On April 13, 2026, the 16th annual Ningbo-Hong Kong Young Entrepreneurs Roundtable convened in Hong Kong, gathering over 70 young business leaders, industry experts, and institutional representatives to advance collaborative dialogue on cross-boundary innovation and industrial development. Co-hosted by the Ningbo Hong Kong Fellowship Association and the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, this year’s forum centered on two high-priority themes: the commercialization of scientific research outputs and the expansion of new quality productive forces, an emerging growth driver for China’s modern economy.
During the event, officials from Ningbo’s municipal investment promotion bureau — the East China coastal city located in Zhejiang province — delivered a comprehensive overview of Ningbo’s recent economic and social progress, highlighting its business-friendly regulatory environment and competitive industrial ecosystem. Representatives from the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong also outlined the organization’s range of support services for cross-region enterprises, setting the stage for in-depth discussions among attendees on innovation alignment, complementary industrial strengths, and expanded youth-driven collaboration.
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, former president of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, opened the keynote segment by noting that China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) explicitly supports Hong Kong’s development as a global innovation and technology hub, creating unprecedented new opportunities for cross-city partnership. She emphasized that Ningbo and Hong Kong possess uniquely complementary strengths that can be leveraged for mutual growth, urging participants to deepen cooperative ties and jointly expand into international markets.
Philip Sohmen, director of World-Wide Shipping Agency Limited and president of HKUE Limited, noted that decades of collaboration between the two regions have evolved into a dynamic, mutually reinforcing partnership. He pointed out that Ningbo’s robust manufacturing base and diverse industrial landscape provide an ideal real-world testing ground for Hong Kong-based technology firms seeking to scale their innovations.
Gillian Yu, founder and chief executive officer of Hong Kong AI startup SPIN AGI Limited, shared her first-hand experience building a cross-region business spanning both Ningbo and Hong Kong. She revealed that her team recently deployed embodied intelligence models in industrial robots at a major automaker, a milestone that has already drawn significant interest from leading global research and industry institutions. Drawing inspiration from Wang Yangming’s (1472-1529) influential philosophy of the unity of knowledge and action, Yu framed Hong Kong as a knowledge and innovation hub, while positioning Ningbo as the practical application base where innovations can be tested, refined, and scaled for commercial success.
To formalize expanded cooperation, the two host associations signed a memorandum of understanding during the roundtable. The agreement paves the way for deeper joint work across technology commercialization, industrial upgrading, and youth entrepreneurship support.
Now in its 16th consecutive year, the Ningbo-Hong Kong Young Entrepreneurs Roundtable has become a foundational platform for cross-region youth engagement, attracting nearly 1,000 participants since its launch. Long-term investment data underscores the deepening economic ties between the two regions: in 2025 alone, Hong Kong investors backed more than 110 newly approved projects in Ningbo, with total investment approaching $2 billion. To date, more than 1,000 Ningbo-based enterprises and institutions have established operations in Hong Kong, with cumulative investment exceeding $10 billion.