HONG KONG, Dec 2, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Intellectual property (IP) authorities and business leaders from across the world gathered to discuss trends, paradigm shifts and opportunities in the IP market at the two-day Business of IP Asia (BIP Asia) Forum, which concluded today. Jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Hong Kong Design Centre, this leading annual IP event attracted more than 14,000 online and physical participants from over 40 countries and regions to share insights, network and explore business collaboration opportunities.

The physical-online hybrid BIP Asia Forum, themed "Creating New Value, Discovering New Frontiers", was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) with physical sessions livestreamed. More than 70 seasoned industry leaders and well-established speakers outlined proposals to build a sustainable IP ecosystem and analysed the effective implementation of IP strategies for business expansion, while exploring the business potential of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) through forums, plenary sessions, workshops and product showcases.

International IP experts share sustainable IP ecosystem insights

To cope with ever-changing global IP protection policies and thrive in a dynamic world amid technological breakthroughs, effective bilateral communication with market participants is of the utmost importance in the IP industry to establish its position and remain resilient through economic cycles. At the inaugural Policy Dialogue – Aspiration to Action: Co-creating a Resilient and Sustainable IP Ecosystem, a forum highlight, international IP experts exchanged valuable insights on enhancing the sustainability of the global IP ecosystem. Antony Taubman, Director of Intellectual Property Division at World Trade Organization (WTO) said: "We have witnessed a revolution in the way that intellectual property is traded and used to promote development and economic growth. Knowledge flow is also central to equitable development. The experience with COVID has shown that innovation and access to the fruits of innovation are essential and must be factored into all areas of policy and international trade. The Hong Kong government is right to position the city as a regional IP trading centre, and to provide the strategic, careful, integrated and systemic thinking required to make it work."

Summit focuses on re-industrialisation

The BIP Asia Forum's "Global Tech Summit" addressed the "Industrial Metaverse: Propelling Re-industrialisation in Hong Kong" topic. The HKSAR Government has actively promoted re-industrialisation to boost the city's sustainable economic growth. The summit brought together technology leaders and pioneers to analyse the transformation of the global manufacturing landscape and ways in which it could accelerate the revitalisation of Hong Kong's manufacturing sector. Having led artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in the Asia Pacific, Simon See, Senior Director and Chief Solution Architect; Global Head of NVIDIA AI Technology Center, NVIDIA Corporation, shared his views on metaverse and re-industrialisation.

Simon See said: "Many people believe that the metaverse is only for social purposes. However, it is indeed highly relevant to how industries operate. Digital twins, for example, can assist businesses in developing simulations and increasing efficiency. To build the metaverse, many IP and digital assets will need to be created, and no single company can do it all. The private sector, the education sector and communities are all needed to help build various components. That is why we need the ecosystem to grow as quickly as possible for the metaverse to become a reality."

Educating IP users and owners on diverse topics

The sessions on the first day covered a diverse IP-related topics. Inspo Talk: IP issues Revolving KOL/Influencer Marketing was an informative session for IP users who actively deploy personalities on social media for marketing purposes. On the same subject, legal experts shared crucial guidance at the IP Do's and Don'ts on Social Media session. A talk on the Introduction to the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks provided valuable information to innovators who seek to protect their creations.

Many firms are seeking to explore opportunities in the vibrant Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a fast-expanding trade bloc. On the second day of event, the Workshop on ASEAN Roadmap to Successful IP Commercialisation in a Knowledge-based Economy offered thoughts on how innovators could use inventions and expand in ASEAN. Another panel on business expansion brought together representatives from various fields, such as enterprises, research institutions, financial institutions and IP institutions, to exchange views on the latest technological achievements and IP financing within the GBA.

Education remains an indispensable part of the BIP Asia Forum. This year, collaborating with the Intellectual Property Department, the event continued to offer a wide range of training sessions for IP owners and users. Topics ranged from deployment of copyright and designs in the digital age to the application of patents and key concepts for IP trading. There were also sessions answering questions pertaining to legal issues arising from disputes over IP appropriation.

