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The Hong Kong Jockey Club said on Wednesday its Charities Trust had approved in principle a HK$3 billion donation to support the construction of a life and health academic research building at the Northern Metropolis University Town.
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The announcement followed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s 2026 Policy Address. The government announced plans to build an integrated teaching and scientific research complex to advance education, foster scientific exchange, and cultivate top-tier research talent through shared institutional resources.
According to the Jockey Club, the proposed Life and Health Academic Research Building will be located in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and provide more than 30,000 square meters of gross floor area for life and health sciences research.
Jockey Club chairman Martin Liao Cheung-kong said the organization was “honored to work alongside the HKSAR Government to support the long-term development, prosperity and progress of Hong Kong.”
“As a patriotic world-class horse sports organisation, as well as a charity institution deeply committed to our country and Hong Kong, the Club is honoured to work alongside the HKSAR Government to support the long-term development, prosperity and progress of Hong Kong as it advances from stability to greater prosperity and success,” he said.
The project forms part of the government’s broader Northern Metropolis University Town plan, which will comprise university towns in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling. The three developments will cover more than 1,000 hectares when surrounding technology, industrial and residential areas are included.
San Tin University Town will focus on areas including medicine, life and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and microelectronics. The government said Building 1 of the Hong Kong Park in Hetao, due for completion by the end of this year, would serve as an initial flagship for the university town and bring together universities and research institutions.
The Jockey Club said the new project would build on its existing support for research and talent development, including the JC STEM Lab initiative, an early-career research fellowship program and the Jockey Club One Health Tower at City University of Hong Kong.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the Club approved HK$8.6 billion in charity donations and contributed HK$30.7 billion to the government through taxes and Lotteries Fund contributions, according to its latest annual results.
