SZ-HK-Guangzhou cluster tops innovation index again

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster has topped the Global Innovation Index (GII) for the second consecutive year, according to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Speaking to the news, a government spokesman expressed delight at the ranking, which highlights the region's exceptional innovative capacity and robust innovation and technology (I&T) support ecosystem.

The spokesman noted that advancing I&T development has been a priority for the administration and is beginning to yield positive results.

Over the past decade, the number of start-ups in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) has skyrocketed, leaping more than threefold to exceed 5,200. The city's two major technology hubs, the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, have already given birth to around 20 unicorns. Moreover, over 100 technology enterprises and institutions have already inked leases with the newly opened Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, despite its inauguration just last December.

The spokesman also highlighted the importance of the San Tin Technopole in the integrated development of upstream, midstream, and downstream industries. Meanwhile, Hong Kong ranks second in Asia for private equity assets under management, with nearly US$250 billion, and has been ramping up venture financing as a critical component of the city's I&T and commercialization ecosystem.

Looking forward, the government spokesman affirmed that Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) would align with China's 15th Five-Year Plan to strengthen the city's strategic position as an international I&T hub. The spokesman further emphasized that Hong Kong would intensify collaboration with GBA cities, contributing to the nation's development.