In the IPHatch Asia – Enabling Deep Tech Startups with IPs and Business Networks session, Jason Loh, Founder and CEO of Piece Future, analysed the role of IP and business networks in deep tech start-up development. Start-ups were invited to discuss the importance of IP in business development, share their entrepreneurial journey and offer advice on how to stand out amid the competition.

Co-organised by HKTDC and Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) for the first time this year, the Innovation & IP Market included the Inno Showcase, Open Stage and Tech Consultation Salon. It brought together universities, R&D centres, start-ups, IP users and service providers to network and explore collaboration opportunities. Start-ups and SMEs also gained insights from various industry experts on trademark registration, IP and tech commercialisation, invention protection and capitalising patents.

The HKTDC and The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to boost mutual cooperation on technology commercialisation to develop and promote Hong Kong as a global innovation and technology (I&T) hub and regional IP trading center.

Business of IP Asia Forum website: https://bipasia.hktdc.com/en/
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3FlWDOE

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media enquiries
Please contact Hill+Knowlton Strategies:
Rachel Zhu, Tel: +852 6816 5846, Email: rachel.zhu@hkstrategies.com
Jade Sin, Tel: +852 5646 8944, Email: jade.sin@hkstrategies.com

HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Dec 2, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Seeking a balance between the youthful enthusiasm of start-ups and steady performance of established firms has become a key issue for Hong Kong, as its entrepreneur ecosystem matures. The HKTDC Entrepreneur Day (E-day) and Start-up Express International, organised by The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), brought together industry leaders, experts, start-ups and participants to discuss the shift towards sustainable and inclusive growth within the international start-up universe and how start-ups can address the pressing challenges of the post-pandemic era. The three-day E-Day ran from 30 November to today and included the debut of the Start-up Express International entrepreneurship development programme.

Under the theme "Balance Beyond the Boom", E-day and Start-up Express International offered physical and online seminars and exhibitions. More than 60 industry experts and renowned speakers analysed venture capital trends, offering insights on emerging industries and strategies for business expansion in a post-pandemic new normal through a series of forums, exhibitions, workshops and networking events. The event attracted over 9,000 attendees and viewers from 44 countries and regions to the hybrid exhibition and seminars.

HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Stephen Liang said: "E-day saw entrepreneurs from different sectors exchange their views on the various trends shaping the world of business. In particular, we are delighted that outstanding Hong Kong start-ups shone alongside their global peers at the pioneering Start-up Express International. The contest between local and international start-ups inspires enhanced business models and nurtures start-ups locally and globally. We believe E-day has served as an exceptional occasion to showcase Hong Kong's supportive infrastructure for the incubation of young businesses which will surely attract even more outstanding start-ups looking to expand operations in Hong Kong."

Fundraising in a competitive environment

Winning an investor's trust takes more than just a compelling pitch. Gaining trust has become even more challenging during the pandemic, where investors are cautious with fund deployment. On the first day of E-day, Eric Manlunas, Founder & Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners, shared how venture capital firms had positioned themselves amid heightened volatility in the plenary session T-Chat – Global VC Investment: Rise or Fall. Mr Manlunas offered guidance on how early-stage businesses can convince investors of their potential and thrive, especially when venture capital investors are cautious about expanding portfolios.

Innovators transform entrepreneurship and economy

As non-fungible tokens (NFTs) transcend their initial role as assets and have evolved into a marketing tool, more entrepreneurs are considering NFTs as core business functions. The seminar "NFT: Eye Candy or Key to Gold?" debated whether NFTs are pure gimmicks or can expand business in a concrete way. Representatives discussed the tangible impact NFTs had on brand value and how they boosted business opportunities.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, E-day included the 12th World SME Summit, co-organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business. Under the theme "Achieving re-industrialisation through innovation in the new era", Herbert Chia, JP, Venture Partner of Sequoia Capital China, and Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, discussed how small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs in Hong Kong could transform and re-industrialise via digitalisation and application of emerging technologies including 5G, IoT and metaverse.

