On November 8th, 2024, the 2024 Global Investment Promotion Conference for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was held in Guangzhou. The event, jointly organized by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, resulted in the signing of 1,933 projects with a total investment of 2.26 trillion yuan.

Why has the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area become a hotbed for investment? Multinational companies and foreign investors have provided their answers.

Dr. Markus Kamieth, BASF Group's Executive Board Chairman, expressed his strong impression of Guangdong's leading innovation capabilities in China. This has boosted BASF's confidence in continuously expanding its investment in the region. As a result, BASF's largest single investment in history—the BASF (Guangdong) Integrated Base project—was set up in Guangdong. By 2025, the base will achieve a 100% renewable energy usage rate, becoming a leading project in sustainability and innovation.

"With the joint efforts of the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, the Greater Bay Area has the potential to become a global economic growth engine." In 2024, ExxonMobil's integrated plant and the Daya Bay R&D Center in Huizhou, are set to begin operations. According to Darren W. Woods, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, the decision to establish key projects in South China is not coincidental. Woods also shared that ExxonMobil has signed an agreement with the Guangdong Energy Group for the use of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) Terminal.

"Our first factory was established in Shenzhen in 1988, marking the beginning of our development in China. Our success in the Chinese market has been a key factor in our rise to the Global 500." According to Guo Kongfeng, Chairman of Wilmar International, the Greater Bay Area offers tremendous economic vitality, innovation potential, strategic location, and investment opportunities. Today, Guangdong has become one of the most important provinces for Wilmar's investment in China, with new industrial chain developments in areas such as edible oil processing and grain technology.

During the conference, government departments from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao not only presented substantial financial incentives but also showcased a "special package" highlighting the region's livability and business-friendly environment. The aim was to attract major projects, large enterprises, and top talent from around the world with a variety of attractive offerings.

In 2023, the Greater Bay Area's economic output reached nearly 2 trillion dollars, making it one of the most promising growth engines in the world. Currently, the region is accelerating efforts to improve its modern industrial system. This year, an action plan was introduced to speed up the cultivation and development of future industries, with a focus on seven key futuresectors such asnetworks and general intelligence. Meanwhile, the area is actively pushing forward action plans for the development of key industries like the low-altitude economy and optical chips, while also placing strong emphasis on supporting the growth of industries such as biomanufacturing.

"When you look at bay areas around the world, you'll find that each of them has its own key focus areas and industries, forming a comprehensive industrial cluster. When we talk about the Greater Bay Area, we can clearly see the remarkable development in manufacturing and digital industries." William Hickey, a faculty member at the School of Business, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and a recipient of US. Fulbright professorships stated that the development of technology sectors like AI in the Greater Bay Area is vibrant and will bring more opportunities for global cooperation and growth.

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

2024粤港澳大湾区全球招商大会揽金2.26万亿元

11月8日，2024粤港澳大湾区全球招商大会在广州举行。本次大会由粤港澳三地政府联合举办，共达成签约项目1933个，资金总额2.26万亿元。

粤港澳大湾区为何能成为投资热土？跨国公司和外商们纷纷给出了自己的答案。

巴斯夫集团执行董事会主席凯礼表示：“我对广东的综合创新能力在中国领先感到印象深刻。这也增加了巴斯夫不断扩大在广东投资的信心。”基于此，巴斯夫历史上最大的单一投资——巴斯夫（广东）一体化基地项目选择落户广东，到2025年，这一基地将实现百分之百的可再生能源发电利用率，成为可持续发展和创新的领先项目。

“在粤港澳三地政府的共同努力之下，大湾区具备了成为世界经济增长极的潜力。”2024年，埃克森美孚在惠州大亚湾建设的一体化工厂与大亚湾研发中心即将投入使用。在埃克森美孚董事长兼首席执行官伍德伦看来，重要项目落地华南地区并非偶然。伍德伦介绍，埃克森美孚还与广东省能源集团签署了液化天然气接收站使用协议。

“我们的第一家工厂自1988年落户深圳，自此开启了在中国的发展之路。在中国市场的成功，是我们能够成为世界500强的关键一环。”丰益国际集团董事局主席郭孔丰表示，大湾区的经济活力、创新动力、区位优势、投资潜力都是巨大的，如今，广东已经成为丰益国际在中国投资最重要的省份之一，在食用油加工、谷物科技等多个领域都有新的产业链布局。

招商大会期间，来自粤港澳的职能部门既拿出了“真金白银”的优惠政策，也秀出了宜居宜业的“特色大礼包”，面向全球“花式”招揽大项目、大企业和高端人才。

据介绍，2023年粤港澳大湾区经济总量近2万亿美元，正成为全球最具前景的增长极之一。当前，大湾区加快推动完善现代化产业体系，今年以来推动出台加快培育发展未来产业的行动方案，明确重点发展未来网络、通用智能等七大未来产业。同时，积极推动出台低空经济、光芯片等重点产业发展行动方案，还将重点支持生物制造等产业发展。

“当你看向全球的各个湾区时，你会发现，它们每一个都有主攻的方向和行业，都形成了一个综合的产业集群。而讨论粤港澳大湾区的时候，我们也看到了制造业和数字化产业发展十分突出。”广东外语外贸大学商学院教师、美国国务院福布莱特学者奖获得者威廉·希基表示，粤港澳大湾区的AI等科技产业发展充满活力，将为全球的合作和发展带来更多机会。

文丨记者 陈泽云 孙晶 王丹阳 杭莹 廖梦君 孙绮曼 李志文 实习生 彭潇雨 何蕊诗
图丨记者 周巍
翻译丨林佳岱
英文审校丨王枥焓