Speech by FS at OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony (English only) (with photos/video)
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Peter (Director-General of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Mr Peter Yan), government colleagues, representatives of our valued strategic enterprises, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the Signing Ceremony today, where the fifth batch of 18 strategic enterprises affirm their plans to establish or expand in Hong Kong.
The enterprises joining us today represent a wide spectrum of cutting-edge industries - from leading global pharmaceutical firms to trailblazers in generative AI, autonomous driving, and microelectronics. They also include leading pioneers in new media and Web3 technologies.
This is a significant milestone. With today’s addition, the number of strategic enterprises attracted to Hong Kong will surpass 100. Collectively, they are bringing in over HK$60 billion in investment and creating about 22 000 quality jobs. Beyond numbers, they also bring transformative ideas, world-class expertise, global perspectives, and a spirit of innovation that will further enrich our fast-evolving innovation and technology ecosystem.
Today is special also because, for the first time, we are welcoming cultural and creative enterprises that integrate technology with artistry and entertainment. This is an initiative announced in this year’s Budget, and I’m delighted to see it becoming a reality . The global digital entertainment market is growing rapidly, powered by IPs, AI and Web3. Hong Kong - with our unique connectivity to both the Chinese Mainland and the world, openness and diversity as an international city, and a vibrant ecosystem in innovation and technology - is an ideal launchpad for these enterprises to grow and scale across Asia and beyond.
To all the strategic enterprises joining us today: a very warm welcome to Hong Kong. I am delighted that you have chosen our city as your base for growth and further innovative breakthroughs. Here, you will find the capital, talent, partners, ecosystem and network that will help you succeed.
The deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and the sister cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) also offers tremendous growth opportunities, particularly for those in sectors such as AI, biotech and new energy. The GBA is an innovation powerhouse that merges innovative strengths and advanced manufacturing capabilities. This year, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster is ranked the world’s top innovation cluster by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
A highlight of this collaboration is the Co-operation Zone between Hong Kong and Shenzhen along the Shenzhen River, known as Hetao or the Loop. This Co-operation Zone will serve as a testing ground for innovative policies, including the unimpeded flow of critical factors of production, including people, capital, goods and data.
In this connection, Hong Kong’s appeal is clear. Take pharmaceutical companies for example. We are working to establish a primary evaluation mechanism for drug and medical device approvals. This will allow Hong Kong to independently review and approve drugs, medical products and devices developed in this zone, accelerating their time to the market. In Hetao, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have established cross-boundary clinical trial institutions, enabling studies that meet the regulatory standards of both jurisdictions. Together with other favourable government policies like talent, shared advanced laboratories and supercomputing power, Hong Kong is on the way to becoming a regional drug development hub.
I’m pleased to note that some of you are already engaged in long-term collaborations with our medical schools and clinical trial institutions in the GBA, and I encourage you to explore more.
Ladies and gentlemen, looking ahead, our efforts to attract strategic enterprises will grow in depth and breadth.
Our goal is simple and clear: to bring more strategic enterprises to Hong Kong, so that we can have an even more vibrant ecosystem and a growing industry base to help our businesses and start-ups thrive, and to provide our people with more and better career opportunities.
On that note, to our strategic enterprises here today, I thank you once again for choosing Hong Kong as your partner for growth. I wish you every success in your journey ahead.
Thank you.
Ends/Thursday, October 9, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:47
Issued at HKT 11:47
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