(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Government today promulgated the Conceptual Outline of the Development Plan for the Innovation & Technology Industry in the San Tin Technopole.

The conceptual outline provides a top-level design for the 210 hectares of new innovation and technology (I&T) land in the technopole in terms of development vision, objectives and positioning, industrial spatial layout and development model.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong said the San Tin Technopole development will be anchored on three key strands: providing space for prototyping, pilot production and small-scale manufacturing; developing high-quality local I&T industries; and pooling global I&T resources and talent.

Prof Sun noted that the San Tin Technopole can provide land of a larger scale to support the development of strategic I&T industries such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics, microelectronics and smart devices, new materials, new energy, and green technology, as set out in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint.

In terms of a layout plan, the new I&T land will be divided into three development hubs and three industry development corridors. They are the Hetao Hub, Chau Tau Hub and Ki Lun Hub from north to south, and the life and health technology corridor, AI and robotics corridor, and microelectronics and advanced industry corridor.

Prof Sun said that such planning can cater for the pace of I&T development and the relevant timetable for land resumption and site formation works undertaken by works departments, with five of development from introduction, industry ecosystem expansion, city-industry hub to consolidation.

Following the principle of a capable government and an efficient market, consideration can be given to forming a dedicated company to take forward the San Tin Technopole development in collaboration with the market, thereby leveraging market resources to accelerate development and optimise development costs, he added.

According to the consultant's estimates, the technopole will contribute some $250 billion or more to Hong Kong's GDP annually upon its full operation, and provide over 300,000 work positions.