HKSTP to lead Hong Kong start-ups to go global via VivaTech Paris and BIO San Diego

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is set to lead two major overseas delegations of local start-ups specializing in AI, green technology, and life and health tech to France and the United States this June to explore global opportunities.

The events include VivaTech 2026 in Paris, Europe’s leading start-up showcase, and the BIO International Convention (BIO) 2026 in San Diego, the world’s largest life and health technology event.

Terry Wong Ping-sau, CEO of HKSTP, stressed that the HKSTP attaches great importance to the events. He emphasized that the city's innovation and technology (I&T) sector must adopt a global perspective, noting that the mature European and US markets offer crucial and immense commercial opportunities.

"June marks a landmark moment in HKSTP’s mission to rally a global tech community to reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a launchpad to success, and to promote the vibrancy and sustainability of our I&T ecosystem," he said.

From June 17 to 20 at VivaTech, the Hong Kong pavilion will showcase the innovative solutions of 24 Hong Kong tech ventures, 16 of which are supported by HKSTP.

Notable companies include Formwork IO, a ClimateTech materials company that has made the Top 30 of the Tech for Change Awards by VivaTech. The company transforms upcycled industrial by-products and wellness-focused bio-pigments into building materials that actively sequester atmospheric CO2, uniting carbon leadership, circularity, and human wellness in a single material innovation.

LeafIoT, a pioneer in green asset management, will also join the event, bringing traditional Eastern diagnostics into modern AI technology to significantly extend the lifespan of trees and restore the natural ecological balance in urban settings. 

They will be featured alongside Pantheon Lab, a GenAI company providing advanced Agentic AI and digital human interface solutions spanning banking, public services, government agencies, and large enterprises.

Following VivaTech, HKSTP will organize the largest-ever Hong Kong Pavilion at BIO 2026 from June 22 to 25, featuring double the number of participating organizations and exhibition space compared to last year.

The record-breaking delegation will showcase life and health innovations from 41 tech firms, institutes, and university spin-offs from Hong Kong. 

Five renowned local universities, namely The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, are also among the participants.
The innovations span AI-enabled biotech, therapeutics, diagnostics, and pharma, with potentially outstanding "First-in-Class" and "Best-in-Class" assets.

Featured Hong Kong start-ups at BIO 2026 include GenEditBio, which specializes in developing in vivo genome editing therapies by discovering novel Cas nucleases and creating fundamentally safe, efficient, and affordable delivery technologies to treat genetic mutation-related diseases.

Immuno Cure, which focuses on DNA medicines and antibody immunotherapies for infectious diseases, inflammation, and cancers, will also join the delegation. The company will showcase its first-in-class HIV therapeutic DNA vaccine, ICVAX, which has completed Phase I clinical trials with promising results and will soon enter Phase II trials.

Furthermore, HKSTP highlighted that these two significant missions are aimed not only at taking homegrown innovators overseas but also at attracting partners, capital, talent, and collaboration to Hong Kong.

The goal is to position Hong Kong as a superconnector for local startups to access the vast opportunities in markets across the world, vice versa, and to accentuate that momentum into a model of influence, HKSTP added. 

HKSTP proves a vital springboard for local biotech start-ups going global

HKSTP is a top-tier platform for start-ups to receive all-around support, including capital, infrastructure, and access to key partners in the broader biotech ecosystem, said Cynthia Shum, business development manager of GenEditBio.

 "The Science Park is really not just a landlord," Shum said, noting that the company, founded in December 2021, is also one of the portfolio companies of the HKSTP Venture Fund.

She highlighted that the HKSTP brings together a wide range of partners, including academics, contract research organizations (CROs), and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), while also hosting events on clinical trial regulations to gather all stakeholders.

"BIO is a really good chance for international exposure and also for trust-building," Shum said. However, she noted the company did not set a strict KPI on the number of partners they meet. 

They will primarily be looking for other biotech firms focused on ophthalmology and are very open to engaging with multinational pharma companies, while also exploring side events ongoing in San Diego.

Regarding the advantages of Hong Kong companies exploring the overseas market, Shum pointed out that over the past two years, she has seen an increasing trend of Chinese assets being out-licensed to the US and the rest of the world. The exchange is two-way, with overseas delegations visiting Hong Kong as well.

“I do believe this is a sign of the international community giving more attention to Hong Kong,” she said, noting that this benefits from the mainland's biotech ecosystem gathering more global attention.

She mentioned HKSTP's close proximity to Shenzhen, a major hub for AI and biotech companies, which makes it highly convenient for Hong Kong enterprises to cross the border and access mainland resources.

Shum also emphasized that Hong Kong's financial system and intellectual property (IP) laws are internationally recognized, and the city's top academic institutions and medical schools provide strong support for biotech development.

Furthermore, Shum noted that while the US is a primary target market for many biotech companies, GenEditBio has established collaborations in multiple regions, including South Korea. 

The company has also signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Saudi Arabian companies, as its technology closely aligns with the nation's Vision 2030, she added.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