Search

To promote innovation in the high-end medical device sector, the NMPA has issued the "Priority Approval Catalog for High-end Medical Devices (2025 Edition)". This will expedite product registration and market entry, supporting the Greater Bay Area's biopharma industry in seizing technological leadership and achieving high-quality development.

Guangdong's 2026 special fund for the new-generation IT industry targets the electronics sector, strongly supporting Greater Bay Area manufacturing. This offers clear policy benefits for Hong Kong entrepreneurs returning to the region, enabling them to tap into digital economy opportunities and integrate into the innovation ecosystem through funding and industry collaboration.

The launch of Hong Kong's permanent Government Chinese Medicine Testing Centre marks a push for an internationally recognized standardization and research system, providing a premier platform for Hong Kong businesses in the Greater Bay Area to engage in R&D, testing, and global commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine.

On January 13, Hong Kong and the National Health Commission signed two major agreements to advance traditional Chinese medicine development and cancer prevention cooperation in the Greater Bay Area, aligning with Hong Kong's TCM development blueprint and deepening national collaboration in cancer control.

The Ministry of Commerce has issued the 2026 Catalog of Goods Subject to Export License Administration, covering 43 categories. Hong Kong businesses exporting these goods from the Greater Bay Area must comply with quota management (e.g., for agricultural products to Hong Kong and Macao) and procedures like the "single-use license" system, and may apply for licenses through authorized local commerce departments (e.g., in Guangzhou).

Hengqin Cooperation Zone’s new financial support policy offers Hong Kong businesses incentives for setting up operations, cross-border services, fintech, and office space, while encouraging Macao collaboration and support for innovative firms—a key opportunity to expand and benefit from financial innovation dividends.

In 2025, the nine mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area recorded a foreign trade volume of 9.15 trillion yuan, up 4.7% year-on-year, creating a broad platform. The region handles nearly half of the country's tablet computer exports and over 80% of 3D printer exports, with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port also seeing rapid growth in import-export value. This provides Hong Kong businesses with a mature trade ecosystem, logistics advantages, and significant market opportunities for entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area.

"Bay Area Certification" is a quality initiative by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, enabling products/services to be certified once and recognized across all three regions. By the end of 2025, 308 certificates had been issued, boosting quality, industrial upgrading, and consumer confidence in the Greater Bay Area.

According to reports, the Greater Bay Area leads China in multiple digital economy indicators. It aims to establish three trillion-level digital industry clusters and become a globally leading digital bay area by 2030.

Hong Kong is actively promoting the modernization and internationalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), leveraging the "one country, two systems" principle and its global platform advantages. With the launch of the first TCM Development Blueprint and the inauguration of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital, efforts focus on research translation, clinical practice, and international standard-setting to help businesses expand overseas and establish Hong Kong as a gateway for TCM to the world.

The first western cross-river pedestrian bridge connecting the Hong Kong and Shenzhen areas of the Hetao Innovation and Technology Park will be constructed, featuring a whitelist system for personnel to pass via facial recognition. The park will also enact exclusive laws to prevent sample leakage and has allocated funds for a sample storage freezer.

China's first national-level technical and trade measures research and evaluation base for the pop toy industry has been established in Dongguan, Guangdong, marking a new phase in addressing international technical barriers. Jointly built by entities including the General Administration of Customs and Huangpu Customs, the base features a "Customs-Government-Enterprise" mechanism, providing services such as information collection and risk warning. Dongguan is home to over 8,000 toy companies, exporting toys worth RMB 21.49 billion from January to November 2025. A dedicated pop toy technical and trade service station was set up in August 2025, and China's first pop toy industry association standard has been released.

According to the Greater Bay Area Standardization Research Center, five new "Greater Bay Area Standards" have been officially added to the common implementation list. Covering modern services and key industrial technologies—such as the General Specification for Engineering Competency Assessment and the Parking Service Specification—these standards aim to enhance operational consistency and integration across the region.

On December 16–17, HKTDC GoGBA and the HKSAR's Greater Bay Area Office jointly organized the GoGBA Shenzhen-Zhuhai study tour. The event helped Hong Kong businesses understand cutting‑edge technology, explore collaboration opportunities, and enhance competitiveness through direct exchanges with mainland officials and industry leaders.

The 2024 Guangdong R&D expenditure reached 509.961 billion yuan, up 6.2%, ranking first in China for the ninth consecutive year. R&D intensity hit 3.60%, exceeding national and OECD averages. Shenzhen led major cities with 6.67% intensity.