The first phase of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, known as the Hong Kong Park within the Hetao Cooperation Zone, was officially inaugurated on December 22, 2025. The opening ceremony marked a significant milestone for the cross-border innovation hub, with the completion of the initial three buildings.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who presided over the event, described the Hetao Cooperation Zone—comprising the Hong Kong Park and the adjacent Shenzhen Park—as a key platform under China's 14th Five-Year Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "The development goal of Hetao is to become a world-class innovation platform," Lee said, emphasising its role in leveraging advantages across different social, economic, and legal systems with innovation and technology at its core.
The three completed buildings, topped out in March 2025, include two state-of-the-art wet laboratory facilities and one talent apartment block. Over 60 enterprises and institutions from overseas, the mainland, and locally have already moved in or signed leases, achieving nearly 80% occupancy in the lab buildings. The talent apartments have welcomed their first residents, with innovation and technology professionals from around the world eagerly settling in, demonstrating strong confidence in the park's future.
Lee highlighted plans to aggressively promote the park globally to attract more enterprises. The remaining five buildings in the first phase are scheduled for phased completion starting from 2027. Planning for the second phase is complete and will adopt a public-private partnership model. Combined, the two phases will provide a total gross floor area of 2 million square metres—an increase of 70% over the original plan. The expanded park will be divided into specialised zones focusing on areas such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, promoting orderly industrial development and a complete innovation ecosystem across upstream, midstream, and downstream stages.
As more enterprises establish in the park, supportive policies and infrastructure will facilitate seamless cross-boundary movement for researchers. On the day of the ceremony, construction officially commenced on the Western Cross-River Link Bridge, a landmark single-span structure connecting the Hong Kong and Shenzhen parks. The project, jointly funded by both sides, aims to enhance transport networks, boost personnel flow, and capitalise on innovative port management policies.
Lee expressed confidence that the Hetao zone will serve as a "bridgehead" and testing ground for Hong Kong's innovation and technology development, as well as a demonstration area for innovative policies in the Greater Bay Area and globally—a powerful engine driving Hong Kong's growth.
Xu Qifang, Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, also addressed the ceremony, calling the opening a major event for Hong Kong's role in building an international innovation and technology centre and contributing to the Greater Bay Area. He praised Hong Kong's strengths in higher education, international talent attraction, foundational research, and globalised business environment.
Xu encouraged Hong Kong to align with the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, leverage "one country, two systems," and utilise platforms like Hetao, Qianhai, and Nansha to strengthen synergies in industry and supply chains, advancing a globally influential innovation corridor. He urged further "hard connectivity" in infrastructure and "soft connectivity" in rules and mechanisms to build a world-class research hub, while inviting domestic and overseas investors to seize opportunities in the Northern Metropolis and beyond.
The 87-hectare Hong Kong Park, together with the larger Shenzhen Park, forms the "one zone, two parks" model under the "one river, two banks" vision, positioning Hetao as a pivotal driver for high-quality development in the region.gion.