A channel for breakthroughs

Editor's note: Development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone is speeding up, with Shenzhen Park and Hong Kong Park forming a unified entity that promotes cross-boundary innovation and technological development. This three-part series illuminates the transformative role of the zone in breaking down barriers and fostering collaboration between the two regions. The second article focuses on Hetao's institutional innovation and policy breakthroughs.

Travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong has never been more convenient for Aldous Ng Kwoksing, who commutes about five times weekly between the two places.

Efficient cross-boundary travel is crucial for the executive, who attends to daily matters at his company's headquarters at Hong Kong Science Park, as well as its Shenzhen subsidiary in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.

It used to take Ng more than an hour for a one-way trip — caught in long queues and having to go through complicated customs checks at Futian Port. But, this is history since Shenzhen introduced the "No 1 Channel "cross-boundary system at Hetao.

"Previously, traveling from Hong Kong to Shenzhen was like going on a business trip. Now, I feel like I'm in the same city. It takes me just 30 minutes to drive between both places," says Ng, chief executive officer of CU Datahub — a Hong Kong-based enterprise specializing in network coding technology.

The "No 1 Channel" system, designed to facilitate scientific and technological cooperation between the Hetao zone and the special administrative region, enables eligible individuals and vehicles to use special channels.

Since the launch of a direct bus route between Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch at Hetao and Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok, the New Territories, in August last year, over 1,500 researchers have used the service. Compared to traditional boundary crossings, the new route has improved commuting efficiency by 30 percent.