Corerain Technologies, a chip developer cofounded by a Hong Kong entrepreneur, benefited from Shenzhen policies and facilities when it set out to mass-produce its artificial intelligence products. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
A poster child for cross-boundary cooperation in technology, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Cooperation Zone is ramping up efforts to help Hong Kong companies lay the first stone of their businesses on the Chinese mainland.
According to Hong Kong Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang, discussions are underway to let Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp manage a parcel of land in Shenzhen as a launchpad for Hong Kong enterprises
According to Hong Kong Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang, discussions are underway to let Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp manage a parcel of land in Shenzhen as a launchpad for Hong Kong enterprises.
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Because of land rehabilitation, the Hong Kong part of the cooperation zone won’t have the facilities ready until 2024, by which time many startups might have missed their chance to succeed, Chinese-language newspaper Ta Kung Pao quoted Sit as saying in October.
Its Shenzhen section, a bonded zone in Futian district, has transformed its factories and warehouses into new-technology research spaces, incubating more than 130 projects from both sides, such as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s incubator Blue Bay. The municipal government aims to turn it into a pilot national science center.
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Its proximity to Hong Kong, convenient transportation, preferential policies and scientific research atmosphere are the attractions for the city’s professionals, said Hong Kong youth Brittle Tsoi, co-founder and chief technology officer of Corerain Technologies, an artificial intelligence-chip development startup.
Shenzhen’s electronic industrial chain boosted the mass production of his company’s chip products, which have been applied in the smart manufacturing, remote sensing and energy industries, he said.
Sam Ho, the Hong Kong entrepreneur behind Add Care, said that the zone’s location near the checkpoint makes it easy for employees to travel to and from Hong Kong. The company has partnered with Shenzhen hospitals, medical care institutions and an AI medical data platform to develop a noninvasive device that detects blood glucose.
The Shenzhen government has pledged ample resources for Hong Kong institutions, as well as support in securing office space and public technology platforms. In August, it unveiled 22 measures to bolster the zone’s development, focusing on telecommunication, life science, new materials and AI.
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In addition to office rental reductions and an investment fund for startups, preferential long-term living and working policies and facilities are in the pipeline.
The city is renovating its Huanggang checkpoint into a super transportation hub. A designated channel, previously used for cargo logistics, has been allowing passage by scientists and researchers for easier movement.
