The delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, yesterday (May 20, Heilbronn time) continued its visit to Germany. Presidents of the member institutions of the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences, including Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Saint Francis University, the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, and Tung Wah College, also joined the visit yesterday.
 
     The delegation visited Bildungscampus Heilbronn, an integrated university town that brings together multiple academic institutions, applied research centres and industrial networks. It serves as an important innovative academic hub in Southern Germany. The delegation toured the campus facilities and visited Campus Founders, a start-up and co-innovation hub, to learn about its successful experience in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem through start-up incubation, networking and interdisciplinary collaboration. The delegation also met and exchanged views with representatives of member institutions of Bildungscampus, including Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and the Technical University of Munich, as well as a representative of the City of Heilbronn government. They discussed the positioning, development strategies, management experience and collaboration models of the institutions in the campus, as well as the local government's involvement in the planning and development of the campus.

     Mr Chan said that Bildungscampus Heilbronn has grown rapidly since the completion of its first building in 2011, bringing together multiple academic and research institutions. Today, it serves over 8 500 students, researchers, industry experts and entrepreneurs. By deepening industry-academia-research integration, the campus has successfully aligned academic research with regional economic development, offering valuable practical insights for the planning, development and positioning of the Northern Metropolis University Town. He particularly pointed out that universities of applied sciences play a key role in the campus's ecosystem. By balancing curriculum design, cutting-edge research and practical applications in industry, they serve as an important pillar in promoting industry-education integration and cultivating high-quality applied talent. This provides an invaluable international reference for Hong Kong's active development of universities of applied sciences.

     Mr Chan concluded his visit to Germany and will depart for Hong Kong today (May 21, Heilbronn time).

Ends/Thursday, May 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:30

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