Hong Kong's BIP Asia Forum and Entrepreneur Day 2025 Open with Focus on IP Financing and Global Expansion

The 15th Business of IP Asia Forum and 17th Entrepreneur Day opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together more than 180 speakers and over 420 startups, innovative projects, and startup support organizations. Jointly organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, these flagship events reinforce Hong Kong's role as a super-connector and value-adder for regional and global collaboration in innovation and technology and intellectual property sectors.

HKTDC Executive Director Sophia Chong emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration across government, industry, and academia to translate IP into measurable economic impact. "Robust IP protection encourages investment in R&D and commercialization of new ideas," Chong stated during the opening session. The Forum, themed "Leverage IP to Finance Business Growth," examines IP's role as a core driver of sustainable expansion, with keynote sessions focusing on IP valuation and financing strategies.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau outlined Hong Kong's efforts to strengthen its position as a regional IP trading center, including expanding the patent examiner team, modernizing copyright and registered designs regimes, and creating business-matching programs connecting Mainland enterprises with Hong Kong's world-class IP service providers. Yau highlighted several initiatives including the Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Support Center, patent valuation subsidy scheme, and an "IP financing sandbox" that turns intellectual property into financeable, scalable reality.

The Forum introduced several new features this year, including an "IP Go-Global Business Matching Session" allowing local professional service providers and IP lawyers to offer one-on-one consultations to Mainland enterprises. These consultations cover trademark and patent registration, enforcement, litigation, international licensing, and dispute resolution. The afternoon session, "Cross-Border Empowerment: Forging a New IP-Driven Investment Ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area," co-organized with the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation, focuses on regional collaboration and cross-border IP protection strategies.

Tomorrow's sessions will include "Brand Global Gateway – WIPO's Services Empowering Global Brand Value," co-organized with the World Intellectual Property Organization, and "Cross-border Transactions in Digital Culture and Protection of Intellectual Property," where the Zhejiang Culture Assets and Equity Exchange will share how Mainland policies support commercialization of digital cultural IP. Ant Group Jingtan and HashKey Group will share insights on real-world asset tokenization and blockchain-enabled rights certification at https://bipasia.hktdc.com/en/.

Entrepreneur Day continues with the theme "Where Start-up Dreams Take Flight," featuring over 360 startups, inventor projects, and support organizations from 11 countries and regions. Exhibits span six major tech categories including AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, and sustainability. The event spotlights three key exhibition zones: the "Start-up and Innovation Zone," "University Spin-off," and "The Boosters," which features comprehensive service providers offering one-stop support for startups.

The GBA Tripartite Roundtable explored opportunities for Greater Bay Area startups to expand into ASEAN markets, with speakers discussing how Hong Kong can leverage its dual role as super-connector and super value-adder. Intan Zalani, Consul (Trade) of Malaysia in Hong Kong, highlighted opportunities in Malaysia's digital payments landscape and renewable energy sector, noting attractive tax incentives for green technology investments. "With Malaysia's strategic position as ASEAN's natural hub and Hong Kong's role as super-connector, there is indeed a slice of the pie for everyone," Zalani stated.

Start-up Express International brings together ten quality startups from across the globe covering green tech, healthtech, AI, and edtech, demonstrating Hong Kong's attractiveness as an international launchpad. These international startups will share their entrepreneurial journeys and exchange insights with panel speakers exploring opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Additional information about startup opportunities can be found at https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international.

The events create strong synergy with DesignInspire, running concurrently from December 3 to 6, reinforcing Hong Kong's positioning as Asia's hub for innovation and intellectual property. The Asia IP Exchange Creative Hub onsite showcase area displays local creative IP, while the Innovation & IP Market features over 25 I&T projects from universities, R&D centers, startups, and tech companies under the theme "Smart Living."