Hong Kong Jockey Club to plough HK$3b into new research facility in Northern Metropolis

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has said it will funnel HK$3 billion to support the construction of a Life and Health Academic Research Building at the city’s new Northern Metropolis University Town.During his policy address on Wednesday, Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu announced the creation of an integrated teaching and scientific research building in the Northern Metropolis.In a statement issued soon after the chief executive’s speech, the club said its Charities Trust had made a donation that had been “approved in principle”, and was in support of the National 15th five-year plan, and in alignment with Hong Kong’s first five-year plan, details of which Lee revealed alongside his annual address.“As a patriotic world-class horse sports organisation, as well as a charity institution deeply committed to our country and Hong Kong, the club is honoured to work alongside the HKSAR Government to support the long-term development, prosperity and progress of Hong Kong as it advances from stability to greater prosperity and success,” Martin Liao, the HKJC chairman, said.According to the HKJC, the new facility will provide more than 30,000 sq m of gross floor space in support of life and health science research. It added that the new building reflected its “long-standing commitment to nurturing cutting-edge talent and research”.Jeffrey Lam said the planned building represented a critical step for the area. Photo: Warton LiThe club pointed to its JC Stem Lab initiative and the associated early career research fellowship that provides “funding, capacity-building and industry exposure to turn innovative ideas into impactful real-world applications”.Alongside its work at City University of Hong Kong, the club said that this underscored its dedication to academia and research institutions.