Sixteen companies and institutes from Hong Kong Science Park are set to attend the Bio International Convention in San Diego from June 3 to 6. These innovators aim to attract like-minded investors and partners to secure new funding and help bring Hong Kong products to the global market.
Hong Kong's biotechnology start-ups are heading to the world’s largest industry event in the US to seek new investors and collaboration opportunities, boosting their global profiles amid the city's push for research and development.
Local researchers are optimistic that their international peers at the Bio International Convention will take an interest in their work. The convention, dubbed “the largest and most comprehensive event for biotechnology,” will feature the Hong Kong delegation showcasing their latest products and services in a 1,000 sq ft “Hong Kong Pavilion.” This marks the first time local industry leaders have attended the convention since 2019.
“We hope to put Hong Kong back on the biotech map. In the past, we have been developing well and growing rapidly, but outside Hong Kong, not many people know the city is also a biotech hub,” said Grace Lau, head of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s Institute of Translational Research.
National development efforts have encouraged Hong Kong's biotech sector to integrate more closely with counterparts in the Greater Bay Area. However, Lau emphasized the need to connect with industry players in the West. “The US remains the strongest place in the world in terms of adopting innovation, followed by China and the European Union,” she noted, adding that many biotech companies aim to establish operations in these three regions.
Hong Kong’s latest five-year development plan envisions the city as an innovation and technology (I&T) hub, with local authorities allocating billions of Hong Kong dollars to support this strategy.
