OASES Announces New Batch of 22 Strategic Enterprises, Boosting Innovation and Job Creation

OASES announces new batch of 22 strategic enterprises

The Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) today (April 20) held a signing ceremony to welcome its latest batch of 22 strategic enterprises (see Annex) establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong.

The ceremony was officiated by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan.

Many of the enterprises in this batch have a market valuation exceeding $100 billion. The cohort includes global top 10 and top 20 pharmaceutical firms, which are world leaders in life and health technology, and industry titans in advanced microprocessor manufacturing, artificial general intelligence (AGI), smart mobility technology, global eVTOL innovation, leading low-altitude economy infrastructure, digital asset custody and wallet infrastructure, and internationally renowned game development.

With the addition of these enterprises, OASES has successfully attracted more than 120 strategic enterprises to date. Collectively, these companies are projected to bring approximately $73 billion in investment and create about 25 000 job opportunities in high-end research and development (R&D) and management positions over the coming years. This will provide strong impetus for Hong Kong's industrial upgrading and talent development.

Mr Chan warmly welcomed a new cohort of key enterprises setting up in Hong Kong. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said, "Our strategic enterprise partners are helping to strengthen Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem. Many have formed partnerships with local universities, enterprises and research institutions. Some are collaborating with our hospitals, applying advanced technologies to improve the care for local patients. Others are using Hong Kong as a platform to pilot their cutting-edge applications, such as autonomous driving and fintech solutions, before scaling them internationally."

He added that many of the key enterprises that arrived earlier have established global or regional headquarters as well as R&D centres in Hong Kong. They are also actively establishing a presence in the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Hong Kong Park, leveraging Hong Kong's proximity and synergy with Shenzhen and the rest of the Greater Bay Area.

"This is a clear win-win for Hong Kong and for the enterprises. On the one hand, they bring investments, create jobs and deliver innovations that benefit our community. On the other, Hong Kong provides them with the platform, connectivity, finance, talent and professional support to expand internationally and realise their full potential."

He added, "As outlined in this year's Budget, we are advancing our 'AI+' and 'Finance+' strategies to drive development. Under 'AI+', we are accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence across industries, and exploring how AI can further empower Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem. And through Finance+, we are taking advantage of Hong Kong's IFC (international financial centre) position to empower companies at different stages of development to grow and expand. For example, we are taking forward further reforms to our listing regime to help technology enterprises raise funds."

Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, a newly onboarded strategic enterprise, highlighted Hong Kong's world-class universities, exceptional R&D talent, and innovative drug registration frameworks, such as the "1+" mechanism, as key factors positioning the city as an ideal gateway for pharmaceutical innovation. These unique attributes provide fertile ground for biopharmaceutical development and have encouraged Pfizer to deepen its investment in the region.

Meanwhile, Hygon Information Technology Co Ltd,a leading manufacturer of high-performance Central Processing Unit and Deep Computing Unit with a market valuation exceeding $500 billion, emphasised its plan to utilise Hong Kong as a strategic base to promote the domestic computing ecosystem. By leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantages to expand its global reach, Hygon Information aims to empower "new quality productive forces" and drive the high-quality development of the digital economy.

AutoFlight, a global leader in eVTOL technology, stated that Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" between the Chinese Mainland and international markets makes it the ideal gateway for business expansion. The company is committed to advancing the "new industrialisation" and smart mobility objectives outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan by deploying its technology in the city.

Zhuan Spirit Holdings Limited, a leading enterprise in the Chinese Mainland's circular economy, plans to utilise Hong Kong as its global hub to implement core technologies and deepen strategic collaborations. By establishing a benchmark for green innovation and technology, the group aims to drive the development of smart city initiatives and the digital economy, ultimately propelling the Chinese Mainland's circular economy model onto the global stage.

The Director-General of OASES, Mr Peter Yan, said that with half of the new companies coming from abroad, Hong Kong continues to stand out as the premier choice for industry titans despite global complexities. He stated that the strategic enterprises will serve as a powerful engine for economic growth and industry development, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" between the Chinese Mainland and the global stage.

OASES will continue to proactively attract high-potential and representative strategic enterprises and collaborate with government departments to support their development, further reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a global innovation hub.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (third left) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (second left) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Witnessed by Mr Chan (third row, centre) and other relevant officials, the partnership agreement was signed electronically by the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong (second row, centre) and representatives of the strategic enterprises. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan delivering a welcoming speech. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (left) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (second left) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (second left) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (first right) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (right) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony today (April 20). Photo shows Mr Chan (right) interacting with a representative of the strategic enterprise. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Food Safety Day 2026 highlights importance of hand hygiene for safeguarding food safety and public health

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department kicked off its Food Safety Day 2026 promotional campaign today (June 7). With "handwashing" as the core theme, a series of thematic short videos, social media posts, and posters, will be launched to highlight the importance of maintaining hand hygiene in preventing foodborne diseases, and to echo World Food Safety Day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Maintaining proper hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures for preventing foodborne diseases and safeguarding food safety. Unclean hands of food handlers may transfer harmful microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, from bacterial carriers or raw food to utensils, surfaces and ready-to-eat food.

A spokesman for the CFS said, "Food handlers should wash their hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, as alcohol hand sanitisers work less effectively at removing grease, dirt and certain foodborne microorganisms. When washing hands, the rubbing process should last for at least 20 seconds. To prevent the spread of preventable infectious diseases, handwashing should be carried out before and after handling food, before putting on gloves and after removing them."

The spokesman also reminded food handlers to wash their hands whenever possibly contaminated, such as after touching the face, coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, smoking, and handling money, waste, mobile phones, chemicals or raw food ingredients, as well as after completing cleaning tasks.

Members of the public are also reminded that wearing gloves cannot replace proper handwashing. Food handlers and the public should maintain good personal hygiene practices and adopt appropriate hygiene measures when preparing food, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne diseases and curbing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

For more information about Food Safety Day 2026, please visit the CFS website at www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_act/Food_Safety_Day_2026.html.

Photo source: he CFS website