Propel Investment in Chinese Tech Startups, Support Their Global Expansion, and Accelerate Smart City, Sustainability and AI Innovation
BEIJING and HONG KONG, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MTR Lab Company Limited ("MTR Lab", a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation) and Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Development Co., Ltd. ("ZGC Science City Ltd") are forming an ecosystem partnership. Focusing on smart city and sustainable development, the collaboration will accelerate the investments in and global expansion of frontier tech enterprises across AI, robotics, smart mobility, rail, retail, property and construction. This cross‑border partnership between Hong Kong and Beijing leverages the strengths of both ecosystems to accelerate the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, aligning with the national development strategy of "new quality productive forces (新質生產力)."
Chinese Mainland's innovation ecosystem has surged in recent times with rapid advances in AI and related technologies, powering a major acceleration in smart city and sustainability development. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, as of September 2025, there were 5,300+ AI companies in the Chinese Mainland, accounting for around 15% of the global total. Beijing's Haidian District, the AI innovation hub of China, is home to over 35% of China's AI companies, with a significant concentration of "specialised and sophisticated (專精特新)" enterprises and unicorns. These emerging trends align closely with MTR Lab's strategic investments in smart‑city and sustainable development. Last year, MTR Lab received nearly double the number of investment proposals and opportunities in AI and robotics compared with 2024. Among them, proposals originated from the Chinese Mainland accounted for more than 30%.
As a core element of the partnership, while continuing to deepen the integration of innovation resources, ZGC Science City Ltd will invite industry leader MTR Lab into its innovation ecosystem and refer MTR Lab to high‑potential startups in AI, smart city and sustainable development for prospective investment and collaboration. Through MTR Lab's extensive global innovation network, the two parties will jointly explore pilot application opportunities, technology implementation and cross‑border expansion, supporting Chinese startups in accessing broader global markets.
Deepening innovation ecosystem partnerships, Uniting to "Go Global"
As an international I&T investor, MTR Lab creates strategic value through investments and ecosystem partnerships. Following its collaboration with TusStar, the partnership with ZGC Science City Ltd marks another strategic step in deepening MTR Lab's global collaborative exchange and strengthens MTR Lab's innovation network in the Chinese Mainland.
Haidian District, the core area of Beijing's International Science and Technology Innovation Center, fosters high‑quality technological and industrial development and hosts over 2,950 specialised and sophisticated enterprises and 49 unicorns as of January 2026. Through this partnership, ZGC Science City Ltd will recommend quality startups to MTR Lab. By leveraging MTR Lab's extensive experience in the overseas startup market and the complementary resources of its collaborative platform, both parties will drive cross-border collaboration and explore potential co‑investment opportunities, connecting more Chinese tech startups with global capital and overseas market resources.
"As a global strategic I&T investor and collaborative platform, MTR Lab has been partnering with innovators worldwide to drive next‑generation technologies," said Jing Shi, Head of Investment of MTR Lab. "Our investment portfolio spans Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and developed markets. We strategically help Chinese innovators expand overseas, with examples such as acoustic AI monitoring leader Ensonic and AI‑powered retail tech company Whale. ZGC Science City Ltd 's rich ecosystem of R&D institutions, incubators and innovative enterprises will help us connect with more high‑tech, high‑potential startups and further strengthen our investment network in the Chinese Mainland. We look forward to combining our strengths to help tech startups land in Hong Kong and scale internationally, also to deepen collaboration between Beijing and Hong Kong."
"Haidian District is at the core of Beijing's International Science and Technology Innovation Center and is committed to driving the integration of technological innovation and industrial development. We nurture tech enterprises through an international cooperation ecosystem that helps companies 'go global' and expand into new markets," said Mary Huang, Ecosystem Partnership Division Deputy Division Manager of ZGC Science City Ltd. "AI is a key engine for sustainable development. As of December 2025, Haidian District is home to more than 1,900 AI companies, including 26 unicorns, accounting for about 70% of Beijing's total. Under the 15th five-year plan, ZGC Science City Ltd will prioritise advancing broad AI adoption across traditional industries, deepening innovation ecosystem development, and driving high‑quality growth of Haidian District. We look forward to leveraging MTR Lab's global network and extensive international market experience to help Chinese tech enterprises access overseas opportunities and pilot application scenarios, strengthen the broader industry ecosystem, and support their global expansion and business growth."
Through this partnership, MTR Lab and ZGC Science City Ltd will focus on exploring investment and collaboration opportunities in smart city and sustainable development, identifying more high‑potential tech startups from the Chinese Mainland, attracting global capital for high-quality technology brands and supporting their internation expansion. MTR Lab will officially join the Z Hub scenario acceleration platform of ZGC Science City Ltd to deepen its presence in the Chinese Mainland, and work with innovation partners to build carbon‑neutral smart communities and co-create a smarter, greener future.
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ABOUT MTR LAB
MTR Lab Company Limited ("MTR Lab") is a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation Limited. MTR Lab creates strategic value through investment in technologies and formulates innovative solutions that support the long-term growth of communities. With a commitment to co-creating a smarter, greener future, MTR Lab aims to benefit communities by investing in and introducing technologies across different sectors, including mobility (MaaS, new mobility modes, rail tech), new retail technology, property and construction technology, and financial and data services, driving positive impact within two overarching themes: smart city and sustainability. Its unique position as an innovation investor enables MTR Lab and its partners to strategically collaborate toward creating a carbon-neutral smart community. Together, let's Keep Cities Moving!
ABOUT BEIJING ZGC SCIENCE CITY INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
Beijing ZGC Science City Innovation Development Co., Ltd., established in May 2019, is a technology investment and sector services platform driven by ecosystem development, dedicated to supporting the construction of a world-leading science and technology park. The company operates through five core business divisions: sector services, ecosystem partnerships, technology investment, property operations, and international collaboration.
The company has established a comprehensive service system that covers the full lifecycle of technology enterprises across all elements, value chains, and operational scenarios. This promotes deep integration of technological innovation and industrial development in Haidian District, striving to create a hub for New Quality Productive Forces and supporting the development of world-leading science and technology park.
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MTR Lab and ZGC Science City Ltd Establish Ecosystem Partnership
