Virus beaters show their prowess

Strengths in technological research and application have helped Hong Kong contain the COVID-19 outbreak and cope with the disruptions it caused. To create business opportunities for local technology enterprises that develop products and services to tackle the pandemic and related areas, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is collaborating with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) of the Hong Kong Special administrative Region Government to launch a promotion campaign, sharing their experiences with overseas markets and showcasing the technologies to economies abroad.

 “The world is working hard to contain the outbreak and looking for innovative technologies and solutions to deal with current and future challenges. With Hong Kong’s proven capabilities in developing technology solutions, we are pleased to work with CEDB and ITB to bring these companies overseas,” said HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam. “While sharing their experience with their overseas counterparts, they can also find new business opportunities.”

Dr Lam noted that Hong Kong, as a global business hub, has a well-established system to protect intellectual property, which facilitates technology transfer. The city’s internationally acclaimed universities have excellent research capabilities in fields including biotechnology, health technology (healthtech), medical technology (medtech), fintech, smart city, smart living, education technology, and information and communications technology. Hong Kong’s ecosystem can readily turn research into marketable commercial solutions.

Knowledge sharing fights pandemic

To help local technology enterprises tap into overseas markets and explore opportunities for future cooperation, the HKTDC will launch a three-month business promotion targeting Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

The promotion will include webinars on Hong Kong’s technological capabilities, virtual business-matching meetings with targeted overseas buyers and government agencies, virtual expos and other initiatives on HKTDC platforms, followed by physical events and outbound missions if conditions allow.

Apart from healthtech, medtech and COVID-19 related areas, the promotion will also cover other areas that offer practical solutions in times of social distancing and remote working such as online education, e-commerce, e-business and smart-city technologies.

Market-ready solutions

Companies joining the campaign offer technologies for a wide range of health-related sectors, including geospatial solutions that can geofence or track possible carriers, and temperature scanners that can detect feverish people in a crowd or at transport nodes such as airports. Others offer 5G-linked immunity passports and high-speed diagnostic kits. There are also companies offering robotic cleaners and sanitisers, as well as materials-science innovators that develop new germicidal solutions to keep surfaces and personal protective equipment microbe-free.

Multiple platforms

The HKTDC will also mobilise its platforms to maximise business opportunities, such as inviting these companies to join the online Summer Sourcing Week in July.

Furthermore, the HKTDC promotes the city’s innovative technology at its international trade fairs and service conferences. The HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) showcases health technology (healthtech) while Eco Expo Asia features green technology and the HKTDC SmartBiz Expo displays online education and commercial digitalisation solutions.

Innovative technologies to grow business

Technology is a key driver for economic development and the HKTDC will continue to encourage local companies to use innovative technology to grow businesses. The Council will also facilitate cooperation between Hong Kong technology firms and overseas companies through international trade events focusing on the city’s technological strengths.

These initiatives include IPHatch Hong Kong, a start-up competition whose prizes are technology patent portfolios from such leading companies and institutes as Panasonic, Nokia and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), which will help the winners jumpstart or scale up their business. Start-up Express, a development programme for local start-ups, has returned for its third edition. With a focus on AI and robotics, big data, biotech, the Internet of Things (IoT), fintech and smart city, the event continues to help start-ups build connections, explore markets, seek partners and enhance awareness of their brands.

The HKTDC has been promoting the city’s excellence in technology through a range of activities. Collaborating with different organisations such as Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, Cyberport, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute and local universities and entrepreneurs in the start-up ecosystem, the HKTDC organises overseas missions and sets up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions such as CES in Las Vegas, MWC Barcelona and BIO International Convention in Philadelphia of the United States.

Related link
HKTDC Sourcing