On 11–12 May 2026, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden supported and facilitated a high-level innovation visit to Sweden by Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government. The programme included visits and meetings with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, IVA, Karolinska Institutet, SciLifeLab, Flemingsberg Science Foundation, Grand Hôtel Stockholm, Uppsala University, UIC and STUNS, and highlighted new opportunities for collaboration between Hong Kong and Sweden in innovation, technology, life sciences, entrepreneurship and international market development.
On 11–12 May 2026, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden had the honour of helping initiate, support and facilitate a high-level innovation visit to Sweden by Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government.
The two-day programme brought together leading Swedish universities, innovation ecosystems, government-related organisations, research institutions and business representatives to explore new opportunities for collaboration between Hong Kong and Sweden in innovation, technology, life sciences, deep tech, entrepreneurship and international market development.
The visit marked an important step in strengthening the dialogue between two highly innovative and internationally connected ecosystems. Sweden is widely recognised for its strong research base, industrial depth and long-term innovation capacity. Hong Kong, together with the Greater Bay Area, offers international connectivity, capital access, business infrastructure and a dynamic platform for scaling innovation into Asia and global markets.
Programme highlights
The visit began at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where the delegation was introduced to Sweden’s leading technical university and its innovation ecosystem. Discussions focused on research commercialisation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and the role of universities in turning scientific excellence into scalable innovation.
This was followed by a roundtable luncheon at IVA – the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, bringing together senior representatives from academia, industry and the innovation ecosystem. The discussion provided an opportunity to exchange views on how Sweden and Hong Kong can strengthen cooperation in areas such as advanced technology, industrial innovation, talent exchange and international partnerships.
The delegation also visited Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab, with contributions from Flemingsberg Science Foundation and participating companies. Life sciences, biotechnology, medical innovation and research infrastructure were key themes. The discussions highlighted the strong potential for future collaboration between Swedish life science excellence and Hong Kong’s growing role as an international hub for health technology, biomedical innovation and cross-border research cooperation.
In the evening of 11 May, the Chamber, together with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, co-hosted a dinner reception at Grand Hôtel Stockholm in honour of Professor Sun Dong’s visit. The reception gathered representatives from business, academia, public organisations and the broader innovation community. It provided a valuable platform for networking and further dialogue on how Hong Kong and Sweden can build stronger bridges in innovation, investment and international business.
On 12 May, the programme continued in Uppsala, with visits and meetings involving Uppsala University, UIC – Uppsala Innovation Centre, and STUNS – the Uppsala Innovation Hub. The Uppsala programme showcased the region’s strong research and innovation environment, including life sciences, energy, advanced materials, entrepreneurship and start-up development. The discussions underlined the shared ambition of both Hong Kong and Sweden to support research-based innovation with international growth potential.
Strengthening Hong Kong–Sweden innovation collaboration
Throughout the two-day visit, it became clear that there is strong alignment between the innovation priorities of Hong Kong and Sweden. Both ecosystems are internationally oriented, knowledge-driven and committed to building partnerships that can support future growth.
Hong Kong’s role as a gateway between Asia and the world is increasingly relevant for Swedish universities, start-ups, scale-ups and innovation-driven companies seeking access to Asian markets, investors, industrial partners and international networks. At the same time, Sweden’s deep competence in research, sustainability, engineering, life sciences and industrial innovation offers strong value for Hong Kong’s continued development as an international innovation and technology centre.
The Chamber believes that this visit has created important momentum for future collaboration. Possible areas for continued engagement include university partnerships, start-up and scale-up exchange, life science collaboration, investor dialogue, technology commercialisation, and business development between Sweden, Hong Kong and the wider Greater Bay Area.
A platform for continued dialogue
The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden is committed to continuing its role as a bridge-builder between the Swedish and Hong Kong ecosystems. By connecting institutions, companies, investors, entrepreneurs and public-sector stakeholders, the Chamber aims to support practical and long-term collaboration between the two regions.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Professor Sun Dong and the Hong Kong delegation, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, and all Swedish host organisations and partners who contributed to making the visit a successful and meaningful one.
The Chamber looks forward to building on this positive momentum and supporting the next steps in Hong Kong–Sweden innovation cooperation.
