In collaboration with Hong Kong and Macao, South China's Guangdong province has achieved significant progress in constructing an international science, technology and innovation center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

According to Wang Yueqin, deputy director of Guangdong provincial department of science and technology, the southern province has now established six national joint laboratories involving the country's Belt and Road Initiative and 35 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao joint labs, playing a big part in promoting the science and technology innovation and industrial structural upgrading in GBA.

"The national, provincial, municipal and district-level science and technology programs have continued to be open to institutions from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, while the cumulative cross-border allocation of scientific research funds from the province to Hong Kong and Macao has exceeded 600 million yuan ($85.1 million)," said Wang.

Wang made the remarks at a news conference in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Guangdong has received a green light to establish the China-Latin America and Caribbean technology transfer center, along with the science and technology exchange and cooperation center of China-Portuguese-speaking countries, attracting more than 600 foreign-funded R&D institutions that have been set up by multinational enterprises in the province, she said.

In 2025, Guangdong's comprehensive regional innovation capability has ranked first in the country for the ninth consecutive year, Wang said.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Guangdong has led the country in major scientific and technological innovation indicators, including R&D expenditure, the number of high-tech enterprises, the number of valid invention patents, patent cooperation treaty international patent applications, revenue from high-tech manufacturing, and exports of high-tech products.

Last year, Guangdong's R&D expenditure reached 510 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 10 percent, accounting for 14 percent of the country's total.

The number of high-tech enterprises has reached more than 77,000 units, representing 15.4 percent of China's total.

The number of valid invention patents reached 792,300, doubling the figure recorded in 2020. Patent cooperation treaty international patent applications totaled 23,400, accounting for one-third of the national total.

Revenue from high-tech manufacturing reached 6.29 trillion yuan, while exports of high-tech products amounted to $256.74 billion, each representing one-third of the country's total.