Recently, Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canton Biologics, achieved a major milestone: its independently developed full-length recombinant human collagen project has been awarded key support under the “Enterprise Support Scheme (ESS)” of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The project is expected to receive several million yuan in dedicated funding. This marks official recognition by Hong Kong authorities of Canton Biologics (Hong Kong)’s innovation capabilities and commercial potential, while injecting strong momentum into the company’s deep commitment to the field of aging and regenerative medicine.

Today, the team at Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) formally signed the agreement with the Innovation and Technology Commission. Taking this as a starting point, we will accelerate the transition of our recombinant collagen from the laboratory to the clinic and ultimately to the market.

About Canton Biologics (Hong Kong)

Founded in 2023, Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guangzhou Canton Biologics. Operating independently within the group’s Guangzhou structure, the company is dedicated to building an innovation‑driven R&D hub. It focuses on the field of aging and regenerative medicine, with an emphasis on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic biologics.

Leveraging its in‑house recombinant protein engineering platform, complex biologic development system, and translational research capabilities, Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) has successfully achieved high‑efficiency expression and stable preparation of full‑length recombinant human collagen, breaking through the technical bottlenecks of consistency and safety associated with traditional source‑derived collagen.

Centered on engineering, scalability, and quality control, the project has established a complete technology chain covering molecular design, cell expression, purification processes, and quality assessment. It aims to provide an innovative biomaterial solution with a clear mechanistic basis and clinical value to address the long‑standing needs of structural repair and functional regeneration in the fields of regenerative and aesthetic medicine.

Understanding the ESS

The Enterprise Support Scheme (ESS) is one of the most prestigious R&D funding programs under the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission. It uses a 1:1 matching mechanism (up to HK$10 million) to encourage local private companies to engage in in‑house innovation.

The scheme has an extremely high application bar, with the evaluation committee imposing strict scrutiny on “substantive R&D content,” technical breakthrough thresholds, and commercial feasibility. Simple product improvements or equipment purchases are not eligible for approval – only hard‑tech projects with core intellectual property potential can succeed.

For local companies, the ESS is not only a critical funding lever but also a government‑endorsed “innovation certification,” significantly reducing the cost pressure of high‑risk R&D and helping startups and growing companies cross the “valley of death.” Within Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, the ESS has far‑reaching influence. It has successfully driven the private sector to become a major R&D player, accelerated the commercialization of outcomes in strategic fields such as life sciences and artificial intelligence, and serves as a core engine for Hong Kong’s new industrialization and the development of new quality productive forces.

Canton Biologics (Hong Kong)’s receipt of key ESS support is undoubtedly the highest recognition of the project’s technological leadership and commercial potential.

On‑Site: Witnessing Innovation in Action

Today, representatives of Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) formally signed the ESS funding agreement with the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission. This moment not only marks an important milestone in the history of Canton Biologics (Hong Kong) but also symbolizes the Hong Kong government’s firm support for local hard‑tech innovation.

Going forward, this funding will be used to accelerate the project’s preclinical research, process scale‑up, and quality system development, laying a solid foundation for subsequent filings for medical devices and biological products.