Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: An Innovation Haven and Opportunity Hub for Global Entrepreneurs

As a world-leading innovation cluster, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area boasts a complete industrial system, collaborative innovation ecosystem and open policy support, making it a top choice for overseas entrepreneurs to explore the Chinese market and connect with international capital.

Spanning both sides of the Pearl River Estuary, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), a region covering only 56,000 square kilometers, has become the most dazzling focus on the global entrepreneurial map with its surging innovation vitality. As one of China’s most open and economically dynamic regions, it is not only a key driver of the country’s high-quality development, but also has built a complete ecosystem for global entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. Whether it is technological research and development, industrial transformation or market expansion, unique development opportunities can be found here.

The core competitiveness of the GBA starts with its unparalleled innovation capacity. In the 2025 Global Innovation Index Report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou” innovation cluster topped the global ranking for the first time. Having remained among the top for five consecutive years, this achievement confirms its core position in the global innovation pattern. At present, the GBA has established 2 national laboratories, 45 national key laboratories and 33 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao joint laboratories. Ten national major science and technology infrastructure projects provide solid support for basic research, with 817,000 valid invention patents, accounting for about one-sixth of the national total. This high-density agglomeration of innovative resources has greatly shortened the path of cutting-edge technologies from laboratories to the market. The “high-energy” microcapsule technology of Guangzhou Zhiwei New Materials is a typical case – starting from the laboratory of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, it achieved mass production relying on the incubation resources in Nansha, Guangzhou, and completed tens of millions of yuan in financing in just a few years, demonstrating the strong effectiveness of collaborative innovation in the GBA.

A complete industrial system and an efficient supply chain network lay a solid foundation for entrepreneurs. The GBA has formed a complete industrial system covering 31 major manufacturing categories, nurturing 9 trillion-yuan-level industrial clusters. Emerging industries such as new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence and electronic information are booming. In the new energy vehicle sector, more than 100 auto parts enterprises have gathered around XPeng Motors’ Zhaoqing factory, enabling suppliers to achieve “same-day delivery and 30-minute response”. This industrial ecosystem where “upstairs and downstairs are upstream and downstream” allows start-ups to avoid building supply chains from scratch, significantly reducing operating costs. The differentiated and complementary industrial pattern formed by intelligent manufacturing in Dongguan, hardware innovation in Shenzhen, financial services in Hong Kong and Macao’s advantage in connecting Portuguese-speaking countries ensures that entrepreneurs can find precise industrial support and cooperative resources regardless of their track.

An open and inclusive policy environment and sufficient capital support have removed obstacles for overseas entrepreneurs. The GBA continues to optimize the business environment. The Regulations of Guangdong Province on Promoting Hong Kong and Macao Youths to Employment and Entrepreneurship in the Nine Mainland Cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area provide guarantees in employment, housing, children’s education and other aspects. Incubation platforms in various regions also offer one-stop services for start-ups, including venue support, project introduction and financing connection. As an international financial center, Hong Kong has a complete financial chain, providing full-cycle capital support for entrepreneurial projects from angel funds to private equity funds. In the first seven months of 2025, Hong Kong’s new share fundraising reached HK$128 billion, ranking first in the world, making it the preferred destination for entrepreneurs to raise funds overseas. Meanwhile, the GBA continues to promote rule alignment, with key areas such as Qianhai, Nansha and Hengqin exploring alignment with Hong Kong and Macao rules, enabling overseas entrepreneurs to quickly adapt to the market environment and easily connect the mainland and global markets.

Today, more than 340,000 science and technology innovation enterprises are established in the GBA every year, with the number of Hong Kong and Macao-invested science and technology innovation enterprises increasing by more than 5% annually. Swire Group, U.S.-funded enterprises and others have stepped up their layout, confirming the attractiveness of this land. For overseas entrepreneurs, the GBA is not only a gateway to China’s ultra-large-scale market, but also a platform to integrate global innovative resources and achieve rapid growth. Here, innovative ideas can find technical support, entrepreneurial projects can gain capital favor, and high-quality products can be quickly launched to the market. With an open attitude, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area invites global entrepreneurs to join this innovation feast and jointly draw a blueprint for high-quality development.