Hetao is one of the four major platforms of cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), alongside Hengqin, which serves as a cultural and educational pilot zone; Qianhai, which places the emphasis on the modern service industries including finance; and Nansha, which plays a bridging role in driving the development of high-end manufacturing and logistics. Being the only platform focusing on I&T, Hetao is the key interface between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in I&T cooperation. By promoting mutual interaction and synergistic development, Hetao can also achieve complementarity with the other districts.

Furthermore, Hetao can provide guidance and demonstration on the alignment and integration of systems and regulations in the Greater Bay Area. For instance, through establishing internationalized I&T standards and systems, it can come up with new solutions for enhancing personnel mobility and the tiered cargo management system, and its experience can serve as reference for the other districts when they develop their core industries.

Tasked with the important mission of promoting better interaction of I&T resources between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and regional synergy in innovation, Hetao plays a critical role in the Greater Bay Area’s transformation into an international I&T center. Hong Kong must support the Development Plan in all areas possible, particularly in expediting the developments of the Hong Kong park in the Cooperation Zone and the Northern Metropolis, so as to fully capitalize on the opportunities brought by the Development Plan.

When planning for the Hetao and the Northern Metropolis, the HKSAR Government will need to break away from its approaches toward similar development projects in the past. For example, it will have to explore ways to speed up the planning, land resumption and environmental impact assessment processes for the Hong Kong park of Hetao and San Tin Technopole, and consider expanding the scale of labor importation. The authorities may also want to actively roll out measures to attract enterprises and investment, and improve I&T corporate management and operation, to draw more I&T companies from the Mainland and overseas. In the long run, efforts will be needed to position Hong Kong as a unique platform for drawing high-tech talent and advanced technological resources, and to coordinate with other platforms in the Greater Bay Area to achieve the best possible allocation of sci-tech resources and industrial distribution.

The HKSAR Government can even step up cooperation with the Guangdong Provincial Government on encouraging enterprises in Guangdong and Hong Kong to create I&T talent pools by offering tax incentives, talent subsidies, intellectual property protection, etc. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions can set up research institutes with their counterparts in Shenzhen to nurture talent jointly.  

The “one zone, two parks” concept offers Hetao a unique edge. Its advantageous location spanning both Shenzhen and Hong Kong provides a favorable environment for the efficient circulation of important I&T elements across the border. The Development Plan states that regulation in the Shenzhen park will be implemented according to area, proposing a “whitelist” system for industries, institutions and individuals to manage cargo for scientific research purposes, with tax exemption and convenient customs clearance for the cargo of scientific research institutions and enterprises designated for self-use. Measures have also been rolled out to make cross-border trade and investment more convenient for these entities, while certain professionals from Hong Kong and Macao can practice in the Shenzhen park after registration. These arrangements will help remove the barriers once impeding the circulation of personnel, resources and capital between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, including the lack of mutual recognition of professional qualifications. We hope the Shenzhen and Hong Kong governments will liaise on the implementation of the “whitelist” in details as soon as possible.

In summary, the Development Plan will create new impetus for Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation in the I&T area. The HKSAR government and the local business and related sectors must take advantage of the opportunities and actively lobby for the implementation of measures that will enhance the flow of important innovation factors across the border, so that in-depth I&T cooperation between the two cities will be possible and synergy can be achieved with the planning of the Northern Metropolis.