Hong Kong evolves into tech-driven trade and innovation gateway

Hong Kong is positioning itself as a critical technological and commercial gateway between mainland China and global markets. A report by Airwallex and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council indicates a rapid digital transformation in the city’s trading sector, with AI adoption among cross-border businesses surging from 25% to 79% within a single year.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has encouraged global scientists, enterprises, and investors to utilize the city as a springboard for innovation. He highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector, noting that the city hosts over 11,000 mainland and overseas companies and has incubated 20 unicorns over the last decade. The development of the Greater Bay Area is expected to further integrate Hong Kong’s research strengths with mainland China’s manufacturing capabilities.

Additionally, the city is being developed as a regional hub for intellectual property (IP) services. Leveraging its robust legal regime and international agreements, Hong Kong aims to facilitate the trading, licensing, and commercialization of IP assets across the Asia-Pacific region.