{
  "id": 17090114,
  "title": "Securing a Global Giant: HKSTP Lands Merck to Power Hong Kong’s I&T Ambitions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/securing-a-global-giant-hkstp-lands-merck-to-power-hong-kongs-i-t",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-29T16:00:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Tech",
    "slug": "scmp-tech",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/presented/tech/topics/hkstp-powering-hks-it-development/article/3372428/securing-global-giant-hkstp-lands-merck-power-hong-kongs-it-ambitions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong's Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has secured a significant partnership with the global pharmaceutical company Merck to bolster the city's innovation and technology sector. Under the leadership of HKSTP CEO Terry Wong, the organization is proactively seeking out global capabilities to meet the national 15th Five-Year Plan's goals and Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan objectives. The October 26 deal brings a Merck Hong Kong Centre into the Hong Kong Science Park, providing local startups with immediate access to Merck's scientific products, live demonstrations, and expert consultation. Additionally, the partnership will involve co-organizing technical training, clinical advisory sessions, and an annual Merck Innovation Day. Rogier Janssens, president of Merck China, described this as a \"first strategic move\" to identify and nurture promising ideas early on. Wong emphasized the importance of Hong Kong as a gateway to the European and US markets, as gaining regulatory approval in Hong Kong could facilitate product entry into these regions. For HKSTP, this partnership exemplifies the translation of the 15th Five-Year Plan into reality by embedding a global giant like Merck into the local ecosystem. This not only brings foreign direct investment but also injects world-class R&D capabilities and global commercial networks into Hong Kong's life and health technology sector. HKSTP's strategy focuses on upgrading the quality and commercialization of local research rather than just expanding in size. Initiatives such as the TechXchange platform and the proposed I&T Application Scenario Promotion Centre further demonstrate HKSTP's commitment to creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem. For foreign companies, Hong Kong offers a gateway to international regulatory recognition and global distribution, while mainland companies benefit from the familiarity of the Hong Kong regulatory environment. Ultimately, HKSTP measures success beyond financial valuations, focusing on the impact of products and contributions to Hong Kong's technological self-reliance.",
  "summary": "[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] As Hong Kong pushes towards its first Five-Year Plan target of raising R&D expenditure to 3% of GDP, the city’s largest I&T flagship, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), is taking a more aggressive approach to bring in global capabilities. Under the leadership of CEO Terry Wong, HKSTP is aligning…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}