That is the promising title of a new report published today by the Netherlands Office for Science & Technology in China. The study, conducted at the Netherlands Consulate-General in Hong Kong, extensively maps R&D opportunities for Dutch enterprises and knowledge institutes. A large number of Dutch companies and entrepreneurs are already conducting business in Hong Kong, or use Hong Kong as a base to cover mainland China and the surrounding region. The opportunities that Hong Kong offers in terms of technological innovation are however still lacking in exposure. Only very few innovative entrepreneurs and knowledge institutes are making optimal use of the possibilities.
The study concludes that there is no lack of possibilities. Due to an increasingly active innovation policy, there are numerous funding and incentive programs to stimulate R&D activities in the territory. Contrary to many other aspiring R&D hubs, these programs are very often open to foreign companies as well. These funding possibilities and a solid R&D infrastructure together create an environment where foreign start-ups, and SMEs in specific should be able to thrive. This applies in particular to companies active in the Dutch ‘topsectors’ High Tech Systems & Materials, Life Sciences & Health, Logistics and Energy, according to the study.
The full report is available (in Dutch only) on request. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to beijing [ at ] nost [ dot ] org [ dot ] cn. A Dutch summary is available on the NOST global website.