Hong Kong - A Game-changing I&T Hub Where Events Accelerate
Performance in Technology (2024)
World's Fintech Hub (2025)
Digital Competitiveness (2024)
Largest Pool of Venture Capital (2024)
Startups (2024, +40% vs 2020)
Emerging Startup Ecosystem (2024)
As an international Innovation & Technology (I&T) hub, Hong Kong has made impressive strides to promote I&T development with its tremendous strengths in R&D, thriving start-up ecosystems, robust rule of law and IP rights protection. With its extensive connections between I&T ecosystems in Mainland China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong is playing a vital role as a super-connector in fostering the global I&T industry, establishing itself as a transformative I&T hub where events drive acceleration.
Committed to empowering I&T development, Hong Kong offers world-class I&T infrastructure, including Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, Cyberport and five R&D Centres, all backed by generous government funding and incentives. The city boasts exceptional academic research, high university rankings and a deep pool of talent, among other advantages.
World-Class I&T Infrastructure
Hong Kong Science Park
- Home to 2,000+ tech companies and R&D community of 15,000+ people
- Offers comprehensive incubation programmes for applied R&D
- Core technology clusters: Healthcare, Big data & AI, Robotics, New material, Micro-electronics, Sustainability, Fintech
Hong Kong Cyberport
- Boasts 2,000+ start-ups. Cyberport Investors Network with over 200 global members and technology companies
- Largest FinTech cluster more than 440 FinTech companies
- Key focused: FinTech, smart living, digital entertainment/ e-sports and cybersecurity, AI, big data and blockchain
Five R&D Centres
Robust Government Support to Develop I&T
As part of its commitment to fostering I&T development in the city, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau promulgated the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint in December 2022, with 4 broad development directions:
Strong I&T Funding Landscape
- HK$10 billion I&T industry-oriented fund to channel more market capital to invest in industries of strategic importance
- A three-year AI Subsidy Scheme of HK$3 billion in 2024 to provide subsidies to local universities, R&D institutes and enterprises
- HK$10 billion “Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme” in 2023 to incentivise collaboration among industry, academic and research sectors
- Launch of a new round of Research Matching Grant Scheme totalling HK$1.5 billion
- HK$6 billion to provide subsidies for local universities to set up life and health technology research institutes
- HK$10 billion New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme to provide funding support for enterprises engaged in Hong Kong’s strategic industries
- Redeployment of HK$1.5 billion to optimise the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund
- HK$5 billion Strategic Tech Fund to invest in enterprises with good development potential
- HK$180 million I&T Accelerator Pilot Scheme, attracting international start-up service providers to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong
R&D Powerhouse with Top-notch Researchers & Talent
Five universities in Hong Kong are ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide. Their rankings have risen since 2019, driven by an increase in academic output. Hong Kong’s local universities have top-notch researchers of international standard, with many gaining global recognition for their work. The number of Hong Kong researchers recognised in the list of Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate Analytics has been growing steadily, reaching 134 in 2024.
Your GBA Opportunity
The National Policy outlines strong support for Hong Kong's development into an international I&T hub, better integration into the overall development of the nation as well as deepening I&T co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong.
This aspiration is supported by the 16 State Key Laboratories and 6 Hong Kong Branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Centres that are undertaking research on diverse technology areas.
The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), a substantial market that has a population of around 86.6 million, also presents enormous growth potential for businesses worldwide:
| Home to 70 Unicorns | 2nd world's largest innovation & tech sector for 5 consecutive years | Favorable policy as the national leader for innovation & technology sector | Full industry chain from R&D to smart manufacturing, IP protection, commercialization, and financing |
Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone
The governments of the HKSAR and Shenzhen are jointly setting up the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, marking a milestone of Hong Kong- Shenzhen exchange and integration. Encompassing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park and the Shenzhen Park, this 30-minute scientific research circle boasts a total of 800,000 square metres of scientific research space (*as of 2024).
Development positioning: (1) Pilot zone for Shenzhen-Hong Kong active I&T co-operation; (2) Testing zone for new rules of international advanced technology and innovation; (3) Cluster for pilot production and transformation for the GBA.
Hong Kong – Where I&T Events Have Achieved More
Riding on the advantages as an I&T hub, Hong Kong attracts top-tier I&T events that foster collaboration and creativity, from homegrown gatherings to international conferences making their debut in the city. Continuous growth in scale and significance of such events further solidifies Hong Kong's position as a global leader in the field.
HKFW 2024 was a remarkable success, attracting over 37,000 attendees and featuring more than 800 distinguished speakers. We will continue to actively expand and deepen our overseas networks, forge more financial co-operation, and organise more international financial mega-events in Hong Kong.
Homegrown event | Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 (HKFW)
Hong Kong is the ideal testbed for technological innovations, especially in Fintech. The 2-day event gathers over 90 influential venture experts, entrepreneurial visionaries and innovative thinkers to celebrate the 7th anniversary (of the Cyberport Investors Network), which has total investments surpassing HK$2.5 billion and membership exceeding 200. Cyberport aims to be a super connector, helping overseas tech companies access the GBA or ASEAN markets. Hong Kong is also an ideal launchpad for Mainland Chinese tech firms seeking to internationalise their products.
Local Venture Capital Forum for Tech Innovators - Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2024
Hong Kong is a phenomenal location for bringing the technology ecosystems together. That’s really how we drive innovation, partnership and change. Hong Kong is so well-connected, and a unique city with a nice blend of tradition and modernity. The new event venues are also so well put together, and that presents a great opportunity for organisers to have increasingly growing events.
2nd year in Hong Kong | 5th Annual Technology for Change Asia 2025
The scale of the inaugural Hong Kong event has surpassed our expectations, with nearly 10,000 attendees. Hong Kong, a Fintech hub in Asia, serves as a global centre for crypto and Web3 technologies, with favourable policies and a large pool of talent for blockchain, digital assets and Web3 to thrive. We are thrilled to see that over 75% of attendees are coming from outside Hong Kong. A truly international event! The city has proven the ideal choice for expanding Consensus beyond North America.
First time in Asia | Consensus Hong Kong 2025
We are thrilled to bring SIGGRAPH Asia back to Hong Kong. The city’s dynamic and innovative environment, combined with its strategic location as a gateway to Mainland China and the GBA, and strong support from both the government and industry, makes it the perfect venue for our 2025 conference. We look forward to building on the success of our previous events here and showcasing the latest advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques.
Return event | SIGGRAPH Asia 2025
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1 Shenzhen Evening Post
2 Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau
Data source: InvestHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, GII 2024, Shenzhen Government Online, HSITP, cnbayarea, Global Financial Centres Index, IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, startupgenom, InvestHK, newsgov.hk, Brand Hong Kong, Innovation and Technology Commission, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, Policy Address 2024, 2025-26 Budget, QS World University Overall Ranking (2024), Clarivate Annual Highly Cited Researchers List (2024)