Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, joined the "Window of Opportunity in the ICT Sector in Hong Kong for Canadian Companies” webinar co-hosted by the HKETO, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Toronto), Invest Hong Kong (Canada) (IHK) and Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Toronto Section) on February 7.
This webinar aimed to update Canadian companies on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Hong Kong, and to provide an opportunity for them to explore partnership opportunities in Asia through Hong Kong.
In delivering opening remarks at the webinar, Ms Mo noted Hong Kong has removed all restrictions for travelling and resumed the travelling to and from Mainland China. “We are back in the business of creating business opportunity for companies and talents from around the world,” Ms Mo said.
Hong Kong is a major international financial centre and the world’s largest offshore Renminbi business hub. The number of startups in Hong Kong has soared from about 1,000 in 2014 to some 4,000 last year, and over the same period the city has raised 10 unicorns. “Hong Kong was ranked second in the 2022 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking’s ‘technology’ factor,” Ms Mo added.
Ms Mo highlighted that venture capital investment in Hong Kong surged from US$ 150 million in 2014 to US$ 5.3 billion in 2021 and the city is also the world’s leading fundraising hub for biotechnology companies.
Besides capital, talent is crucial in driving innovation and technology. “Hong Kong has recently set up the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises and the Hong Kong Talent Engage website. We aim to attract top-notch innovation and technology talents to bring with them their businesses or research and development outcomes to Hong Kong, and we are targeting companies and individuals from fields as life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, financial technology, advanced manufacturing and new-energy technology,” Ms Mo continued.
Noting Hong Kong works with the mainland of China and global partners to harness the power of innovation and technology, Ms Mo invited Canadian companies to tap on the abundant opportunities in the East. Following Ms Mo’s remarks, Head of Business and Talent Attraction Mr Christopher Chen, provided an overview of the innovation investment landscape in Hong Kong and the city’s strategic role as an ICT hub.
香港經貿處處長出席網上研討會推介香港資訊及通訊科技行業的機遇
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於二月七日出席由香港經貿處、香港貿易發展局多倫多辦事處、香港投資推廣署加拿大辦事處及港加商會（多倫多分會）合辦的「加拿大公司在香港資訊及通訊科技行業的機遇」網上研討會。
研討會旨在向加拿大公司提供香港資訊及通訊科技行業的最新發展，並為公司提供機會，通過香港在亞洲尋找合作商機。
巫菀菁在網上研討會上致歡迎辭時表示，香港已經撤銷所有旅遊入境限制，並與中國內地全面通關，她說：「香港的營商環境已經復常，為全球各地的企業及人才創造商機。」
香港是重要的國際金融中心，亦是全球最大的離岸人民幣業務樞紐。香港的初創企業數目由2014年約1,000間躍升至去年約4,000間，同期香港還培育了10間獨角獸公司。巫菀菁補充說：「香港在《2022年世界數碼競爭力排名》中，『科技』方面的表現排名第二。」
巫菀菁強調，香港的風險投資基金投資額由2014 年1.5億美元大幅增至2021年53億美元，香港同時是全球領先的生物科技公司集資中心。
除資金外，人才也是推動創新科技的關鍵。巫菀菁續說：「香港最近設立了『引進重點企業辦公室』及香港招才網頁，旨在吸引頂尖的科創人才將他們的業務或研發成果帶到香港，我們的目標企業及人才包括生命健康科技、人工智能與數據科學、金融科技、先進製造及新能源技術。」
香港與中國內地及全球夥伴合作無間提升科創能力，巫菀菁邀請加拿大公司善用香港發展機遇處處的東方市場。隨後招商引才總監陳立智向與會者簡介香港的創新投資環境以及香港作為資訊及通訊科技樞紐的重要角色。
