Tech minister says competition among Northern Metropolis parks is expected and manageable

Speaking on a commercial radio program, Technology minister Sun Dong said the government will improve communication with operators of Northern Metropolis industrial parks to prevent confusion over business scopes. He acknowledged that parks like San Tin Technopole, focused on innovation, and Hetao Hong Kong Park, centered on research, may vie for the same enterprises, but asserted that modest competition is beneficial.

Sun clarified that overlapping functions are expected and that each park’s responsibilities are delineated, with firms being referred to the appropriate location for activities such as advanced construction or logistics. He added that 80% of the floor space in the ten-storey Loop Academic One (Building 1) is already leased, and the remaining four buildings should be ready by year-end. Additionally, two pilot lines of the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute are slated to start at the Microelectronics Centre in Yuen Long, where the institute has already secured contracts worth tens of millions of dollars and expects over 50 orders annually.