The hot investment trend of sustainability has joined hands with innovation and entrepreneurship to promote a circular economy. The E-day gathered like-minded companies to explain creating sustainable supply chains, contributing to a more sustainable society. Melanie Kwok, Assistant General Manager (Sustainability) of Sino Group, outlined the Group's experience in implementing sustainability strategies and how start-ups had helped the conglomerate achieve sustainability goals and created shared values. Ms Kwok said the Group was delighted to collaborate with two Hong Kong start-ups – archiREEF and Clearbot – to drive conservation and environmental protection in Hong Kong, and looked forward to more projects on sustainability.

Fresh start-ups meet regional names

On the final day, technology start-ups described their successful growth into regionally known brand names. For instance, Jong Yoon Kim, CEO of Yanolja, a leading Korean travel-tech unicorn, explained how it managed to ride out the COVID-19 storm as well as its plans to equip itself for a new wave of growth as international borders re-open. Mr Kim pointed out that big-tech companies such as Amazon, Netflix and Google had come to dominate many global industries but such a player had yet to emerge in the travel sector, presenting an opportunity for Yanolja to potentially fill that void. He also shared the vision and strategy to transform Yanolja into the world's leading global travel platform.

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is a short-term payment model that has grown in popularity among merchants and consumers, especially within the retail industry. In the afternoon, Trasy Lou Walsh, Regional Managing Director (SG, MY, HK, PH) of Atome, Asia's leading BNPL brand, described the model's landscape and its increasingly intense competitive environment as more credit card companies and banks joined the field to provide similar payment solutions to businesses.

Start-up Express International

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Start-up Express entrepreneurship development programme organised by HKTDC, Start-up Express International debuted on the second day of E-day, fostering discussions among innovative minds from all over the world across overseas start-ups and their local counterparts. The programme aims to encourage high-calibre foreign start-ups to set up in Hong Kong, and is supported by global partners from Belgium, Mainland China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

During Start-up Express International, 10 overseas winners shared the stage with eight Hong Kong Start-up Express laureates to discuss industry insights and their entrepreneurship journeys. The 10 global winners were selected by a panel of professional judges earlier. They are:

– inContAlert from Germany
– Contents.com from Italy
– Closer Inc. from Japan
– VegeSense; KnowCarbon; InxMed from Mainland China
– OTECH (Otsuka Technology) from Singapore
– AON from Korea
– MOBIQU from Turkey
– rThreat from the United States

A replay of the event, including highlights of the expo and forum, is available on-demand until 2 January 2023: https://eday.hktdc.com/conference/eday/en/programme

Websites
– HKTDC Entrepreneur Day: https://portal.hktdc.com/eday/en
– Start-up Express International: https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3FhlKCl

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media enquiries
Please contact Hill+Knowlton Strategies:
Joyce Kwong, Tel: +852 6842 5929, Email: joyce.kwong@hkstrategies.com
Nannerl Yau, Tel: +852 6846 7888, Email: nannerl.yau@hkstrategies.com

HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Dec 1, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Hong Kong Design Centre, the 12th Business of IP Asia Forum kicked off today. The first day took place in person at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) with livestreaming available, while the second day will be entirely virtual. Themed "Creating New Value, Discovering New Frontiers", the two-day forum brings together more than 70 global intellectual property (IP) experts and business leaders to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in the Asian IP market.

John Lee, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region spoke at the forum's opening ceremony this morning, along with Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC; Shen Changyu, Commissioner at the China National Intellectual Property Administration; and Daren Tang, Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

In her welcome, HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong remarked: "In the past 12 years, our Forum has become a leading platform for IP professionals and business leaders from around the world to exchange insights, make connections and explore opportunities. It also underpins Hong Kong's status as a regional IP trading hub. With its strong IP protection regime, efficient IP commercialisation, deep and liquid capital market and sound judicial system, Hong Kong is uniquely placed to foster a vigorous IP ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area, the rest of Mainland China and Asia at large."

Addressing participants at the opening session, John Lee said: "Our country's National 14th Five-year Plan firmly supports Hong Kong's rise as a regional IP trading centre. It's one of the eight important sectors to drive our future development, and to lead the way in – for China and for the Asian region as a whole. To strengthen IP rights' protection, the Hong Kong SAR Government will work to implement the international trade mark registration system. We'll also update our copyright regime to boost digital copyright protection."

