The first three buildings of the Hong Kong Park, part of the Hetao Cooperation Zone that is being developed jointly with Shenzhen in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The first companies are due to move in by the second half of next year.
One building will be an apartment complex for talents, while the other two will be wet laboratories, which aim to support companies and research institutions in life sciences and health, according to the Development Outline for Hong Kong Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone released on Wednesday.
The park signed agreements with 60 businesses, schools, and research organizations from nine economies in April, “many of which are looking to set up operations in the first buildings,” said Eddie Mak Tak-wai, permanent secretary for innovation, technology and industry.
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Covering 87 hectares, the Hong Kong Park is being developed in two phases from west to east, with the first phase further divided into three batches. The first batch will include eight buildings.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government ramped up the total floor area of the first phase from an initial 540,000 square meters to 1 million square meters, in a bid to future-proof the park’s functions. More than half of this space will be dedicated to wet labs and advanced manufacturing research and development. The remainder will be used to develop dry laboratories, industry-academia-research bases, talent accommodation, and commercial facilities.
“Leveraging Hong Kong’s position as a bridge between the Chinese mainland and the world, the park will bring together innovation and technology resources and talent from both local and international sources, and become an important hub for attracting investment and professionals,” said Sun Dong, secretary for innovation, technology and industry.
As outlined in the plan, with the first three buildings to be finished this year, the first phase of the Hong Kong Park is expected to be fully complete by 2030. The second phase will follow a similar design and function, but Sun stressed that they “don’t want to rush into” it, because technology is advancing quickly.
The park focuses on four major goals, including establishing an internationally competitive base for R&D transformation and pilot production, and serving as a testing ground for new systems and policies.
For instance, to ensure smooth personnel exchanges with the Shenzhen Park which covers 300 hectares, the Hong Kong government is exploring with authorities in Shenzhen the construction of footbridges across the Shenzhen River — the boundary between the two cities — at the eastern and western sides of the cooperation zone.
Moreover, the two sides are exploring innovative clearance modes and facilities to allow eligible people to enjoy convenient travel.
“Ensuring the flow of production factors is key to the success of the cooperation zone, with people being one of the most critical elements,” said Sun.
READ MORE: Openness to fuel growth of HK Park in Hetao tech zone
He emphasized that these streamlined clearance measures would be available only to staff working within the parks, not to the general public.
According to the development plan, the Hong Kong Park will adopt the latest technologies and operational methods, such as introducing an autonomous transportation system to enhance transport efficiency.
In addition, Sun revealed that, in an August meeting with Shenzhen, both sides proposed using drones for deliveries between the two parks. But he noted that they are still in the discussion phase, as many details, including flight paths, drone landing pads on the rooftops of buildings, and which companies will operate the drones, still need to be worked out.
Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com
