HKSTP Ecosystem Scores Seven Major Partnerships to Cement Hong Kong and Middle East as Global Innovation Powers

(Hong Kong, 12 March, 2024) – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) completed an epic Middle East delegation with a total of seven ecosystem and park company partnerships with innovation and technology leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE to reinforce the strength of the world-class I&T ecosystems of Hong Kong and the Middle East.

HKSTP secured two major partnerships, while another five deals were signed by park companies who were making waves across the Middle East. The landmark delegation was led by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, while eight park companies also joined the Hong Kong innovation force at LEAP 2024. The quality and ambition on show led HKSTP and its park companies score big wins in the mission to forge a truly global innovation community, while tapping into global opportunities that will support a multilateral technology future for all.

Park company and leading provider of EV charging solutions, Halo Energy Limited (Halo), secured two major Middle East partnerships in the UAE and Qatar. The Hong Kong greentech firm signed an MoU with J.S. Lootah Group, a property developer in Dubai, to explore EV charging deployment and investment in Middle East region. Halo’s second MoU was signed with Gallery Five Group, a leading conglomerate in Doha, with their partnership focused on EV charging collaboration and services expansion in Qatar.

The UAE leg of the delegation also saw a trilateral MoU between Hong Kong’s TrillionsMed Biotech (TrillionsMed), the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism) and ShineWing (HK) CPA Limited, acting as advisors in securing partnership. TrillionsMed is a subsidiary of HKSTP park company Able Trillion, which focuses on biotech and green tech investments. The partnership will expand TrillionsMed’s international footprint with an R&D presence in the UAE, with a focus on developing technologies in human and veterinary diagnostics and lab testing.

Arup-backed park company and smart building solutions provider, Neuron Digital Group (Neuron Digital), signed an MoU with Geoloc Star, a Dubai-based smart city technologies venture. The deal commits Geoloc Star to adopt Neuron Digital’s platform to promote energy saving and green building solutions, with a target to implement the solution for 100 commercial buildings in the next 18 months.

Mr Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said: “This series of landmark partnership deals between the Middle East and HK-GBA ecosystems are bold examples of the vision and boundless ambition from the two regions. We have cemented our status as forces on the world innovation stage and our partnerships will pave the way for global tech ventures to realise their full potential as we leap into a new era of innovation and a multilateral technology future.”

HKSTP is also committed to continually growing its network of strategic Middle East partners with a partnership agreed with Tsangs Group, a Hong Kong family office that has been central to helping many companies, including HKSTP park companies to build Middle East relationships. The agreed partnership will facilitate startups’ market expansion efforts in the regions.

Before hitting UAE, the Hong Kong delegation first stopped at LEAP 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, dubbed the largest tech show in the world. This global platform saw HKSTP sign a strategic MoU with Saudi Arabia’s leading technology R&D government institution, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), binding the two ecosystems to collaborate on technology, industry best practices and support for startups across the two ecosystem networks. Fellow Park company GenEditBio also signed an MoU with Anwa Biosciences, a leading Saudi genomics firm, for collaborating on use of cutting-edge CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology to combat genetic diseases.

Other highlights from the Middle East delegation included a trip to Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City and Hub 71. The former one is a leading business, research and development hub with comprehensive ecosystem while the latter one driving corporates to innovate, start business and look for funding support. The delegation also visited the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) to explore how it enables the development of innovative ecosystems, and supports collaboration between government, industry and academia to promote R&D.

For more information on LEAP 2024, please visit:
https://www.hkstp.org/our-community/events-and-happenings/leap-2024/

Photo 7-8: The Hong Kong delegation visited Saudi Arabia’s leading technology R&D government institution, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

Photo 9-10: The Hong Kong delegation visited Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP).

Photo 11-12: The Hong Kong delegation visited Hub 71, the tech ecosystem located in Abu Dhabi to learn more about how the technology centre supports corporates to innovate and start business.

Photo 13-14: The Hong Kong delegation visited Masdar City, which is a business, research and development hub with comprehensive ecosystem, driving innovation to realise greener and more sustainable urban living.

Appendix: HKSTP Park companies participating in LEAP 2024 (arranged in alphabetical order according to company names):

ALcarbo Technology Limited (ALcarbo)

ALcarbo is a biotech company pioneering a sustainable algae photobioreactor system to absorb and neutralise carbon dioxide. At LEAP 2024, Alcarbo introduces its new carbon-capturing algae reactor.

Applied Technology Group Limited (ATG)

ATG is a healthtech company using cloud computing and big data analytics to develop one-stop healthcare management platforms. ClinicONE, a smart clinic solution for doctors and patients, has been showcased at LEAP 2024.

Cornerstone Robotics Limited (CSR)

CSR is committed to developing practical and innovative solutions and providing high-quality medical devices for users and patients around the world. Sentire Endoscopic Surgical System, a surgical robot developed by CSR, made its debut in the Middle East at LEAP 2024.

Fano Labs Limited (Fano Labs)

AI expert Fano Labs introduces Callinter, an AI interaction analytics system, at LEAP 2024. Callinter empowers contact centres to analyse customer interactions and specialises in analysing call recordings in multilingual and mixed language settings.

FJ Dynamics International Limited (FJ Dynamics)

FJ Dynamics is a robotic company providing digital and autonomous solutions for agriculture, construction, and other sectors. At LEAP 2024, FJ Dynamics showcase the three components of its Digital Construction Management Platform – 3D LiDAR Scanner, Digital Construction Machine Control System, and RTK Rover.

Floship Limited (Floship)

Floship is a leading global circular supply chain and fulfilment solution provider for global e-commerce brands and crowdfunding campaigns. First time joining LEAP, Floship introduces its new warehouse and fulfilment locations across the Middle East and Australia.

Geek Plus International Company Limited (Geek+)

Geek+ is a global leader in reliable mobile robotics and a smart logistics provider. In 2023, Geek+ opened the first robotic e-commerce fulfilment centre in Saudi Arabia with Starlinks. At LEAP 2024, Geek+ demonstrates how its picking robots maximise warehouse efficiency and boost picking accuracy.

Halo Energy​ Limited (Halo Energy)

Halo Energy is a provider of smart and sustainable electric-vehicle (EV) charging solutions. First time joining LEAP, Halo Energy showcases its award-winning Active Load Management System, which optimises power distribution to maximise efficiency, along with other charging management platforms.