{
  "id": 6258834,
  "title": "SZ-HK-Guangzhou cluster tops innovation index again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/sz-hk-guangzhou-cluster-tops-innovation-index-again",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T08:27:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK English",
    "slug": "rthk-english",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1869258-20260908.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster secured the top position in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII) for the second consecutive year, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The announcement highlighted the cluster's exceptional innovation capacity and a robust I&T-supporting financing ecosystem within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A government spokesman expressed welcome for the ranking, which affirmed the area's outstanding innovation and technological advancements. The spokesman noted that advancing I&T development had been a top priority for the administration, and the results were beginning to show. Over the past decade, the number of start-ups in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) had increased more than threefold, reaching over 5,200 in 2024. The Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, as flagship tech hubs, have nurtured approximately 20 unicorns. Even as it only opened in December 2024, the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone has already attracted more than 100 technology enterprises and institutions to sign leases. The spokesman also emphasized that Hong Kong ranked second in Asia, following the mainland, in private equity assets under management, with nearly US$250 billion. The government has been intensifying the development of venture financing as a critical element of Hong Kong's I&T and commercialization ecosystem. Looking ahead, the SAR administration plans to align closely with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan to strengthen the city's strategic position as an international I&T hub. Hong Kong is also set to enhance collaboration with Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities to contribute to the country's overall development. The GII Cluster ranking assesses local innovation clusters by considering three key metrics: international patent filings through WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), scientific publications produced, and completed venture capital deals. For the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster, these metrics indicate more than 2,200 PCT applications, over 4,000 scientific articles, and roughly 140 venture capital deals per million inhabitants over the past five years.",
  "summary": "For the second straight year, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster retained its top spot in 2026 in the latest Global Innovation Index (GII) of the world's top 100 innovation clusters which was published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on Tuesday. “We warmly welcome the innovation cluster ranking published by WIPO, which reaffirms the outstanding innovative capacity and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTHK News",
        "title": "SZ-HK-Guangzhou cluster tops innovation index again",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/sz-hk-guangzhou-cluster-tops-innovation-index-again-6258987",
        "published": "2026-09-08T08:27:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}