The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy — which has made huge strides in innovation and entrepreneurship across the boundary over the past year – marked the first anniversary of its establishment in Shenzhen's Qianhai special economic zone on Monday.

The academy has incubated 67 high-tech startups over the past year. The entrepreneurial projects are led by 18 prominent professors and 40 professionals with a doctor's degree.

The ventures have secured combined financing of nearly 400 million yuan ($56 million) and boast a total valuation of billions of yuan. Nearly 300 entrepreneurial young talents have been nurtured in the academy, of which 115 are from Hong Kong.

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The academy has emerged as a pivotal platform for technology transfer, innovation-driven entrepreneurship, and Hong Kong-Shenzhen integration, said Yin Xiaobo, director of the academy and associate vice president of HKU.

"The vigorous development of the academy in Qianhai fully demonstrates HKU’s unique advantages and strength in technological innovation, as well as Qianhai’s distinctive edge and high-quality development environment in promoting the integrated development of the two neighboring cities," he said.

Huang Mingxin, head of Department of Mechanical Engineering at HKU, praised Qianhai's role in facilitating his team's scientific achievements transformation.

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"Benefiting from the in-depth industrial integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, our semiconductor company has realized the development path of research and development in Hong Kong and incubation in Shenzhen," he said.

The tech startup, incubated at the academy, has achieved the leap from "sample delivery" last year to "mass production delivery" this year, Huang added.

During the anniversary celebration, HKU also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the University of Cambridge in England. Under the terms of the agreement the two establishments will conduct in-depth cooperation in the development of international sci-tech innovation courses, enhance exchange and interaction, and promote "bringing in" and "going out" initiatives.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com