On December 22, the Hong Kong Zone of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Cooperation Area officially opened. Officials from Hong Kong SAR, the central authorities and Shenzhen attended the ceremony. Key enterprises have settled here, with international R&D centers launched officially.
On December 22, the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Zone of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Cooperation Area was held. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, Xu Qifang and Zhou Ji from the Central and Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, and Luo Huanghao, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, officiated at the ceremony. A key settled enterprise attended the event and announced the official launch of its Hong Kong International R&D Centre in the zone.
Opening Ceremony
Photo Source: China News Service
This layout marks a crucial step in global industrial layout expansion, injecting new momentum into in-depth collaboration on green energy and technological innovation across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. As one of the four major cooperation platforms of the Greater Bay Area under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the Hong Kong Zone of Hetao Cooperation Area aims to build a world-class tech innovation hub linking mainland China and the international community, as well as a key birthplace for fostering new quality productive forces. In his address at the ceremony, John Lee noted Hetao is positioned as a world-class innovation platform. It leverage
s the institutional advantages of two social, economic and judicial systems to build a major innovation-driven cooperation zone. He pledged to further advance the development of the Hetao Hong Kong Zone by optimizing institutional connectivity, enhancing policy support, and introducing high-quality enterprises and top-tier research teams. Lee stressed confidence in building Hetao
into a pioneer and testbed for Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development, a model of innovative policies across the Bay Area and globally, and a powerful growth engine for Hong Kong’s development.
John Lee delivers speech at the opening ceremony
Photo Source: China News Service
Ahead of the ceremony, the representative of the key settled enterprise was cordially received by Chief Executive John Lee, Financial Secretary Paul Chan and other officials. During the meeting, the representative briefed them on the enterprise’s development course, technological innovation, global layout and the strategic plan of its International R&D Centre. He stated that Hong Kong is a key node in the enterprise’s global strategy and a vital pivot connecting the global innovation system. By leveraging Hong Kong’s highly international innovation ecosystem and global resource allocation, together with Shenzhen-Hong Kong synergy, the new R&
D Centre will focus on the development, optimization and integrated verification of long-duration energy storage products. It will further enhance corporate global competitiveness and build a world-facing collaborative innovation platform for energy storage.
Invited to the Talent Roundtable session, the enterprise representative elaborated on the rationale for settling in Hong Kong from the perspective of timing, location and people.
Timing: Amid accelerated global energy transition, the nation is building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a global tech innovation hub, while Hong Kong is advancing itself as an international innovation and technology center. Hong Kong’s development vision aligns closely with the enterprise’s global strategy.
Location: The park boasts a unique cross-river location, efficiently integrating Shenzhen’s robust supply chain strengths with Hong Kong’s global resource network.
People: Hong Kong gathers top-tier global research and professional talent, providing solid support for R&D and application breakthroughs in long-duration energy storage and other fields.
The representative also shared personal impressions: from a vacant wasteland during early project inspections, to rising buildings months ago, and now a vibrant park full of vitality. The remarkable construction speed of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Park has further strengthened confidence and expectations for this innovation hub.
The launch of the Hong Kong International R&D Centre marks a key milestone in the enterprise’s international layout. It also serves as a concrete move to respond to national strategies and support the green development of the Greater Bay Area. Leveraging Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub and its strengths in global market expansion, the centre will pool global innovation expertise, drive collaborative breakthroughs in energy storage technology, fuel the green and low-carbon transition of the Greater Bay Area, support China’s dual-carbon goals, and contribute to global sustainable energy development.
