Vast pool of mainland engineers can help Hong Kong companies ease an acute shortage of local talent, academic says
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenVivian Auin DongguanPublished: 12:03am, 26 Aug 2026Mainland China’s vast pool of engineers can help Hong Kong companies expand, bridge their talent gap and scale up operations, industry leaders have said.
They shared their insights during a six-day media tour of the Greater Bay Area organised by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. The itinerary included a research institute in Guangzhou’s Nansha district, a cargo facility and a university in Dongguan, a major industrial city in Guangdong province.
Among the key stops was the Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute in Nansha. It is the first research institute established by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on the mainland and focuses on innovative research, product and process development and commercialisation.
Its general director, Gao Min, highlighted how the vast pool of engineers could help Hong Kong companies ease an acute shortage of local talent. Citing an example, he said a start-up needing 500 engineers could quickly assemble a team on the mainland but find it difficult in Hong Kong.
“Even though Hong Kong has reserved vast swathes of land in the Northern Metropolis for innovation and technology, the local supply of engineering talent remains insufficient, making it difficult for the city alone to support large-scale tech industry development,” Gao said.
“Hong Kong’s basic research capabilities should therefore be combined with the mainland’s strengths in engineering and commercialisation.”
