Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki yesterday led a delegation to visit Bildungscampus Heilbronn in Germany to gather insights for developing the Northern Metropolis University Town.

The delegation included members of the Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town and presidents of member institutions of the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences.

Bildungscampus Heilbronn is an integrated university town in southern Germany that brings together academic institutions, applied research centres and industrial networks. It serves over 8,500 students, researchers, industry experts and entrepreneurs.

The delegation toured campus facilities and visited Campus Founders, a start-up and co-innovation hub, to learn about its experience in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem through start-up incubation, networking and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The delegation also exchanged views with a local government representative and staff from member institutions, including the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and the Technical University of Munich. Discussion topics included institutional positioning, development strategies, management experience, collaboration models and government involvement in campus development.

Mr Chan said the campus successfully aligns academic research with regional economic development, offering practical insights for the planning, development and positioning of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis University Town.

He pointed out that universities of applied sciences play a key role in the campus’s ecosystem by promoting industry-education integration and cultivating applied talent. This balance of curriculum design, cutting-edge research and practical applications provides an invaluable international reference for Hong Kong. 

The Chief Secretary departed for Hong Kong today after concluding his visit to Germany.