In his opening address, Shen Changyu, added: "The China National Intellectual Property Administration supports the development of the intellectual property business in Hong Kong and the whole Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). We will help Hong Kong develop its patent system, streamlining patent examination, staff training and information-system development. Hong Kong is expected to rapidly develop into a regional intellectual-property trading centre. This will provide an optimised business environment for industry players, actively integrating the city into the nation's development and contributing to a robust IP industry."

Discussions on the first day began with the Policy, with welcome remarks delivered by Algernon Yau, JP, HKSAR Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development; IP experts Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO; Anthony Taubman, Director of the Intellectual Property Division at the World Trade Organization (WTO); Rowel S. Barba, Chairman of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation; Kyo-sook Choi, Chair of Intellectual Property Rights Experts Group at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); and Antonio Campinos, President of the European Patent Office exchanged views on how to coordinate global efforts to build a sustainable IP ecosystem.

Daren Tang said: "Intangible assets will play a growing role in the economic growth of Mainland China, Hong Kong and the world. We anticipate that an increasing number of Hong Kong-listed companies will derive the majority of their value from intangible assets. In addition, intangible asset finance is rising on policy agendas as governments and businesses use intellectual property as a financial asset. As growth and trade in intangible assets surge around the world, creating new patterns of commerce and exchange, they will open up a wealth of opportunities for Hong Kong. The city and the Greater Bay Area are well-positioned to be key centres of an increasingly intangible asset-driven global economy."

The sessions on the first day covered a myriad of IP-related topics. The plenary session shed light on the effective implementation of IP strategies for business expansion. Another session, the Global Tech Summit, focused on the industrial metaverse with leaders from various industries sharing their insights on the ways in which technology can propel reindustrialisation in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, other trending topics discussed included Patent Application Grant (PAG), dispute resolution mechanisms over domain names, precautions that need to be taken to protect online media IP, regulation frameworks and the metaverse ecosystem, and business collaboration efforts with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). Co-organised by the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), the GBA IP Development and Market Update session introduced new opportunities for technological innovation and IP in order to encourage more overseas enterprises to tap into the China market.

IPHatch Asia was hosted by Jason Loh, Founder and CEO of Piece Future. In his opening speech, Jason Loh analysed the role of IP and business networks in helping deep tech startups to jumpstart and scale up. He also shared the strategic reasons for hosting IPHatch Asia edition in Hong Kong, showing great confidence in the vibrant Hong Kong's startup ecosystem. The session invited past winners to discuss the importance of IP in their business development, share their entrepreneurial journey and give tips for staying ahead of the industry competition.

HKTDC and The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Forum, pledging deeper cooperation on technology commercialization.

Innovation & IP Market: Smart Manufacturing and Building

For the first time at the Forum, the HKTDC co-organised the Innovation & IP Market with the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) to enhance IP commercialisation and facilitate industry exchange. The event brought together universities, R&D centres, start-ups, IP users and service providers to network and explore collaboration opportunities. The Inno Showcase provided a platform for IP owners to display their innovations. At the Open Stage, IP owners promoted their latest innovations and research results, while business advice was offered at the Tech Consultation Salon.

Meanwhile, an action-packed agenda on day two will see legal representatives, industry leaders from the cultural and creative industries, and IP experts from Hong Kong and the GBA explore the opportunities in the GBA and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and share how IP can protect and promote cultural and creative arts development. In addition, participants can take part in a series of IP training courses co-organised by the HKTDC and HKSAR Intellectual Property Department, which will introduce basic concepts of various IP types. These training courses will be a learning opportunity for anyone seeking to understand how they can protect and manage their intellectual property in the digital age.

Also on the second day, the HKTDC, ASEAN Secretariat and HKSAR Intellectual Property Department will organise an online workshop on IP commercialisation in ASEAN. The workshop will bring together representatives from legal departments, research & development (R&D) institutions and enterprises from Hong Kong and ASEAN member states to share their collective experience in the financial and legal systems to facilitate IP commercialisation and technology transfer in a knowledge-based economy.

