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Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Area Lags in Basic Research

3/27/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) underperforms in basic research, per Deloitte.
In 2024 GBA spent 28.9 billion yuan on basic research (5.67% of R&D), below China's 6.9% average and far behind the US (14.5%) and South Korea (nearly 15%).
Deloitte's Polly Lee says innovation is largely application-driven, with weak emphasis on basic science; the GBA includes Hong Kong, Macau, nine mainland cities, and Shenzhen as its tech hub.

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Story summary

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) underperforms in basic research, per Deloitte.
In 2024 GBA spent 28.9 billion yuan on basic research (5.67% of R&D), below China's 6.9% average and far behind the US (14.5%) and South Korea (nearly 15%).
Deloitte's Polly Lee says innovation is largely application-driven, with weak emphasis on basic science; the GBA includes Hong Kong, Macau, nine mainland cities, and Shenzhen as its tech hub.