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and lack of focus on industrial, academic and research development of the HK-SZ biotechnology cluster. When it comes
collaboration; poor systemic and regime linkage between Hong to the overall development direction, the “two parks” should be
Kong and the Mainland; unsmooth passage of bio-materials and treated as “one zone” rather than two individual areas: where the
medical devices across the border; as well as underdevelopment two cities differ in systems and standards, the more flexible
of a biotech industrial cluster marked by an absence of world- system and the more internationalised standards should be
renowned biotech enterprises. With the inclusion of the Hetao adhered to; where they differ in incentive policies and measures,
Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation greater incentives and more supportive measures should be
1
Cooperation Zone (the Loop) into a national strategic platform, adopted. This way, the Loop can pursue collaborative
it is more important than ever to coordinate and plan the development as a whole and serve as a pivot that drives the
collaborative development of “one zone, two parks” of the long-term development of the two cities.
“one river, two banks” at the Loop, resolve existing issues that
hamper HK-SZ collaboration, and support the development of an We believe the development of biotech in the Loop has significant
international I&T hub in the GBA. The report thus approaches implications, not just in optimising the entire biotech supply chain
collaboration in biotech as an entry point and centres the study on including drug discovery, preclinical research, clinical trials, and
the development of the Loop. production and product launch, but also in helping achieve
breakthroughs in common key and core technologies. Three
Situated right at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border, the Loop developmental goals are identified for the Loop: 1) as a pilot and
encompasses the Hong Kong park (i.e., Hong Kong-Shenzhen demonstration area for collaboration between Hong Kong and
Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop) south Shenzhen in biotech, with a view to explore the most effective
of the Shenzhen River and the Shenzhen park (i.e., the Hong mode of cross-border collaboration and the most advanced
Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, covering the biotech policies; 2) as a pilot area for international biotech
Futian Free Trade Zone and the Huanggang Checkpoint area) regulatory standards setting, with the objective of introducing the
north of the River. In addition to bridging HK-SZ collaboration in most advanced and robust regulatory regime to the Mainland;
I&T, the Loop should serve as the pivot that drives the 3) as a biotech transformation cluster in the GBA that expedites
the transfer of advanced scientific findings into production.

1 In his speech on 14 October 2020 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ), President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of
“well-planning for and developing the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.” The 14th Five-Year Plan adopted in March this year also
designated the Loop as one of the four major collaborative platforms in the GBA.
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