Business of IP Asia Forum website: https://bipasia.hktdc.com/en/
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3Vo1Z1t

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media enquiries
Please contact Hill+Knowlton Strategies:
Rachel Zhu, Tel: +852 6816 5846, Email: rachel.zhu@hkstrategies.com
Jade Sin, Tel: +852 5646 8944, Email: jade.sin@hkstrategies.com

HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Nov 30, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announces the launch of Entrepreneur Day, a three-day (30 November to 2 December) event with the theme of 'Balance Beyond the Boom'. Packed with a hybrid mix of online and physical seminars and exhibitions, the event explores a diverse range of developments in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through forums, exhibitions, workshops, and networking events in the "Start-up Arena", industry leaders, experts, start-ups and participants learn how to achieve business success in the post-pandemic world. The first-ever "Start-up Express International" will also be held on 1 December bringing together local and international start-ups to exchange views and share experience, as well as encourage overseas expansion.

Welcoming participants to the event, Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "We are delighted to host Entrepreneur Day in hybrid format for the first time. The pandemic has caused considerable disruption to market economies across the world. It has also hit entrepreneurs hard. Yet, I am encouraged by the new and emerging opportunities entrepreneurs are seizing, including in the digital economy. Indeed, entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of our global economy. Just like the pandemic, they disrupt the status quo. They challenge convention to enable progress. They accelerate innovation and economic growth across the globe."

"Under the theme 'Balance Beyond the Boom', we will explore the trajectory of the global start-up ecosystem since the start-up boom and help start-ups gain a foothold in key markets, especially the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. To celebrate the Start-up Express's 5th anniversary, we will launch its international series on Entrepreneur Day, when outstanding overseas early-stage start-ups will be invited to share the stage with Start-up Express winners."

Charting the way forward with advice from experts

Entrepreneur Day featured several seminars beginning with "T-Chat – Global VC Investment: Rise or Fall?". According to data from Dealroom, venture capital firms invested more than $675 billion in start-ups worldwide in 2021 or double the amount from the previous year. However, global capital markets have seen heightened volatility this year despite the fading impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eric Manlunas, Founder & Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners, Duncan Chiu, Council Member (Technology and Innovation) of HKSAR Legislative Council, and Karena Belin, Co-founder of AngelHub & WHub, reviewed their investments in 2022 and shared their outlook for the global venture capital market next year. They also offered advice on how entrepreneurs can better equip themselves to raise funds in a potentially difficult environment.

Eric Manlunas said: "Despite the uncertainties of the current macro environment, global venture capital is here to stay, given the social utility it provides. Venture capital is a strong catalyst for innovation and business formation, thus its purpose is more compelling than ever [before], in spite of the current macroeconomic challenges".

Duncan Chiu said: "Keep tracking talents. Talents attract talents. Fintech is not just [about] technologies, but still has to comply with international regulations".

In a fast-changing world, start-ups need to be able to adapt to a dynamic environment while still being cautious about funding. The "Capture Funds at Critical Times" workshop featured Mingles Tsoi, Chief eXploration Officer of ParticleX, who has guided local and international technology start-ups through the challenges of fundraising, and Brian Tsui, Co-Founder of the Chicago Booth Angels Network, who shared their personal experience and advise to start-ups on their fundraising strategies and planning.

Enhancing customer experience with NFTs to create business opportunities

With non-fungible tokens (NFTs) becoming the talk of the town, Lucas Cheung, Managing Partner of leading Asian brand technology firm Gusto Collective, and Nick Lau, founder of digital luxury Web3 platform WEAR, shared their insights on the application of NFTs in the entertainment and fashion space. Cheung discussed how his company has enhanced brand value and opened doors to new opportunities through immersive customer experiences. Lau shared how WEAR has integrated physical products with digital collectibles and the company's successful collaborations with world-renowned brands.

Propelling re-industrialization of Hong Kong – the springboard to the GBA

With a mature ecosystem for start-ups to thrive in, Hong Kong is well-known for its business-friendly environment and for incubating outstanding enterprises. In the panel discussion "Entrepreneurship in HK – Scaling up through Hong Kong", previous winners of the Start-up Express competition shared their experience of starting a business in the city. The panel discussion involved Justin Chan, CEO & Co-Founder of Gense Technologies, KK Chiu, Co-Founder & CEO of Zeek, and Mazing Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Lify Company Limited.

