GDST, CityUHK and CityUHK (Dongguan) sign a Work Plan, injecting new momentum into deep tech development in the Greater Bay Area

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology (GDST), City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), and City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan), hereinafter referred to as “CityUHK (Dongguan)”, signed the Work Plan to Jointly Support the Deepening of Collaboration in Science & Technology (the Work Plan) on 14 August. This milestone marks a new phase of systematic and impactful cooperation among the three parties, injecting strong momentum into the establishment of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) international science and technology innovation centre.

The signing ceremony took place at CityUHK (Dongguan). Mr Yang Jun, Deputy Director of GDST; Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor of CityUHK; and Professor Duan Baoyan, President of CityUHK (Dongguan), jointly signed the Work Plan. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr Zheng Guohong, Deputy Director of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee; Ms Li Jun, Deputy Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government; Ms Yang Huifang, Director of the Exchange Cooperation Department in the GDST; Mr Zhong Jingping, Director of the Science and Technology Bureau of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government; and Professor Lu Chun, Vice-President (Mainland Strategy) of CityUHK and Executive President of CityUHK (Dongguan). The event was hosted by Professor Julie Li Juan, Associate Vice-President (Mainland Strategy) of CityUHK and Vice-President (Academic) of CityUHK (Dongguan).

The Work Plan establishes a tripartite collaboration model that deeply integrates talent, funding and platform resources from Guangdong and Hong Kong, creating a synergistic effect. Starting in 2025, the three parties will adopt a “1+1+1” joint funding scheme over a two-year period, forming a seed funding pool to support joint projects between the two universities that align with the socioeconomic development needs of the GBA. The initiative aims to foster original scientific achievements with global influence, promote the cross-border flow of innovation resources, and drive deep integration within the technology industry.

Mr Yang stated that the scientific and technological strengths of Hong Kong and Macao are integral to the national innovation system and strategic technological capabilities, adding that Guangdong Province will leverage its advantages to facilitate the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the national science and technology innovation framework.

He noted that building on Guangdong’s strategic deployment for deep cooperation between sister universities in Guangdong and Hong Kong, this new collaboration with CityUHK and CityUHK (Dongguan) will advance Guangdong-Hong Kong technological cooperation and inject new momentum into building a globally influential science and technology innovation centre.

President Boey stated that this collaboration will fully leverage CityUHK’s leading strengths in internationalisation and technological innovation, promoting the development of a deeply integrated industry-academia-research innovation system. He added that CityUHK and CityUHK (Dongguan) have established a close collaborative network through academic resource sharing, faculty and student exchanges, and joint research projects. He expressed confidence that this tripartite collaboration will yield significant results.

CityUHK (Dongguan) is strategically located in the Songshan Lake High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Science City), near national-level scientific laboratories, high-tech research and development institutions, and enterprises. This year, it joined the Science Alliance of the Pilot Zone for the Comprehensive National Science Center in the GBA and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance. CityUHK (Dongguan) collaborates closely with institutions such as the China Spallation Neutron Source and Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, as well as leading technology companies like Huawei.