The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today welcomed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ranking of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster as first globally again in its Global Innovation Index 2026 top 100 innovation clusters.
The Government stated that the ranking reaffirmed the outstanding innovative capacity and the vibrant innovation and technology (I&T) financing ecosystem of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
WIPO evaluates world-class innovation hubs using three key metrics: international patent-filings via the Patent Cooperation Treaty, scientific publications and venture capital deals. For this year’s index, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster recorded 2,259 Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, 4,060 scientific articles and 138 venture capital deals per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years.
Expediting I&T development remains a top policy priority for the current-term Government, and those efforts have started to bear fruit. The number of start-ups rose from over 1,500 in 2015 to more than 5,200 in 2025, while the city’s two I&T flagships – Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport – have collectively nurtured around 20 unicorn enterprises.
Infrastructure expansion has further boosted regional integration. The Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Loop Hong Kong Park) officially opened in December last year, with over 100 technology enterprises and institutions already signing leases.
By leveraging the advantages of the alliance between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the Loop Hong Kong Park will serve as an international platform for basic scientific research, commercialisation and pilot production, driving high-quality development.
Additionally, the San Tin Technopole Company Limited was established in June this year to drive the development of 210 hectares of I&T land. This hub will form a vital node connecting upstream, midstream and downstream industries alongside the Loop Hong Kong Park.
Hong Kong also maintains a robust private equity market with assets under management close to US$250 billion, ranking second in Asia after the Chinese Mainland.
Looking ahead, the Government added that Hong Kong will proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to strengthen the city’s strategic position as an international I&T centre. It emphasised that Hong Kong will further deepen collaboration with the Greater Bay Area sister cities, contributing to the country’s efforts in building a modern industrial system and achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength.