(Hong Kong, 30 November 2023) The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Zhongguancun Qingchuang (Beijing) International Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhongguancun) today, pledging to leverage their respective advantages to carry out in-depth exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote Beijing-Hong Kong cooperation in innovation and technology (I&T) and enterprise development. The MOU signing ceremony took place at The 26th Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium - International Forum on Beijing-Hong Kong Scientific and Technological Innovation (the Symposium).

The Symposium has made a grand return to Hong Kong after a five-year hiatus, with this year's theme revolving around the concept of "Deepen Cooperation for a Shared Future". It aims to showcase the strengths of both Beijing and Hong Kong while emphasising the latter’s crucial role as a "bridgehead" in China's two-way opening-up strategy. Garnering significant attention, the Symposium witnessed the signing of 34 projects, amounting to a total contract value of RMB 67.22 billion¹. As a special supporting organisation, HKPC has been actively promoting collaboration between Beijing and Hong Kong, and discussed the innovation opportunity in the realm of smart living in Hong Kong, and the synergistic development in I&T between Beijing and Hong Kong.

On the signing ceremony, HKPC and Zhongguancun planned to establish a strategic collaborative agreement to facilitate joint training and in-depth exchanges between enterprises of both regions, as well as create opportunities for technology research and development (R&D) cooperation and business matching. The areas of focus include raising awareness of artificial intelligence (AI), new industrialisation, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), carbon neutrality and green technology, etc. In addition, both parties will actively explore the establishment of joint R&D laboratories or innovation centres, and other forms of cooperation. The ultimate goal is to promote I&T exchanges between Beijing and Hong Kong, and work together for the development of the national I&T.

Mr Mohamed BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC, said, “The Central People's Government has been supporting Hong Kong in integrating with the national innovation system in its journey towards I&T development. Hong Kong’s unique advantage lies in its strong support from the Mainland and its global connectivity, enabling it to facilitate the internationalisation of mainland enterprises. The strong comeback of the Symposium this year, featuring a distinguished lineup, will further deepen the exchange and cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong. Zhongguancun leads the country’s I&T development, while HKPC is the core enabler facilitating new industrialisation in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. As one of the most prominent and strongest applied research institutions in Hong Kong, HKPC has a track record of successfully commercialising over 90% of its R&D achievements. It also has connections with world-class innovation resources, including MIT from the US, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and RWTH Aachen University from Germany. In addition, HKPC has garnered international recognition for its achievements in promoting new industrialisation, digital economy, and sustainability. I believe by connecting Zhongguancun enterprises with Hong Kong’s high-quality international resources, and cooperating with the continuous strengthening of scientific research cooperation and links between HKPC and Beijing’s Government, industry, academia, and research sectors, a win-win collaboration between Beijing and Hong Kong can be achieved. This collaboration will pave the way for advancements in I&T and promote more I&T applications in citizens' everyday lives, allowing them to benefit tangibly from I&T and provide them with a greater sense of fulfilment.”

Mr Jihong ZHANG, Director of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Zhongguancun Management Committee, said at the MOU signing ceremony, “Despite the geographical distance between Beijing and Hong Kong, these two regions share a strong connection. In recent years, Beijing has delved deeply into an innovation-driven development strategy, continuously reforming its I&T system and pioneering innovation in Zhongguancun. It has strengthened basic research and made significant breakthroughs in key core technologies, achieving new heights in pursuing self-reliance in I&T. Hong Kong's technological innovation is also entering a new phase of growth, with national support to develop Hong Kong as an international I&T centre. In this year's Policy Address, Chief Executive John LEE reaffirmed plans to promote I&T progress, vigorously fostering microelectronics R&D, aiding AI advancement, assisting startups in commercialising achievements, and accelerating new industrialisation. Going forward, we will focus on cutting-edge fields of scientific collaboration between Beijing and Hong Kong and further fortify the cooperation in technological innovation. We will jointly explore new application scenarios for I&T, promote greater participation of youth from both regions in I&T, and support the construction of Hong Kong to become an international I&T centre and Beijing to become a global science and technology innovation centre.”

The MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr Jihong ZHANG, Director of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Zhongguancun Management Committee, Mr Maozhou LIU, Inspector II of the Education and Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, Ms Lilian CHEONG, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, Dr Jimmy CHIANG, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of the HKSAR Government, Mr Mohamed BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC, Mr Yueqiang MI, General Manager of Jingtai Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd., Professor Daniel LEE, Associate Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Mr Zhiming LIU, Deputy Secretary General of China Invention Association, , and Mr Jingliang LUAN, Chairman of Zhongguancun Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation Centre; while the MOU was signed by Mr Yonghai DU, General Manager of Green Living and Innovation Department of HKPC, and Mr Kai ZHANG, Deputy General Manager of Zhongguancun Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation Centre, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

HKPC and Zhongguancun will collaborate to increase opportunities for exchanges and technical cooperation between enterprises in Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially Hong Kong and Beijing. The partnership will boost the advanced technological innovation capabilities and management level of enterprises in both regions, effectively supporting enterprises in both regions to connect with industries, policies and market resources, and enhancing their core competitiveness in the market.

¹Source: “Beijing Daily” The signing amount at the Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium exceeded RMB 67 billion.
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