On March 5th, at the "Ministers' Corridor" during the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun stated that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has jumped to the number one spot in the Top 100 Global Innovation Clusters ranking.

What underpins the collaborative innovation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao that has delivered this world-leading result?

The free and efficient flow of innovation factors is the core pillar of collaborative innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Cross-boundary capital flows have been particularly impressive. To date, Guangdong has allocated over 600 million yuan in provincial fiscal research funds across the boundary to Hong Kong and Macao.

Cross-boundary personnel exchanges have also become much easier. Taking a cross-boundary direct bus from the Hong Kong Science Park across the Shenzhen River, one can reach the Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in just 35 minutes.

Today, the four major cooperation platforms—Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha, and Hetao—are improving in both quality and efficiency. Major platforms such as the Quantum Science Centerof Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hengqin Laboratory are taking shape and gaining momentum. A dense network of 45 State Key Laboratories and 35 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao joint laboratories has been established, while 31 R&D institutions from Hong Kong and Macao universities have set up operations in Guangdong.

The establishment of major national scientific facilities and the rapid emergence of innovation platforms jointly form a solid foundation for the GBA to reach the summit of sci-tech innovation. For instance, the China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan has already completed 11 neutron experimental stations.

Driven by the model of "organized scientific research plus organized commercialization of research findings," Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao are building a world-leading innovation and commercialization ecosystem. As of last August, the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone had attracted over 200 high-level scientific research projects, 447 tech enterprises, 10 major national scientific research platforms, and more than 15,000 scientific researchers.

“深港穗”何以领跑全球？

3月5日，十四届全国人大四次会议“部长通道”上，科技部部长阴和俊介绍，在全球百强创新集群排名中，“深圳-香港-广州”集群跃居全球第一。

粤港澳三地究竟藏着怎样的协同创新密码，才能铸就这份全球领先的成绩单？

创新要素自由高效流动，是湾区协同创新的核心支撑。资金跨境流动成效尤为亮眼。截至目前，广东省财政科研经费跨境拨付至港澳累计超6亿元。

人员跨境往来更加便利。从香港科学园出发，乘坐跨境直通巴士越过深圳河，35分钟即可抵达香港科学园深圳分园。

如今，横琴、前海、南沙、河套四大合作平台提质增效，粤港澳大湾区量子科学中心、横琴实验室等重大平台成形起势，45家全国重点实验室、35家粤港澳联合实验室密集布局，31家港澳高校研发机构落地广东。

一个个国之重器落地生根，一座座创新平台拔地而起，共同构成了大湾区科创登顶的“硬核支撑”。位于东莞的中国散裂中子源，已建成11台中子实验终端。

粤港澳三地以“有组织科研+有组织成果转化”为抓手，打造全球领先的创新转化生态。截至去年8月，河套深港科技创新合作区深圳园区已汇聚超200个高端科研项目、447家科技企业、10个国家重大科研平台、1.5万余名科研人才。

文｜记者 黎秋玲
翻译｜陈冠臻
英文审校｜肖凯欣