Lingnan University congratulates the “Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou” cluster on ranking first in the 2025 Global Innovation Index.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said: “The rise of the ‘Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou’ cluster to the top of the global ranking is a strong recognition of Hong Kong’s growing strengths in research and innovation. The HKSAR Government has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic industry, and Lingnan has been at the forefront in pioneering a wide range of AI-related initiatives. We are committed to nurturing researchers and innovation talents, advancing interdisciplinary research, promoting technology transfer, and fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and research sectors. These efforts inject fresh momentum for both Hong Kong and the GBA, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Our students and researchers participated for the first time in the 11th “Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival”, winning 8 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and a special prize from the International Federation of Inventors' Associations, totalling 14 honours—the highest among all institutions in Hong Kong. Lingnan will continue to leverage its unique advantage of enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, working hand in hand with GBA partners to bring breakthrough research onto the global stage and to contribute to Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub.”
In recent years, Lingnan University has been actively advancing research and innovation, contributing tangible results to the development of Hong Kong and the GBA:
i. The faculty continues to demonstrate a strong capacity for securing external competitive funding. This year, three early-career faculty members received the Young Scientist Fund (Type C) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The Science Unit has also been successful in obtaining significant research grants; during this year's Projects of Lantau Conservation Fund competition, four out of five submitted proposals were funded, resulting in a total award amount of HKD$6,6 million.
ii. Regarding achievements at international invention exhibitions, Lingnan won five awards at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva; at the 11th Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival (SVIIF), Lingnan’s students and researchers earned a total of 14 awards, the highest number of medals and gold medals among all Hong Kong participating institutions.
iii. In January 2025, Lingnan University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS) and the Center of International Innovation for Technology and Science (CIITS) signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement. The collaboration aims to translate research achievements into practical applications in fields such as biomedicine and high-performance materials. Both parties will also explore the establishment of an innovation fund to invest in and incubate science and technology enterprises.
The launch event of the 2025 GII Ranking of the World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters was held at the Hong Kong Science Park on 1 September. Co-organised by the People’s Republic of China and the World Intellectual Property Organization, and hosted by the Hong Kong SAR, the event was held in Hong Kong for the first time, underscoring the city’s pivotal role as a core GBA city in the global innovation and technology landscape.
