The government on Thursday unveiled a conceptual outline for the development of a 210-hectare technology hub in San Tin, projecting an annual GDP boost of HK$250 billion and 300,000 full-time jobs at full operation.

The outline says San Tin Technopole, part of the Northern Metropolis, will set aside space for key industries: life and health tech, AI and robotics, microelectronics and smart devices, new materials, as well as new energy and green tech. It says the goal is to create a full ecosystem that supports research, small-scale trial production, and turning ideas into real products.

It adds that the site will also set aside space for professional services facilities, academic and research institutions, and efficient logistics infrastructure.

To build and run the project, the government may consider setting up a statutory body – similar to the Airport Authority – to work with the market. This model is meant to balance long-term public goals with the efficiency of the private sector, helping deliver the project faster and at a lower cost.

At a news conference, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the San Tin Technopole will cover a large area, so development will take time and must be orderly. He said the 10-year plan is divided into five phases, with the government handling land resumption.

The conceptual outline does not mention development costs. Sun said officials will decide in the next few months how the project will be funded. They will also work with other government agencies, such as Invest Hong Kong, to attract companies to the technopole – to set up a presence and build real production lines.

"In the Hong Kong R&D development blueprint promulgated in 2022, we clearly pointed out that Hong Kong will have coordinated development of upstream basic research, mainstream technology transfer, and downstream industrial development," he said.

"In the past several years, we did have good progress in the upstream and mainstream approach, but for the downstream development, we do meet some difficulties. One of the major difficulties is land. We have no land. Now San Tin Technopole will provide a relatively large scale of land for our industry development. This land can meet the needs of industry. So I think this will be a golden opportunity for Hong Kong to develop our industry as fast as possible."

Sun added that the technopole is close to the Hetao Hong Kong Park and closely linked with the I&T ecosystems in Futian and Huanggang, giving it a strong location advantage. It also benefits from excellent transport links and its proximity to Shenzhen, he added.