unicorns by linking talent and capital’

Kazakhstan and Hong Kong could collaborate to create biotech unicorns, private companies valued at over $1 billion, by linking the country's skilled workforce with Hong Kong's global financial network, according to Huck-Hui Ng, dean of medicine at Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev University. Ng observed this potential during a panel at the South China Morning Post’s inaugural “China Conference: Central Asia 2026” in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

He emphasized the opportunity to connect entrepreneurs with capital, ideas, and government support across the two regions. Kazakhstan aims to become a regional healthcare hub, having recently earned WHO certification for meeting global drug standards. The nation has also attracted manufacturing investments from overseas drugmakers, including Chinese companies, and is implementing AI for diagnostics across clinics.

The Kazakhstani tech sector already boasts a unicorn, Higgsfield AI, a startup valued at $1.3 billion in February 2023. Hong Kong’s experience offers valuable lessons for Kazakhstan’s biotech development, stressing the importance of university-level support, including research funding. Fariza Zhorabek, research and development lead at Allegrow Biotech, a Hong Kong University of Science and Technology spin-off, noted the company's support from HKUST’s entrepreneurship center, which provided intellectual property management and facility establishment.

Additionally, Hong Kong's patient capital, consisting of experienced biotech investors, could be beneficial for Kazakhstan. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park at Lok Ma Chau Loop fosters connections between the two regions, offering facilities to speed up product rollouts and establish production capabilities.

Chinese drugmakers, such as Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Kangtai Biological Technology, have invested in Kazakhstan for enhanced local drug production.