Can John Lee untie the 4 knots choking the tech loop in Northern Metropolis?
In the second of our series of previews on the five-year plan and policy address, to be announced on September 16, Elizabeth Cheung and Vivian Au drill down on what’s holding back the Northern Metropolis. Read part one here. For employees of surgical robotics company Yuanhua Tech, travelling between their Shenzhen base in Nanshan district and its Hong Kong office in the Science Park means a…
The Northern Metropolis region faces several challenges in its development, according to experts analyzing the plans for its future. One of the most significant obstacles is the difficulty in moving four critical elements - personnel, capital, data and materials - within the innovation zone proposed by Hong Kong's city leader, John Lee Ka-chiu. This issue has been causing bottlenecks in research, recruitment and operations, stalling the zone's potential growth.
For instance, Yuanhua Tech, a surgical robotics company based in Shenzhen, experiences a two-hour commute for its employees traveling between their headquarters in Nanshan district and the company's Hong Kong office in the Science Park. Additionally, transferring money from the Shenzhen headquarters to the Hong Kong office can take up to two months, causing delays when funds are urgently needed.
However, the Hong Kong office is set to move into the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park at the border with mainland China by the end of this year. This move could potentially address the current bottlenecks, with city experts emphasizing the importance of timely movement of the four elements. They anticipate that once these barriers are removed, travel time between the company's offices in the Hetao area and Shenzhen could be cut by half, leading to increased efficiency for staff.
Moreover, establishing a manufacturing base in Hong Kong would enable Yuanhua Tech to have faster access to the supply chain and higher efficiency in producing surgical robots. The company plans to set up a manufacturing base in Hong Kong while keeping the supply chain for parts used in the robots in Shenzhen. This strategic move could also facilitate the products' entry into international markets.
The national 15th five-year plan, released in March, focuses on the development of emerging strategic industries such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology, robotics, aviation and aerospace, and new energy. The Hong Kong park within the cooperation zone aims to develop six pillar industries, including life and health technology, AI and data science, new energy, new materials, microelectronics and robotics.
These industries align with the national plan's goals, making the park a crucial test bed for seamless cross-border flow of the four key elements.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
