The Shenzhen Research Institute of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was established in 2000. In 2011, the PolyU Shenzhen base building covering 12,500 square meters was completed. As an extension of the university in Shenzhen, as well as a new research and development institution in Guangdong Province, and a technology transfer institution in Shenzhen, it has made useful explorations and practices in the integration of industry, university, research and innovation, and the Bay Area. It has been awarded as "Excellent Research Institute" by Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission for many years.

There are 18 laboratories and scientific research facility centers in the fields of life sciences, photonics, ultra-precision processing, rail transit, big data artificial intelligence, sustainable development, etc., including two national key laboratories (Shenzhen branch), three Shenzhen-level laboratory, an experimental animal center. Since 2011, it has undertaken more than 700 national, provincial and municipal government and industrial projects. A group of scientific and technological achievements and scientific and technological talents are cultivated and incubated here.

PolyU Shenzhen Entrepreneurship Center leverages its advantages in integrating into the university’s entrepreneurial system, as well as Shenzhen-Hong Kong technology, talent, investment, and industry linkages, accumulatively incubating more than 60 PolyU start-up teams/enterprises, 70% of which have received PolyU’s entrepreneurial seed funding or other seed rounds or angel rounds. Investment and financing support. The Entrepreneurship Center is recognized as a feature carrier of Shenzhen Makerspace, Nanshan Makerspace, and High-tech Zone. In 2019, it was awarded the "Most International Innovation Space" in Nanshan District.

As one of the top 100 universities in the world, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University leads the world in different specialized fields. We invest resources and talents, participate in international alliances such as the University Social Responsibility Network and the Silk Road University Alliance, develop collaborative projects, and cooperate with the industry to build a strategic platform to promote global connections.

PolyU is working hard to promote interdisciplinary research, especially in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics, and aims to solve global and/or social challenges with innovative inventions.