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Startups

Hong Kong firms turn to mainland engineers to solve local talent crunch

Hong Kong companies are relying on mainland China’s engineering talent pool to overcome a local shortage and scale up, industry leaders said after a six-day tour of the Greater Bay Area.

Source: South China Morning Post · August 25, 2026 at 4:31 PM · AI-assisted report

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Hong Kong firms turn to mainland engineers to solve local talent crunch
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HONG KONG, 26 AUGUST 2026 —

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Hong Kong companies are relying on mainland China’s engineering talent pool to overcome a local shortage and scale up, industry leaders said after a six-day tour of the Greater Bay Area.

Market Impact

The tour, organised by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, included stops at a research institute in Guangzhou’s Nansha district and a university in Dongguan, where leaders highlighted the gap between Hong Kong’s research strengths and the mainland’s engineering capacity. Gao Min, general director of the Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, said a start-up needing 500 engineers could assemble a team quickly on the mainland but would struggle in Hong Kong.

“Even with land reserved in the Northern Metropolis for innovation, local engineering talent remains insufficient,” Gao said.

Hong Kong-headquartered CYC Group, which develops tech-enabled bikes, opened an office in Dongguan in 2023 to access the region’s supply-chain network and technical talent. Founder Jon Chan said recruiting senior electronic engineers with 20 to 30 years of experience was “virtually impossible” in Hong Kong but straightforward on the mainland, with some commuting from Shenzhen. “Our supply chain, including component production, is within a 30-minute radius,” Chan said.

The shortage is quantified in a 2023 Construction Industry Council report, which forecasts a shortfall of 6,000 to 6,500 professionals by 2027 in sectors such as civil, mechanical and environmental engineering. The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers separately projected a deficit of about 3,000 engineers over the five years to 2027, underscoring the need to expand local training and review school and university policies.

Reporting based on South China Morning Post. Figures and claims are subject to revision as the story develops. DomainFork publishes editorial context, not investment advice — see our editorial standards.