Hong Kong and Finland Explore Collaboration in Innovation and Technology During Professor Sun’s Visit to Helsinki

SITI continues visit to Finland

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, continued his visit in Helsinki, Finland on May 13 (Helsinki time).

Professor Sun met with the Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland, Mr Sakari Puisto, saying that Hong Kong, possessing unique advantages under “one country, two systems”, can serve as an important gateway between the international community and the Chinese Mainland. Hong Kong is striving to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. He pointed out that Finland’s leading advantages in areas such as sustainable development and life sciences closely align with Hong Kong’s development strategies. There was a vast scope for collaboration between the two places. Universities and research institutions in Hong Kong have favourable conditions for further expanding academic collaboration and joint innovation with relevant Finnish organisations.

Professor Sun visited the Aalto University to learn about the entrepreneurship ecosystem of the University in areas such as AI, health technology and biomaterials. The Aalto University is one of the most representative multidisciplinary universities in Finland, which promotes the developments of innovation and entrepreneurship through interdisciplinary collaboration. He also received a briefing from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), a state-owned research and technology organisation which focuses on applied research and industrial innovation, covering fields including carbon neutral solutions, digital technologies, and sustainable products and materials. Through collaboration with enterprises and government, VTT promotes the transformation of research and development (R&D) outcomes and sustainable development. Professor Sun also toured the University’s magnetoencephalography laboratory to learn about the clinical application of the laboratory’s R&D outcomes.

Professor Sun also attended a luncheon with representatives of the Helsinki University Hospial, Business Finland and Business Helsinki to learn about the latest developments in local health innovation and start-up incubation. Among them, the CleverHealth Network is a health innovation ecosystem led by the Helsinki University Hospital, which brings together clinicians, researchers and enterprise to promote the application of digital health, AI and health data. Its data platform supports large-scale health data analysis for more accurate diagnostics and personalised treatment. He also received a briefing on the introduction of the Health Incubator Helsinki which provides tailor coaching, testing platforms and financial support for research-based health start-ups.

On the same day, Professor Sun attended a forum organised by Healthtech Finland and the Finland Chamber of Commerce, where he highlighted the immense potential for collaboration between Hong Kong and Finland in the field of life and health technology. He said that Hong Kong possesses world-class universities and a good healthcare system and the InnoHK Research Clusters advancing areas like precision medicine and AI-assisted diagnostics, which laid a solid foundation for joint scientific research and innovation. With the support of the Government’s major investments and platforms including the Life and Health Technology Research Institute, the city enables partners to promote the transformation and application of R&D outcomes and access the vast Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area market while developing next-generation medical technologies for global impact.

In the evening, Professor Sun attended a dinner reception co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London and the Finland-Hong Kong Business Association. In his keynote speech, he stated that Finland’s strength in innovation finds a natural gateway in Hong Kong, where innovation can scale, capital can flow, and ideas can meet markets. Guided by the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint and backed by substantial investment, Hong Kong is building a full research-to-market I&T ecosystem—spanning life and health technologies, AI and robotics, as well as advanced manufacturing and new energy — supported by world-class research capability and infrastructure, talent and strong international connectivity. As a “super connector” and “super value-adder” linking the Chinese Mainland and the world, Hong Kong offers Finnish and Nordic enterprises a key platform for opening up Asian market and global I&T collaboration.

Professor Sun concluded his visit to Finland on May 14 (Helsinki time) and will return to Hong Kong on May 15 (Hong Kong time).

Keynote speech by SITI at dinner reception co-hosted by London ETO and Finland-Hong Kong Business Association in Helsinki, Finland

Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at a dinner reception co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London and the Finland-Hong Kong Business Association in Helsinki, Finland on May 13 (Helsinki time):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. It is a great honour to join you here in Helsinki on this beautiful spring evening during my first official visit to the Nordic region.

Finland has long been recognised as a global leader in digitalisation, mobile communications, sustainability, and innovation. Yet, we believe all innovations need gateways — where innovation can scale, capital can flow, and ideas can meet markets. That is where Hong Kong enters the story.

