Hong Kong sets to deepen tech ties with Thailand

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, visited Thailand from January 27 to 29 to promote closer collaboration in innovation and technology (I&T) between the two dynamic economies.

In an exclusive interview with The Nation, Professor Sun said Hong Kong is positioning itself as a strategic gateway for Thai innovators looking to expand globally, underscoring that I&T development is now central to economic resilience.

 “The world is entering a new era of digital transformation,” Professor Sun said. “I&T advancement is no longer optional, it has become a driving force for long-term growth and resilience.”

His visit, marked by strategic engagements and a flagship seminar, aimed to deepen I&T cooperation between Hong Kong and Thailand, while showcasing Hong Kong’s role as an international centre connecting Asia to global markets.

Hong Kong’s innovation blueprint

The highlight of the visit was a seminar themed “Building growth and resilience for the future: Hong Kong as the strategic hub for technology, innovation and investment”, co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok (HKETO), the Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Thai-Hong Kong Trade Association.

Addressing Thailand’s I&T community, Professor Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s accelerated digital transformation under the 2022 Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint.

“Our strategy is clear. We focus on pillar industries including life and health technology, artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced manufacturing and new energy, with a view to building up the I&T ecosystem in a systemic manner, thereby promoting the sustainable development of I&T and new industrialisation-related industries in Hong Kong,” he said.

To back this vision, Hong Kong has rolled out three major funding initiatives worth HK$30 billion (about 121 billion THB).

“These schemes are designed to turn ideas into industries. We help universities commercialise outcomes of research and development (R&D), support smart manufacturing, and attract long-term strategic investment in frontier technologies,” he added.

Infrastructure, funding and global collaboration

Hong Kong’s physical and institutional infrastructure underpins these efforts. It is home to three major I&T parks and five dedicated R&D institutions. Its flagship InnoHK platform brings together more than 30 leading universities and research institutes from 12 economies.

Professor Sun described innovation as borderless, and invited Thai universities and research institutions to join InnoHK to co-create solutions with international partners.

He also pointed to the recent launch of the Hong Kong Park in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, saying it is envisioned to develop into a world-class hub for technological innovation connecting the Chinese Mainland with the international community.

Fast-growing start-up ecosystem

Hong Kong’s start-up ecosystem, he noted, continues to expand rapidly. The city is now home to a record high of over 5 200 start-ups, an 11% year-on-year increase and 40% growth since 2021, with more than a quarter founded by overseas entrepreneurs.

Professor Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s strong competitive edge: “Our strengths are not just funding or infrastructure. They include world-class universities, an international talent pool, a simple and low tax regime, excellent logistics network, and a highly open business environment.”

These advantages have attracted about 500 leading I&T enterprises to establish or expand their businesses in Hong Kong over the past few years.

International rankings reinforce this position. Hong Kong ranks third globally in the “Technology” factor and fourth overall in the 2025 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, while the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster tops the Global Innovation Index 2025 Ranking of World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters.

Complementary strengths with Thailand

Professor Sun said Thailand’s dynamic progress in digital transformation, underpinned by its ambition in the Thailand 4.0 vision, along with advances in digital infrastructure, start-ups and smart manufacturing, makes it a natural partner for Hong Kong.

“Thailand has developed impressive capabilities in areas such as healthtech, agritech and greentech,” he remarked. “These strengths are highly complementary to Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, creating ample opportunities for win-win collaboration.”

He described Hong Kong as a strategic “launchpad” for Thai companies and investors seeking access to the Chinese Mainland, including the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, and wider markets across Asia and the Middle East.

“We want to work with Thailand across R&D, talent exchange, start-up scaling, technology transfer and investment. I encourage Thai partners to visit Hong Kong, experience the ecosystem firsthand, and leverage the city’s unique advantages as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” under the “One County, Two Systems” principle to explore regional collaboration opportunities,” Professor Sun said.

The Bangkok visit underscored Hong Kong’s world-class I&T ecosystem and its role as the ideal gateway for Thai partners seeking global reach.

During the visit, the delegation also met representatives from the Thai Health Tech Association, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency and the Charoen Pokphand Group, engaged with life science start-ups, and visited the Mahidol University’s Institute for Technology and Innovation Management and the True Digital Park.

“The visit is not the end, but the beginning. By bringing together Thailand’s digital momentum with Hong Kong’s global connectivity and innovation capacity, we can build a more resilient and prosperous future together,” Professor Sun said in summing up the visit.