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Hong Kong will host the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) first Global Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific region, with operations scheduled to begin in the second quarter of next year.
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The decision follows an evaluation of 173 member states and economies by UNIDO, a Vienna-based specialized agency established in 1966 to promote international industrial cooperation, technical assistance, and policy alignment.
Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong Man-lei said the selection reflects international recognition of Hong Kong's potential in new industrialization. The initiative stems from discussions in April between Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller.
Lillian Cheong
The center will focus on four areas: "AI + manufacturing," robotics, new energy, and industrial design. Key functions include research, international technology cooperation, industry standard alignment, policy research, and capacity-building workshops.
It also aims to launch an annual innovation contest, host industrial exhibitions, establish an international partner network, and help enterprises conduct pilot production and technology transfer.
The move aligns with Hong Kong's goal to raise manufacturing and new industrialization value-added to 5.5 percent of GDP after 2030.To support broader technology adoption, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau will also launch a trial scheme from December to May next year, offering humanoid robots on free loan to community organizations.
In a separate development, the government announced the first batch of eight companies selected from over 100 nominations under the New Industrialisation Elite Enterprise Programme (NIES).
