Hong Kong to Host Dual Business Events Focused on IP Financing and Startup Innovation in December

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will co-host the 15th Business of IP Asia Forum alongside the 17th HKTDC Entrepreneur Day from December 4 to 5 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. These concurrent events bring together innovators, investors, professionals, and policymakers worldwide to foster cross-sector collaboration and reinforce Hong Kong's role as a regional intellectual property trading center and international innovation hub.

Patrick Lau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, emphasized Hong Kong's advantages as an IP trading platform, citing its robust legal system, deep capital markets, and strong IP protection framework. The BIP Asia Forum drives IP commercialization and cross-disciplinary collaboration, while Entrepreneur Day maintains its "Where Start-up Dreams Take Flight" theme, focusing on startup growth and innovation. The synergy between these events supports startups in translating innovation into practical applications, advancing Hong Kong's innovation, technology, and IP development.

This year's BIP Asia Forum, themed "Leverage IP to Finance Business Growth," features over 100 speakers exploring IP's potential for corporate development and financing. The opening ceremony will be officiated by Sophia Chong, HKTDC Executive Director, and David Wong, Director of Intellectual Property for the HKSAR Government. A keynote session on "IP Valuation and Financing" will examine how intellectual property can become a viable capital source, featuring perspectives from banking supervision, commercial banking, valuation practices, and cross-sector collaboration. Speakers include representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Hong Kong Association of Banks, Moat Metrics, United Overseas Bank, and Korea Invention Promotion Association.

The Global Tech Summit's opening session, "Unlocking Value: Intellectual Property and Investment Opportunities in AI Innovations," will feature investors sharing key AI trends and exploring IP's future in AI innovation. Participants include Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited, Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, Google Cloud, and representatives from Aberdeen Investments, Eastspring Investments, Invesco, and Fidelity International. On December 4, Chief Executive John Lee and Li Shengjun from China's Patent Office will deliver special addresses.

Diverse thematic sessions will address sustainability, data licensing, and economic opportunities. The plenary session "Propelling Sustainability with IP" focuses on IP's strategic role in accelerating sustainability and elevating industry standards, featuring speakers from GE Aerospace, Maersk, and the University of Exeter Business School. The "Opportunities and Risks of Data Licensing" breakout session will cover data copyrights, privacy compliance, and cross-border data flows with speakers from Penn State Dickinson Law and HUAWEI Technologies.

The "IP Economy" session highlights how brands leverage online-to-offline IP strategies to boost revenue and expand customer reach, featuring Libertas Brands and Ocean Park representatives. Another session examines how Hong Kong brands use IP to transform business models and enhance market penetration, with speakers from Camel Vacuum Flasks, TINY, and Hong Kong Tramways. The ASEAN Session, co-organized with the ASEAN Secretariat, focuses on patent commercialization and technology transfer between ASEAN economies and Hong Kong.

Entrepreneur Day showcases six technology verticals: Artificial Intelligence, Health Tech, Cyber Security, Construction and Logistics, Spatial Computing, and Sustainability. The event features over 350 startups, innovation projects, and support organizations. The Digital Policy Office will present the "Innovation Hong Kong Pavilion" showcasing 30 award-winning projects from the Hong Kong ICT Awards, while the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau pavilion features over 40 startups supported by youth entrepreneurship funding in the Greater Bay Area.

The seminar program covers four tracks: Inspirational Masterclass, Start-up 101, Uncovering Hidden Gems, and Global Tech Summit, addressing topics including artificial intelligence, green energy, deeptech, sustainable fashion, and youth entrepreneurship. A key session, "T-Chat: From Labs to Battlefield: Navigating Deep Tech Commercialisation and Global Scale," features speakers from Hello Tomorrow, The University of Hong Kong, Race Capital, and Point-Fit Technology discussing research translation from laboratory to marketplace.

A roundtable titled "Empowering GBA Startups to Expand into ASEAN with Hong Kong as a Super-connector and Super Value-adder" will explore opportunities for Greater Bay Area startups to access ASEAN and international markets, featuring the Malaysian Consul in Hong Kong, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, and Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. The session will analyze how Hong Kong's financial strength, legal expertise, and strategic support can facilitate cross-border innovation collaboration.

The "Start-up Express International" program returns, attracting overseas startups to establish presence in Hong Kong and access regional markets. Supported by partners from Australia, Chinese Mainland, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and other economies, ten selected startups will share their entrepreneurial journeys on December 4. DesignInspire will run concurrently from December 3 to 6, bringing together design professionals and creating additional synergy and business opportunities. More information is available at https://bipasia.hktdc.com/en/ for the Business of IP Asia Forum and https://portal.hktdc.com/eday/en for Entrepreneur Day details.