The World Intellectual Property Organization released the 2025 Global Innovation Index of World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters on 1 September. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranks first globally for the first time, highlighting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s excellence and global competitiveness in research, innovation and technology transfer.

The recognition reflects the close collaboration among governments, academia and industry across the region, which has successfully built a robust innovation ecosystem, further solidifying the Greater Bay Area’s leadership in global innovation landscape.

Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, Vice Chancellor and President of CUHK, said: “It is truly inspiring that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has been ranked first globally in the 2025 Global Innovation Index of World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters for the first time. It not only showcases the region’s research and innovation strength but also underscores Hong Kong’s pivotal role in driving regional innovation and technological development.

“CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen will continue to leverage our unique strengths to deepen research collaboration with partners across the Greater Bay Area and integrate into the overall development of the country. By fostering industry-academia-research partnerships, promoting knowledge transfer and nurturing talent, I believe the Greater Bay Area will become a powerful engine for future innovation.”

CUHK has long been committed to advancing cutting-edge research and translating technologies into applications. CUHK hosts four State Key Laboratories that have been recently presented with plaques by the Ministry of Science and Technology, covering fields such as biomedical science, agrobiotechnology and quantum information, which demonstrates Hong Kong’s strategic value in national scientific and technological development.

Under the Innovation and Technology Commission’s two rounds of the “RAISe+ Scheme”, CUHK secured funding for 13 projects, spanning medicine, computer science and engineering, the highest number of funded projects among local institutions. CUHK also actively participates in InnoHK research clusters initiated by the government, with six research centres focussing on health, biomedicine, robotics and artificial intelligence. To date, over 350 patents have been filed, injecting powerful momentum into Hong Kong’s innovation and technological development.

CUHK is also committed to nurturing startups and cultivating a vibrant campus innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. CUHK Innovation Limited provides early-stage funding and supports the growth of successful ventures that bring research outcomes to society. The University’s InnoPort also serves as an entrepreneurial support hub, offering funding, professional training and networking opportunities to faculty members and students, fostering a dynamic environment for innovation and helping entrepreneurs realise their visions.

In addition, CUHK was the first among Hong Kong’s higher education institutions to engage in industry-academia-research collaboration in Guangdong Province. The CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute InnoHub, a startup incubation platform in Shenzhen, was established in 2018. It strengthens collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen across the academic, industry and research sectors.