Hong Kong is set to host the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s (UNIDO) first Global Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific region, with operations expected to begin in the second quarter of next year.

The centre will be housed at Hetao Xueyan No. 1 in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Cooperation Zone and jointly developed by the Hong Kong government, UNIDO and the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It will focus on AI-powered manufacturing, robotics, new energy and industrial design, supporting applied research, technology cooperation, industry standards, pilot production and technology commercialisation. Plans also include an annual innovation contest, exhibitions and a global partner network linking companies, universities and research institutions.

The initiative supports Hong Kong’s goal of raising manufacturing and new industrialisation value-added to 5.5 percent of GDP after 2030, while a separate trial scheme will offer humanoid robots on free loan to community organisations from December to May next year.