The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has successfully wrapped up its participation at Viva Technology (VivaTech) 2026 in Paris, marking the event's 10th anniversary and celebrating a surge in cross-continental innovation partnerships. From June 17 to 20, HKSTP confirmed the signing of multiple memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between its park companies and European technology firms, generating over 200 potential business leads valued at HK$70 million—a more than 50% increase in opportunities compared to VivaTech 2025.
Among the notable agreements, microalgae expert Algreen signed an MOU with South Korean climate tech company ForNatures, which specializes in carbon capture management. The partnership aims to amplify mutual research and development capabilities to advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Robotics solutions provider Robocore signed with ARCHTYP, a Slovenian cognitive software startup, to integrate a differentiating layer onto a proven platform to meet market demands. Robocore also closed a deal with French advertising giant JCDecaux to supply a thousand robots, extending its reach in the European market.
LeafIoT's green asset management technology attracted interest from European preservation professionals, including the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the Catalonian landscaping and environmental restoration company Gremi de Jardineria de Catalunya, and Professor Andrea Galli from the Laboratory of Geotechnical Analysis and Modelling (GeoT-LAM) at Politecnico di Milano. These engagements are expected to boost market reach and drive breakthroughs in sustainability.
HKSTP's growing presence at VivaTech reflects its mission to open doors for Hong Kong startups into European markets while creating reciprocal opportunities for European innovators to enter Asia through Hong Kong's strategic location in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), recognized as the world's No.1 innovation cluster by the World Intellectual Property Organisation Innovation Index.
Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, emphasized the importance of the event: "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. Our strong ties with French partners underline the importance of Hong Kong as a global launchpad for innovation."
A highlight of this year's delegation was the expansion of HKSTP's partnership with Bouygues Construction, a global leader in sustainable construction and infrastructure headquartered in France with operations in over 60 countries. Through its Hong Kong arm, Dragages Hong Kong, Bouygues has maintained a 70-year legacy in Hong Kong, contributing to iconic infrastructure projects and championing innovation in construction safety, modular design, green materials, and site automation. HKSTP is the first and only institution in Hong Kong to bridge tech ventures directly into the Bouygues Construction "Scale One" programme, providing a fast track to prototyping and commercialisation. Building on this foundation, Bouygues Construction is now stepping up collaboration beyond Asia, offering selected Hong Kong startups the chance to showcase solutions at Bouygues' headquarters in France, with opportunities for solution validation and pilot trials across European operations.
Additionally, the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and supported by partners including HKSTP, showcased market-ready solutions spanning AI, green tech, and health tech from 24 tech ventures. This marked a major milestone in creating a direct bridge between Hong Kong and Europe's innovation heart. The implications of these developments are significant: they not only accelerate global impact for Hong Kong startups through trusted collaborations with leading European enterprises but also set a new benchmark for cross-border industrial innovation partnerships. For the industry, this signals a strengthening of Asia-Europe innovation corridors, potentially reshaping how startups scale internationally and access new markets.
