Hong Kong Research Portal

General Research Landscape

Hong Kong has evolved from a small fishing village into a flourishing international financial centre, converging top talents and technologies from across the world. In line with the shifting era, Hong Kong continues to move towards a knowledge-based economy. That is why innovative research is a closely linked and inseparable part of society’s overall development. 

What is the purpose of research? Research improves our lives and propels social progress – it is also an indicator of a society’s degree of civilisation. On the one hand, research creates and discovers new knowledge to satisfy humanity’s pursuit of knowledge and spirituality; on the other, research transforms and applies knowledge to improve our quality of life. Although the impact of research may not always be immediate, it is far-reaching and significant. Therefore, high-quality and continuous research can bring a strong impetus to society. Its impact goes beyond the academic world, bringing substantial contributions and positive influences to the economy, our community, culture, public policies or services, public health, the environment or our quality of life.

Research is not restricted to universities; it is closely related to our daily lives. For example, the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, e-commerce, and robotics, which have been booming in recent years, have not only improved our lives but can also apply to different contexts. These are based on various well-developed research and studies. On the other hand, research helps us respond to special situations, such as understanding social situation, reacting to natural disasters, and preventing epidemics. At the same time, research facilitates cooperation between Hong Kong and other countries. Through exchanges on knowledge and technology, Hong Kong's research achievements are shared with the international community. As such, research helps us to advance our civilisation, understand the present and think about the future, and at the same time, reflects and enhances Hong Kong’s soft powers as an international city.

Strengthening support for researchers' work and fostering a research culture can help promote the development of the research sector, thereby enhancing Hong Kong’s long-term competitiveness and maintaining our position as a world-class city.

The Government develops strategies and initiatives to create a comprehensive R&D policy framework to ensure Hong Kong remains technologically and economically equipped for future challenges. Various funding agencies run funding schemes supporting research in different fields such as natural sciences, engineering, medical and health sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts.

In the 2017 Policy Address, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that the Government targets to double the Gross Domestic Expenditure (GDE) on R&D as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) i.e. from 0.73% to 1.5% by the end of the current Government’s five-year term of office i.e. 2022. To achieve this goal, the Government launched various new initiatives in R&D investment, talent development, infrastructure, as well as promoting research cooperation. These include:

According to the Hong Kong Innovation Activities Statistics 2019 conducted by the Census and Statistics Department, the gross domestic expenditure on R&D of Hong Kong [i.e. total expenditure on in-house R&D activities performed locally in the business sector, higher education sector and government sector (including public technology support organisations)] amounted to $26,333 million, representing an increase of 8% when compared with 2018. The GERD as a ratio to GDP increased from 0.83% in 2017 to 0.86% in 2018.

Expenditure on in-house R&D in the higher education sector has been on a rising trend in recent years. In 2019, expenditure on in-house R&D in the higher education sector reached $13,432 million, up by 9% when compared with 2018. Expenditure on in-house R&D in the government sector (mainly public technology support organisations) amounted to $1,284 million in 2019, up by 12% when compared with 2018.

Hong Kong has many outstanding scientific research talents. To fully unleash our strengths in research and promote technology transfer as well as the realisation of R&D results, the Government will proactively nurture and continue to attract research talents through providing additional resources and reviewing relevant policies and measures.