Stronger together

After graduation, Lui moved to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. Over the years, he has founded three companies, including one that grew out of his university project.

His ventures also help Hong Kong businesses recruit talent from the mainland and serve as a platform for communication and collaboration between enterprises in both regions.

"Shenzhen's policies foster a supportive and open environment for entrepreneurs," Lui said. "It really feels like anything is possible here."

One of his companies is now based at the Hong Kong and Macao Youth Home in Guangzhou's Tianhe district. This startup incubator is designed to assist young people from Hong Kong and Macao with business development, investment, and financing.

Lui shared that the center's staff offered hands-on guidance, helping his team navigate early challenges.

"The continuous, proactive 'person-to-person' support allowed us to quickly get the help we needed," he said.

Tam Wai-man, 34, is another example of a young entrepreneur benefiting from the growing integration between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

In 2016, Tam and two friends relocated from Hong Kong to Jiangmen, Guangdong, to establish an aquaponics farm supplying the Hong Kong market.

Although Tam had previously visited the mainland for exchanges and travel, neither she nor her partners had any experience living there. Worried about the availability of supplies, they even brought a suitcase full of lab equipment. "But we soon realized that online shopping here is even more advanced than in Hong Kong," Tam laughed.

Tam graduated with a journalism degree from Hong Kong Shue Yan University, and none of the three had a background in agriculture. Despite this, they immersed themselves in research at an agri-tech park in Jiangmen.

Still, their early crops were sparse and underdeveloped.

"The local farmers used to joke about our 'toothpick-sized' vegetables," Tam recalled with a smile. These lighthearted exchanges turned into valuable learning opportunities, as the team drew inspiration from traditional farming methods and built lasting connections with the local community.

During holidays, villagers would invite them into their homes for meals. "I never expected to be embraced so warmly by the families here," Tam said. "It made me feel truly integrated into their way of life."

After about a year and a half, Tam's team secured their first angel investment, allowing them to move from research into full-scale production.

"We also participated in several startup competitions across China, which helped us secure funding and gain exposure for our products," she said.

As the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) began to develop after 2019, Tam noticed increasing opportunities for her business to expand.

In 2021, her farm became one of the first 11 to be certified under the GBA's "Vegetable Basket" project — a recognition that solidified its role in connecting the two regions.

"We've literally grown alongside the GBA," Tam said, recalling how, when they first arrived in Jiangmen in 2016, the GBA concept was still in its infancy.

"Just like our team, which combined different areas of expertise, the cities in the GBA have come together through collaboration to achieve remarkable things."