UNDP Innovation Lab for Sustainable Development Goals launched in south China

SHENZHEN, Aug. 14 -- China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area launched its first United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Innovation Lab for Sustainable Development Goals on Tuesday, located in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen.

Known as HUA HUB, the innovation lab in the city's Longhua District will focus on the digital economy and the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). In cooperation with partners from the United Nations, local governments, businesses and academia, the lab is expected to build an international network for sustainable development among MSMEs and young entrepreneurs.

"The Longhua laboratory will act as a testing ground for cutting-edge solutions to advance sustainable development in a megacity context," Beate Trankmann, UNDP resident representative for China, said in a speech at the launch ceremony. "It will explore new ways of advancing the digital economy, managing natural resources for effective environmental protection, along with modernizing urban governance."

The lab is based in Shenzhen's Longhua International Cooperation Center. As an international comprehensive exchange service platform, the center has hosted more than 140 international exchange activities and served over 1,800 companies and institutions since its establishment in October 2023.