HKPC Launches Hong Kong’s First National Engineering Research Centre Hong Kong Branch: Marine Eco-Tech Innovation Centre Driving Marine Economy and Building a Green, Smart Future

(Hong Kong, 28 October 2025) – The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) held the grand opening ceremony and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing for the National Engineering Research Centre Hong Kong Branch: Marine Eco-Tech Innovation (Hong Kong Branch). The ceremony was officiated by Miss WONG Shuk-han, Diane, JP, Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, alongside Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, MH, Executive Director of HKPC, Mr ZHANG Guangsheng, Director of the National Engineering Research Centre, and over 100 leaders from the HKSAR Government, business, academia, and research institutions. The event marked a significant milestone in Hong Kong’s marine technology innovation and the development of new quality productive forces.

Responding to National Strategy, Advancing Marine Technology Innovation
The establishment of the Hong Kong Branch aligns with the country’s national “Maritime Power” strategy and the blue economy planning of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Centre will focus on marine ecological environment monitoring technologies, aiming to enhance the international influence of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in related technologies and equipment. It will promote collaboration and exchange between industry, academia, and research, drive industrial innovation and upgrading, and support Hong Kong’s marine economic development. The initiative also aligns with the national goal of building a “Smart Port 2.0” model for multifunctional marine utilisation, fostering high-end shipping services, expanding the shipping industry cluster, and promoting green shipping to create high-quality, eco-friendly ports.

Miss WONG Shuk-han, Diane, JP, Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government, said, “The establishment of the Hong Kong Branch will serve as a vital platform, leveraging national-level research capabilities and Hong Kong’s international advantages to jointly advance marine technology innovation and blue economy development. The Hong Kong Branch will play a key role in marine environmental protection within the GBA, reflecting the strong commitment of both the national and Hong Kong governments to marine ecological conservation and sustainable development.”

Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, MH, Executive Director of HKPC, said, “The recent Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee discussed the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ recommendations, highlighting key directions for the next five years’ development, including promoting new quality productive forces through innovative technologies. The marine economy is a critical direction for future development. The establishment of the Hong Kong Branch of the Marine Eco-Tech Innovation Centre, a national-level platform, marks a new phase for Hong Kong in marine technology. HKPC will fully support the Branch in uniting local, Chinese Mainland, and international research capabilities to advance marine ecological monitoring, develop innovative products, and promote their application, facilitating technology transfer and industrial upgrading to support the national marine economy.”

Leveraging a National Platform to Tackle Key Technologies
The National Engineering Research Centre Hong Kong Branch: Marine Eco-Tech Innovation was jointly established by HKPC and the National Engineering Research Centre for Advanced Technology and Equipment for Water Environment Pollution Monitoring, with Mr Yonghai DU, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, appointed as the Director of the Hong Kong Branch. As a national-level R&D and technology commercialisation platform, the Hong Kong Branch is committed to maximising Hong Kong’s value within Chinese Mainland and globally, serving as a bridge to facilitate collaboration and alignment between the Chinese Mainland and international markets in marine technology.

Approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Engineering Research Centre is led by Lihe Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd., and brings together top-tier research forces from institutions such as Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As a key component of the national innovation system, the Centre is tasked with addressing critical technological challenges and demonstrating industrial applications, focusing on water ecological protection, water environment testing and monitoring technologies, and the development and application of smart water environment monitoring equipment.

Role and Direction of the Hong Kong Branch
As the first Hong Kong branch of the National Engineering Research Centre for Marine Eco-Tech Innovation, the Hong Kong Branch will focus on water quality testing and monitoring, marine ecological protection, and promoting the sustainable development of fisheries and marine renewable resources. Equipped with Hong Kong’s first and only AI-powered fully automated testing line, the Branch marks a significant achievement in reaching international advanced standards in marine technology testing capabilities, providing robust technical support for local and regional marine industries. Its core functions and directions include:

1. Innovative Product Development: Collaborating with the National Engineering Research Centre to develop new testing methods and equipment, such as AI-powered marine algae analysers and rapid seawater Escherichia coli water quality analysers.
2. Joint Research Initiatives :Actively promoting and participating in collaborative technology projects across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, pooling research capabilities from the three regions.
3. Expanding Application Scenarios: Tailoring solutions to Hong Kong’s typical marine and water environments (e.g., drinking water, seawater, rivers, and domestic sewage) to test and enhance technology applicability while elevating the internationalisation of research outcomes.
4. Enhancing Global Influence: Aligning with international testing standards to strengthen the global recognition of Chinese Mainland’s marine ecological environment testing and monitoring technologies.
    

AI Technology for Efficient Monitoring
The Hong Kong Branch will leverage advanced technologies to establish an “AI Smart Testing Laboratory,” enabling intelligent and automated testing processes to achieve low-cost, high-throughput, high-efficiency, and highly reproducible results. HKPC will work closely with the National Engineering Research Centre to develop sensitive, efficient, and green smart testing methods and monitoring equipment tailored to marine scenarios and international markets, with a focus on Hong Kong. The Centre will also drive the industrialisation of innovative outcomes to support marine ecological environment monitoring and sustainable development.

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Miss WONG Shuk-han, Diane, JP, Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, stated in her opening remarks that the Hong Kong Branch will serve as a vital platform, leveraging national-level research capabilities and Hong Kong’s international advantages to jointly advance marine technology innovation and blue economy development

Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, MH, Executive Director of HKPC, remarked that HKPC will fully support the Hong Kong Branch in uniting local, Chinese Mainland, and international research capabilities to advance marine ecological monitoring, develop innovative products, and promote their application, facilitating technology transfer and industrial upgrading to support the national marine economy.

The opening ceremony and MoU signing for the National Engineering Research Centre Hong Kong Branch: Marine Eco-Tech Innovation were successfully held at the HKPC Building.

The National Engineering Research Centre Hong Kong Branch: Marine Eco-Tech Innovation was officially established.