Innovation and technology (I&T) has always been on the top agenda of the Hong Kong SAR Government. In 2022, we promulgated the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint — a strategic roadmap to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T Centre. Guided by this Blueprint, we are building a comprehensive I&T ecosystem anchored by three major I&T Parks and five key R&D (research and development) institutions, with strategic focus on life and health technologies, AI and robotics, as well as advanced manufacturing and new energy. This framework ensures that every stage of the innovation, from basic research to commercialisation to market, is well taken care of in terms of space, funding and policy support.

Our determination is reflected in our robust I&T investment, including three HK$10-billion landmark funding initiatives, approximately a combined investment of 3.25 billion euros. These schemes include the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme which drives the transformation of R&D outcome into real application and commercialisation, and the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme that supports the set up of smart production lines in Hong Kong, as well as the I&T Industry-Oriented Fund – a funds-of-funds to be launched this year to channel market capital to invest in emerging and future industries of strategic importance.

Besides, we have committed an additional HK$10 billion each to accelerate the development of two of our most strategic I&T innovation zones, namely the Hetao Hong Kong Park (the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone) and the San Tin Technopole.

Uniquely situated along the Shenzhen River, the Hetao Hong Kong Park leverages Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems” and Shenzhen’s comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem. As a natural extension of the Hetao Hong Kong Park, San Tin Technopole offers R&D, prototyping and production in one integrated corridor. Together, they form a complete research-to-market chain. For Finnish tech firms seeking to enter Asia, the Hetao Hong Kong Park and San Tin Technopole offer unlimited synergy. They are not merely I&T parks, but launchpads for global success, linking you up with the ease and advantages of doing business in Hong Kong, as well as the vast market of the Chinese Mainland.

As with all other places around the world, AI has become the strategic engine of the next stage of development of Hong Kong. We see AI not only as a practical force that can enhance productivity and transform industries, but also a tool to improve daily life and enhance living quality of every walks of life. To this end, the Government has launched over a hundred of digital government and smart city initiatives, with half of these initiatives involving the application of big data analytics and AI technology.

Hong Kong is home to five world’s top 100 universities, including three of the world’s top 30 in Data Science and AI by subject. Our flagship R&D initiative, InnoHK, has brought together more than 30 world-renowned universities and institutes from 12 economies. Among the 38 R&D laboratories, 16 of them focuses on AI and robotics technologies. One of these, the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center, had successfully launched a series of generative AI applications built on our own developed large language model. With the new AI Research and Development Institute to be operated soon, we are confident that AI development in Hong Kong will accelerate further.

We are also building the digital infrastructure for the future. The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster will deliver 180,000 PFLOPS (peta-floating point operations per second) of computing power by 2032 — 36 times today’s capacity — to meet the fast-growing demands of the AI industry and develop Hong Kong into an international data hub.

We are happy to see that our I&T strategy is delivering visible result. Hong Kong I&T ecosystem is thriving. Notably, 20 unicorns have been born in Hong Kong. The number of startups has surged by 40 per cent since 2021, reaching 5 200 in 2025. We ranked 4th in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2025, and first in Asia and fourth globally in the World Talent Ranking 2025. Meanwhile, together with Shenzhen and Guangzhou, we formed the world’s number one innovation cluster, powering a market of over 87 million in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

As a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, Hong Kong offers an open and globally connected economy supported by world-class research capability and infrastructure, a deep pool of international talents, a bilingual working culture, low and simple tax and robust IP protection. Hong Kong is within a five-hour flight of most major cities and markets in Asia, reaching half of the world’s population. All these provide fertile ground for overseas companies and people to grow, develop and succeed in Hong Kong.

We already see this synergy in action. Over the past few years, we have facilitated more than 600 leading I&T or high potential enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong, including half of the global top 10 pharmaceutical companies and some IT giants. We sincerely welcome more tech companies and talents from Finland, and the wider Nordic region, to connect with Hong Kong, for business, for investment, and for global I&T collaboration.

Nordic calmness and Hong Kong dynamism may seem different, but together we form a powerful combination. I warmly invite all of you to visit Hong Kong, experience our I&T ecosystem, and explore the possibilities that await. Let us build new bridges between the two economies and shape a sustainable and innovative future. Thank you, and I wish you all a wonderful evening.