On the afternoon of September 3, the innovation and technology transfer base of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) and the international innovation and entrepreneurship community of the Nansha Science City were unveiled at Yuexiu iPARK Guangdong-Hong Kong Smart Valley in the Nansha District.

The event was jointly hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Nansha District People's Government, and HKUST(GZ), aiming to deepen the joint innovation cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Photo provided by the organizer

It is introduced that the base will provide approximately 20,000 square meters of high-quality physical space and professional incubation services over the next five years, accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces. Currently, the base has reserved 20 start-up projects.

Xie Ming, Director of the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, expressed that the bureau would intensify its efforts to participate in and support the institutional innovation of technology transfer and commercialization undertaken by new-type universities such as HKUST(GZ), aiming to bridge the gap in technology transfer between Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao, and achieve complementary advantages and industrial synergy.

Wu Yang, Head of Nansha District, stated that Nansha would collaborate with HKUST(GZ) to advance the construction of the base with high quality, create an innovation park integrating "production, ecology, and living." The district will also accelerate the development of the innovation zone surrounding HKUST(GZ), and establish a collaborative innovation chain featuring "Hong Kong and Macao achievements + Nansha transfer + GBA application."

Professor Lionel M. Ni, President of HKUST(GZ), said that HKUST(GZ) would leverage its advantages in top scientific and technological talents and high-level research platforms in the future, striving to make the base a pioneering highland for regional scientific and technological innovation and achievement transfer.

Photo: Luo Zhongxian

Notably, the base will be operated by the Fok Ying Tung Research Institute of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Next, the base will leverage the HKUST(GZ)'s technology transfer fund with a total scale of 1 billion yuan and the direct investment fund with a cumulative signed scale of 1.4 billion yuan, further propelling Nansha to become a new highland for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao innovation cooperation.

Additionally, the international innovation and entrepreneurship community of the Guangzhou Nansha Science City International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community will collaborate with parks such as Mingzhu Science Park, the innovation zone surrounding HKUST(GZ), Fudan International Science and Technology Innovation Park, and the Huigu Marine Industry Cluster Area to create a full-chain, whole-process, and all-factor innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.