The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released its Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026 on September 8, confirming that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou metropolitan cluster retains its status as the world's top innovation cluster. This achievement, based on data for 2026, underscores the sustained strength of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in fostering scientific breakthroughs and technological entrepreneurship.
The GII evaluates innovation clusters using three key metrics: international patent filings via WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), scientific publications, and venture capital deals. For the latest ranking, the cluster recorded 2,259 PCT applications, 4,060 scientific articles, and 138 venture capital deals per 1 million inhabitants over the past five years. These figures reaffirm the cluster's dominant position among the world's 100 leading innovation hubs.
Welcoming the announcement, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government highlighted that this recognition validates the region's outstanding innovative capacity and the robust innovation and technology (I&T) financing ecosystem. The spokesman emphasized that expediting I&T development is a policy priority, noting ongoing efforts to refine the original grant patent system and implement the patent box regime, which provides tax concessions on intellectual property income to spur innovation.
Strategic investments have already yielded measurable results. Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem has expanded dramatically, from over 1,500 start-ups in 2015 to more than 5,200 in 2025. The city's flagship I&T hubs, Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, have collectively nurtured around 20 unicorns.
A landmark milestone came with the official opening of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Loop Hong Kong Park) in December 2025. Already, over 100 technology enterprises and institutions have signed leases and begun operations. The Loop Hong Kong Park is designed to serve as a vital platform for basic research, commercialization, pilot production, and international collaboration within the GBA.
Further bolstering the region's infrastructure, the San Tin Technopole Company Limited was established in June 2026 to develop 210 hectares of I&T land in the San Tin Technopole, part of Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis. This initiative will create an integrated ecosystem for upstream, midstream, and downstream industrial development, complementing the Loop Hong Kong Park.
Hong Kong's financial prowess remains a cornerstone of its innovation success. The city boasts a vibrant private equity market with assets under management nearing US$250 billion, ranking second in Asia after the Chinese Mainland. This financial strength provides critical support for startups and scale-ups.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong plans to align its strategy with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, aiming to solidify its position as an international I&T center. The city will deepen collaboration with GBA sister cities, contributing to the nation's efforts to build a modern industrial system and achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
For more information, visit Brand Hong Kong.
