To fully align with the national initiatives to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and promote intellectual property (IP) strategies, and to seize the development opportunities presented by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) recently released Development Outline for Hong Kong Park in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) hosted the first Shenzhen–Hong Kong Intellectual Property Forum on 4 December.

The event also featured the launch ceremony for the National Intellectual Property Operation (Hetao Shenzhen) Transformation Pilot Platform (Pilot Platform). The forum brought together officials, experts, scholars, industry leaders, and corporate representatives from the technology transfer fields at the national, provincial and city levels, along with those from HKSAR and Shenzhen, to promote the conversion and application of IP in the domestic market and to assist in the development of the innovation ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), national level, and globally.

Attending the launch ceremony were Mr Wang Pei Zhang, Director General of the Intellectual Property Usage and Promotion Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Mr Huang Shao Long, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), Mr Cai Ying Quan, Director General of the Shenzhen Administration for Market Regulation (Shenzhen Intellectual Property Administration), Mr Yu Jie, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Park Development Authority of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, Ms Mo Xi Ling, Counsellor and Party Leadership of the Shenzhen Administration for Market Regulation (Shenzhen Intellectual Property Administration), Professor Freddy Boey, CityUHK President, Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, Professor Lu Chun, Vice-President (Mainland Strategy) of CityUHK and Executive President of CityUHK (Dongguan), Professor Chen Fu-rong, Associate Vice-President (Mainland Collaboration) of CityUHK, and Professor Goh Chin Foo, Director of the Knowledge Transfer Office of CityUHK.

The establishment of the Pilot Platform marks a significant step forward in cooperation between HKSAR and Shenzhen in technology transfer and IP. The Pilot Platform will leverage CityUHK's research capabilities and international innovation resources, under the guidance of the CNIPA, to build an internationally distinctive industry-university-research collaboration system by developing a global IP database and integrating the needs of the domestic manufacturing industry.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Wang said, “The effective utilisation of IP is a crucial engine for driving innovation. CNIPA will continue to support the Pilot Platform, promoting the efficient transformation of innovative achievements and assisting the GBA in becoming a core region for global IP utilisation and technology transfer.”

Mr Huang said, “Guangdong province will further deepen its cooperation with HKSAR and Shenzhen to jointly build a more comprehensive IP service system to promote the efficient transformation of scientific and technological achievements and provide strong momentum for high-quality regional economic development.”

Mr Cai said, “As a frontier city of technological innovation, Shenzhen regards IP as a core driver of innovative development. Through cooperation with HKSAR and Guangdong province, we will further enhance the transformation of technological achievements, promote the efficient utilisation of IP, and create a more significant position for the GBA in global innovation competition.”

In his speech, President Boey said, “CityUHK has actively supported the development of the GBA. The Hong Kong Park in the Loop, will become an important collaboration platform between HKSAR and the Mainland, fostering deeper understanding, sharing and partnerships in the GBA.”

“HKSAR and Shenzhen have a strong foundation and great potential for cooperation in technology and industrial innovation. In the future, they will fully leverage their respective advantages to further strengthen collaboration in education, scientific research and the transformation of achievements,” added Professor Boey. “This is good news for CityUHK students, faculty and researchers, as they will have more significant opportunities to learn and conduct research in Hong Kong Park.”

CityUHK has always been committed to promoting the efficient transformation of scientific research achievements and building an open innovation ecosystem. The first Shenzhen-Hong Kong Intellectual Property Forum, held on the same day, brought together innovative technologies from various cutting-edge fields, showcasing the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration in driving technological innovation and addressing global challenges.

The forum provided an important platform for technological exchange and cooperation between HKSAR and Shenzhen, promoting the sharing and application of innovative achievements. CityUHK hopes that the forum will help drive more cutting-edge technological achievements to meet societal needs, achieving a win-win situation for Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaboration and knowledge co-creation.