Questions around this news
What measures does the Global Innovation Index use to rank innovation clusters?
The release says the ranking assesses innovation activity using international patent filings through WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty, scientific publications and venture capital deals. For the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster, it reports 2,259 PCT applications, 4,060 scientific articles and 138 venture capital deals per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years.
What steps is Hong Kong taking to support innovation and technology?
The release points to the development of an original grant patent system and a patent box regime offering tax concessions for intellectual property income. It also describes investment in research and technology facilities, including the Loop Hong Kong Park and plans for the San Tin Technopole, as part of efforts to strengthen the city’s innovation ecosystem.
What is a patent box regime?
A patent box regime is a tax arrangement that gives qualifying income from patents or other eligible intellectual property a preferential tax treatment. The details vary by jurisdiction, including which types of intellectual property and income qualify. The release says Hong Kong’s regime offers tax concessions for intellectual property income to promote innovation.
What is the role of venture capital in an innovation cluster?
Venture capital is funding that investors provide to young or growing businesses with potential for expansion, often in exchange for an ownership stake. In an innovation cluster, such investment can help companies develop technology, hire staff and bring products to market. The release includes venture capital deal activity among the indicators used to assess clusters.
The annual GII ranking evaluates innovation activity through three core metrics: international patent filings via WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), scientific publications and the number of venture capital deals. For this year's ranking, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster filed 2,259 PCT applications, published 4,060 scientific articles and had 138 venture capital deals, all per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years.
Welcoming the announcement, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said the ranking reaffirms the outstanding innovative capacity and the innovation and technology (I&T)-supporting financing ecosystem of the GBA.
"Expediting I&T development has been a policy priority of this Government," the spokesman added, highlighting the HKSAR Government's continuous development of the original grant patent system and introduction of the patent box regime, which offers tax concessions for intellectual property income to promote innovation.
The HKSAR Government's strategic investments are already yielding tangible results. The number of start-ups in Hong Kong has surged from over 1,500 in 2015 to more than 5,200 in 2025. The city's two I&T flagships—Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport—have collectively nurtured around 20 unicorns to date.
A landmark development in this trajectory is the official opening of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Loop Hong Kong Park) in December 2025. Over 100 technology enterprises and institutions have already signed leases and begun moving in. The Loop Hong Kong Park is poised to serve as an important platform for basic scientific research, commercialisation, pilot production, and international I&T collaboration within the GBA.
Furthermore, the establishment of the San Tin Technopole Company Limited in June 2026 is set to develop 210 hectares of I&T land in the San Tin Technopole, which is located in Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis development. It will create a vital node for integrated upstream, midstream and downstream industrial development, alongside the Loop Hong Kong Park.
Hong Kong's financial machinery remains a cornerstone of its innovation success. The city boasts a vibrant private equity market with assets under management nearing US$250 billion, ranking second in Asia after the Chinese Mainland.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong will proactively align its strategy with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to fortify its position as an international I&T centre. The city will also further deepen collaboration with GBA sister cities, and contribute to the nation's efforts in building a modern industrial system and achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength.
Hashtag: #HongKong #Shenzhen #Guangzhou #InnovationCluster #Top #GBA #I&T
https://www.brandhk.gov.hk/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-hong-kong/
https://x.com/Brand_HK/
https://www.facebook.com/brandhk.isd
https://www.instagram.com/brandhongkong
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
At a glance
- Company
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
- Announcement
- Award
- Location
- Hong Kong SAR
Key figures
- Cluster ranking
- top position among the world's 100 leading innovation clusters
- PCT applications per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years
- 2,259
- Scientific articles per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years
- 4,060
- Venture capital deals per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years
- 138
- Hong Kong start-ups in 2025
- more than 5,200
- Hong Kong private equity assets under management
- nearing US$250 billion
