Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has concluded its Paris delegation to Viva Technology (VivaTech) 2026, which took place from June 17 to 20. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the global startup showcase and saw HKSTP reinforcing its role as Asia's innovation and technology ecosystem orchestrator by signing multiple memorandums of understanding (MOU) between its park companies and European partners.
Among the key agreements, microalgae expert Algreen signed with South Korean climate tech company ForNatures to amplify research and development capabilities in carbon capture management, advancing ESG goals. Robotics solutions provider Robocore partnered with Slovenian cognitive software startup ARCHTYP to display a differentiating layer on a proven platform, and also closed deals with French advertising giant JCDecaux to supply a thousand robots, extending its European market reach. LeafIoT's green asset management solutions attracted interest from European preservation professionals, including the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Catalonian landscaping firm Gremi de Jardineria de Catalunya, and Professor Andrea Galli from the Laboratory of Geotechnical Analysis and Modelling (GeoT-LAM) at Politecnico di Milano, exploring new opportunities for market reach.
Compared to VivaTech 2025, this year's delegation achieved over 50% growth in opportunities, totaling more than 200 potential business leads worth HK$70 million. HKSTP's presence at VivaTech reflects its mission to open doors for Hong Kong startups into European markets and create reciprocal opportunities for European innovators to enter Asia through Hong Kong's strategic location in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ranked as the world's No.1 innovation cluster by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, stated: "France and the EU represent critical opportunities for Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland I&T ventures to scale globally. VivaTech provides a world-class platform for collaboration, co-creation, and knowledge exchange." He emphasized the importance of Hong Kong as a global launchpad for innovation.
A highlight this year was the expansion of HKSTP's partnership with Bouygues Construction, a global leader in sustainable construction headquartered in France. Through its Hong Kong arm, Dragages Hong Kong, Bouygues has a 70-year legacy in Hong Kong. HKSTP is the first and only institution in Hong Kong to bridge tech ventures directly into Bouygues Construction's "Scale One" programme, providing a fast track to prototyping and commercialisation. Bouygues is now stepping up collaboration by offering selected Hong Kong startups the chance to showcase solutions at its headquarters in France, with opportunities for solution validation and pilot trials across European operations.
The Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and supported by partners including HKSTP, showcased market-ready solutions from 24 tech ventures spanning AI, green tech, and health tech, marking a major milestone in creating a direct bridge between Hong Kong and Europe's innovation heartland.
