Hong Kong is gearing up for the development of its planning innovation hub San Tin Technopole, with the first phase of 2.5 hectares within the 20-hectare plot managed by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to break ground in early 2027. To maximize resource efficiency, the initiative encourages public-private collaboration.
HKSTP announced on Thursday that more than 20 companies have expressed interest in joining the project — now named INNOPOLE. Over the coming months, the technology incubator will ink memorandums of understanding with firms and institutions across sectors such as high-performance computing, good manufacturing practice, and gerontechnology in a bid to fast-track the project’s development and lay a foundation for future cross-industry cooperation.
The first phase of INNOPOLE will include office space, talent accommodation, facilities to support low-altitude economic development, and edge computing infrastructure, providing the groundwork for the long-term growth of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology industries.
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Sunny Chai Ngai-chiu, chairman of HKSTP, said there are no restrictions on the size of companies looking to participate, and emphasized the importance of a comprehensive ecosystem. While large conglomerates can play a leading role, small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the majority of a technology landscape, are indispensable.
Chai described San Tin Technopole as a “strategic base” for Hong Kong’s innovation and technology sector. The special administrative region government’s recent moves to streamline administrative processes and remove restrictions have provided them with greater flexibility to advance the project, said Chai, adding that he hopes the technopole will attract more investors and promote integration across government, industry, academia, research, and investment sectors.
HKSTP CEO Terry Wong Ping-sau said he believes the project will create synergies with the other 10 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to jointly build a sustainable innovation ecosystem across the region.
Chai agreed, saying that Hong Kong’s proximity to the Chinese mainland is driving its growing innovation momentum. He cited the Science Park as an example, where the number of tech companies grew from 600 to more than 2,500 in the past seven years, while that of employees doubled.
In his previous Policy Address published in October 2024, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the SAR government would seek funding for the first-stage of San Tin Technopole’s infrastructure and begin construction works that year. Starting in 2026-27, about 20 hectares of new innovation and technology sites will be delivered in phases for the HKSTP’s development and operation.
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Located at the heart of Northern Metropolis — a developing township near the boundary with Shenzhen, Guangdong province that’s expected to house one third of Hong Kong’s population — San Tin Technopole covers an area of 626 hectares, with 299 hectares designated for innovation and technology, and 60 hectares allocated for residential and mixed-use purposes. It is projected to deliver around 50,000 housing units and create over 165,000 jobs.
Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com
