MTR Lab and Zhongguancun Science City deepen scientific and technological innovation cooperation and implementation

[Xinhua Business News, March 20] Recently, MTR Lab Company Limited (referred to as “MTR Lab,” a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation) announced the establishment of an ecological partnership with Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Development Co., Ltd. Both parties will focus on smart cities and sustainable development, promoting investments in cutting-edge technology companies in artificial intelligence, robotics, smart transportation, rail transit technology, retail technology, real estate technology, and construction technology, while also helping these companies expand overseas. This cooperation reflects cross-regional innovation collaboration between Hong Kong and Beijing, leveraging each other’s strengths to promote deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, actively supporting the development of “new productive forces.”

MTR Lab and Zhongguancun Science City Establish Ecological Partnership

In recent years, global advancements in artificial intelligence and related technologies have accelerated, becoming key drivers of smart cities and sustainable development. China’s innovation ecosystem is particularly vibrant. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, by September 2025, there will be over 5,300 AI companies nationwide; among them, Beijing’s Haidian District, as a national AI innovation hub, accounts for more than 35% of these companies and hosts numerous specialized, innovative, and unicorn enterprises. This trend aligns closely with MTR Lab’s investment focus on smart city and sustainable development technologies. In 2024, projects related to AI and robotics in MTR Lab’s global investment portfolio nearly doubled compared to 2023.

As one of the key aspects of this partnership, Zhongguancun Science City will continue to deepen the integration of innovative resources, inviting industry-leading companies like MTR Lab to join its innovation ecosystem. It will also recommend high-potential tech startups in AI, smart cities, and sustainable development to MTR Lab, leveraging MTR Lab’s extensive innovation network to promote pilot applications, technological implementation, and cross-border expansion, helping companies access broader international markets.

Deepening Innovation Ecosystem Collaboration to Help Tech Companies “Go Global”

As an international investor in innovative technology, MTR Lab plays an important role by creating strategic value through investments and ecosystem collaborations. This partnership with Zhongguancun Science City follows previous collaborations with TUS Star and marks another significant ecological partnership established by MTR Lab on the mainland, further strengthening its ties with the innovation ecosystem. As the core area of Beijing’s International Science and Technology Innovation Center, Haidian District, as of January 2026, hosts over 2,950 specialized small and medium-sized enterprises and 49 unicorn companies, dedicated to high-quality technological innovation and industrial development. Through this cooperation, Zhongguancun Science City will recommend high-quality startups to MTR Lab, while utilizing MTR Lab’s experience in overseas startup markets and its collaborative platform resources to facilitate cross-border business cooperation, explore joint investment opportunities, and connect more innovative companies with global capital and overseas markets.

Shijing, Investment Director at MTR Lab, stated: “As an international strategic investor and collaboration platform for innovation, MTR Lab has been actively working with global partners to promote innovation and development. Our portfolio includes startups from Hong Kong, mainland China, and developed countries, and we have successfully helped many mainland-originated innovative companies expand overseas through strategic investments, including leading companies in acoustic monitoring driven by AI, such as DSound Technology, and AI-enabled retail tech firms like Weipu. Zhongguancun Science City links R&D institutions, incubators, and innovative enterprises, which will help us connect with more high-tech, high-potential startups and further expand our innovation investment ecosystem on the mainland. We look forward to combining our strengths to not only enable mainland startups to establish a presence in Hong Kong and connect with international markets but also to promote technological innovation cooperation and exchanges between Beijing and Hong Kong.”

Huang Jingjing, Deputy General Manager of the Ecological Business Department at Zhongguancun Science City, said: “Haidian District is the core area of Beijing’s International Science and Technology Innovation Center. It is committed to deep integration of technological innovation and industrial development, actively cultivating innovative tech enterprises, and establishing an international cooperation ecosystem to help companies expand into new markets. AI is a vital driver of sustainable development. By the end of December 2025, Haidian will have over 1,900 AI companies, including 26 unicorns, accounting for 70% of Beijing’s total. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Zhongguancun Science City will focus on promoting the widespread application of AI in traditional industries, deepening innovation ecosystem construction, and supporting Haidian’s high-quality development. We look forward to leveraging MTR Lab’s global network and extensive international market experience to connect tech companies with more overseas opportunities and pilot application scenarios, helping to advance industry ecosystem development and achieve business growth globally.”

This collaboration between MTR Lab and Zhongguancun Science City will focus on exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in smart city and sustainable development solutions, discovering and supporting more high-potential mainland startups, attracting global capital to support quality tech brands, accelerating companies’ “going global” efforts, and expanding into broader international markets. Additionally, MTR Lab will officially join Zhongguancun Science City’s Z Hub scenario acceleration platform, further deepening its domestic market presence and working together with innovation forces to go global, co-creating carbon-neutral smart communities, and building a smarter, greener future.