A closer look at HKSTP’s InnoCell, a brand new co-working and co-living space

Working hard and playing hard is made all the more easier when you’re amongst peers that get it. Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s just-launched InnoCell plays host to a new generation of I&T creatives. 

Co-working spaces are a dime a plenty in the city. It’s a cheap and cheerful way for start-ups, small teams and dreamers-with-a-plan to retreat from a WFH (or, also as valid: work-from-café) existence; the close proximity to others at a similar speed, calibre and ambition a very welcome perk. And the on-site and on-tap amenities. Can’t forget about the amenities.

HKSTP’s InnoCell, however, takes it several steps further. Rather than subscribe to a simple clock-in, clock-out system, successful admissions into the program are allotted accommodation for the duration of their stay. The raison d’etre behind the campus’s inception is simple: the nature of work and creativity can only benefit from being levied by a co-living community, where relationships are fostered in spaces beyond the professional. The spirit of collaboration, after all, is heavily reliant on sniffing out very special connections; connections that may not necessarily seem to click upon first glance but, from sheer will, does. All in the name of creativity. Synergy. Finding those synapses that flicker and spark. 

This is the kind of community InnoCell hopes to nurture: a new generation of R&D and I&T talents from Hong Kong, from the mainland and from overseas. Candidates who may have been hesitant to move shop to our fragrant harbour in the face of exorbitant Hong Kong rent.

HKSTP’s InnoCell bills itself as a “smart co-creation community for likeminded people.”

“InnoCell represents a major step forward in our ambition to build a vibrant I&T ecosystem for Hong Kong which brings together talent, culture and infrastructure in an environment geared for innovation,” said Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP. “The state-of-the-art space is a shining example of innovation at work, delivering a space with affordable rent and custom-designed for like-minded innovators to harness and hone their talent. InnoCell sets new standards for a smarter lifestyle which goes beyond just living and working.”

A project built by Hip Hing Construction, InnoCell holds court to approximately 30,000 square footage of tailored communal spaces, 392 units of studios and suites and 511 beds in total, with a dedicated gym, gaming consoles, kitchens, outdoor areas, band rooms and seating (so much seating!) spread between 17 stories.

The kinds of rooms provided are tailor-made for different kinds of work-life formations, too. There are four choices, including the TWIN, the SOLO, the SUITE and the POWERHUB: all fully furnished, fitted with InnoCell’s Smart Living System — see: self check-in kiosks, facial recognition access, keyless mobile door access, cashless payments and much more — and inclusive of hospitality amenities like linens and bedding. The POWERHUB, in particular, offers an interesting premise: an enclosed space branching out into eight single bedrooms, all connected by a centralised meeting area geared for team-building, churning out projects and bridging the gap between work, life and play.

THE POWERHUBTHE SOLOTHE SUITETHE TWINTHE SOLO

Entrance into InnoCell’s cohorts have a strict scoring system. First, one’s eligibility extends only as far as membership and employment within HKSTP’s park companies, as well as visiting academics, scientists, and technology talent.

Vivian Chau, Associate Director of InnoCell’s Business & Operation department bisects the criteria into two: merit and need. “Merit concerns whether or not the candidates are engaging and contributing to certain fields of R&D. Candidates from the mainland and overseas may have higher marks on our scoring system as they’ll need local accommodation in Hong Kong,” said Chau. “For local employees or local talents, if they live far away from Science Park, for example, in Lantau Island or if their commutes are over an hour into Science Park, they’ll score higher for ‘Need’ as well.” 

There are 30,000 square footage of tailored communal spaces at InnoCell.

The debut cohort of InnoCell admissions for existing park company tenants moves into InnoCell this July 2021. For more information about applications and eligibility, please click here.