The 12th World SME Summit, co-organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Businesses, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and aimed to facilitate re-industrialisation in Hong Kong. The summit had the theme of "Achieving re-industrialisation through innovation in the new era" with discussions considering ways to expedite Hong Kong's re-industrialisation efforts. In the session, Herbert Chia, Venture Partner of Sequoia Capital China, pinpointed the benefits of applying innovative technology from an investor's perspective.

Turning waste into gold for a circular economy

With investors increasingly looking to support the recycling sector, Shrikanth Narasimha, Director of Sustainability and Supply Chain, Far East, Mainetti (HK) Limited, detailed the development of closed-loop recycling of plastic materials and the use of blockchain in the recycling process. Meanwhile, Rachel Barr, Vice President of Sustainability from the Israeli start-up UBQ Materials, shared the firm's work to transform domestic waste into plastic products in collaboration with Mainetti (HK), while Ricci Wong, Founder and CEO of social enterprise HK Timberbank, explained how his start-up helps sort, cut, and dry damaged trees, recycling them into commercial timber and furniture.

Exhibiting innovations from emerging industries

The Entrepreneur Day exhibition also gathered more than 130 start-ups showcasing innovative products and technology as well as support services for the start-up ecosystem. The exhibition helped participants find business opportunities, secure professional advice and connect with potential business partners. The "Start-up Zone" showcased start-ups from a wide array of industry verticals ranging from medical and biotechnology products, green and food technology, to fintech and edtech. "The Boosters" featured organisations and government bodies supporting start-ups with the latest market insights and consulting services.

Start-up Express International – Fostering connections between local and global start-ups

To mark the 5th anniversary of "Start-up Express", a start-up incubation programme, the HKTDC will launch "Start-up Express International" tomorrow during Entrepreneur Day 2022 where ten international start-ups from countries including Belgium, Mainland China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States with diverse technology backgrounds like health, education, smart cities, and agriculture, to blockchain, robo-technology, and marketing, will share their experiences together with the local winners of Start-up Express.

The HKTDC selected 30 international start-ups before choosing the final ten. Among those 30 international firms, many of which have won awards in the Mainland and overseas, are InxMed, a biotech company in Mainland China working on developing innovative therapies for tumour resistance and metastasis; inConAlert, a German healthtech company offering a wearable medical sensor; Mobbi, an Italian technology start-up that introduced the world's first portable power bank rental app; and SynCom Agritech, a Japanese agritech start-up. They all hope to contribute to solving livelihood, social and environmental problems through innovative business ideas and new technology.

The top 10 winners of the competition were: inContAlert from Germany, Contents.com from Italy, Closer Inc. from Japan, VegeSense; KnowCarbon; InxMed from Mainland China, OTECH (Otsuka Technology) from Singapore, AON from South Korea, MOBIQU from Turkey, and rThreat from the United States. The winning start-ups will gain access to marketing and technical support, as well as consulting services and concessionary rents by HKTDC, helping them set up a business presence in Hong Kong.

rThreat, one of the winning start-ups, said: "We would like to thank HKTDC for arranging Start-up Express International as it has allowed us a chance to learn from our peers from around the globe, establish business relationships and explore potential business partners."

The judging panel for Start-up Express International this year comprised Fred Li, Executive Director at Gobi Partners, Francis Pun, Promotions and Community Development Lead at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and Clara Hong, Senior Manager of Ecosystem Development at Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.

Alongside Entrepreneur Day, the Business Intellectual Property of Asia Forum will be held from tomorrow to 2 December, serving as an ideal platform for global IP experts and business leaders to investigate the latest trends in the Asian IP market and look for opportunities.

Exhibition and Forum Website
– Entrepreneur Day: https://eday.hktdc.com/conference/eday/en
– Start-up Express International: https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3VI4VGh

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media enquiries
Please contact Hill+Knowlton Strategies:
Joyce Kwong, Tel: +852 6842 5929, Email: joyce.kwong@hkstrategies.com
Nannerl Yau, Tel: +852 6846 7888, Email: nannerl.yau@hkstrategies.com

HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com