First building in Hong Kong’s university town project to be ready in months

Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, revealed on Wednesday that the first building in the Northern Metropolis' university town project will be completed by the end of the year. The flagship tower, named Loop Academy One, will bring together leading local and international universities to drive synergy among industries, academia, and research.

The three university towns - San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu, and Ta Kwu Ling - were proposed in 2024 and aim to foster integration between education, technology, and talent development.

The San Tin University Town, originally allocated 52 hectares, will see its core campus expand to 300 hectares with the addition of a large plot near the rail station. The Hung Shui Kiu University Town, originally 22 hectares, and Ta Kwu Ling University Town, originally 40 hectares, will also be expanded as part of the project. The updated sizes of the three towns were to be announced by No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki.

The first building, located in San Tin, will serve as a hub for cutting-edge research across various fields, including medicine, life and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and microelectronics. The project is expected to be self-financing, with the government offering support through measures such as land premium exemptions and loans. Institutions can also leverage their reserves or issue bonds to fund their building projects in the university towns.