Second land tender at Hong Kong’s border tech hub draws 9 bids

A second batch of land at Hong Kong’s flagship tech hub at the border with mainland China has drawn nine bids, with frontier technology firms and major conglomerates among the tenderers.

The Loop Hong Kong Park Company, which operates the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP), revealed the results on Tuesday, nearly two months after six bids were received from conglomerates and hi-tech firms for its inaugural land tender at the end of August.

Tuesday’s tender covered three land parcels mainly for laboratory and office use in the park’s first phase of development. One is eligible to be paired with a talent-accommodation parcel.

“The participating bidders include frontier technology enterprises, enterprises with park operation experience, and major conglomerates, reaffirming the industry’s confidence in the future of the Loop Hong Kong Park,” the company said.

It said the results of the first two tender rounds would be announced by the end of the year.

The company said the parcels offered across the two tender rounds would complement the first batch of eight buildings due to be completed soon, including Loop Academy One, the flagship project of the Northern Metropolis University Town.

“Upholding the tripartite mission anchored by academia, with R&D a core part, and underpinned by technology, the building will convene top-tier universities and R&D institutions from the mainland, Hong Kong and overseas, injecting a powerful momentum into frontier scientific research across the park,” it said.

The company said it would closely monitor market conditions and development needs, and continue to release land in a well-ordered and progressive manner.

In his policy address last month, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said more than 100 innovation and technology (I&T) firms had moved into the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.

He also revealed that about 10 AI and biotech companies would be the first to access cross-border data flows under a new pilot scheme expected to roll out this year, while a “white list” to facilitate cross-border movement for more than 1,000 workers would be ready by the middle of next year.

The government said earlier that it would set up dedicated boundary control facilities at a western bridge linking the parks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen to serve people on the white list.

Working with the San Tin Technopole and surrounding industrial spaces, the park was building a comprehensive I&T industry ecosystem spanning R&D, commercialisation and mass application, the company said.

The company earlier described the response to the inaugural tender, which covered four land parcels in the park, as “enthusiastic”, with six bids submitted.

According to a source, five companies submitted six bids. Of these, three specialise in cutting-edge technologies including chips, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology.

The remaining two are conglomerates with AI, data and medical research departments or subsidiaries.

These sites are earmarked for laboratories and talent accommodation, with a combined gross floor area exceeding 76,000 square metres.