In its latest Innovation Mixer to the West Coast of the US, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) organised a dinner reception which attracted around 150 tech professionals from leading enterprises, universities and venture capital firms including Google, Alibaba, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, JP Morgan, US Capital and East West Bank, among others. The participants were intrigued by the enormous opportunities and resources available in Hong Kong’s booming innovation and technology (I&T) sector, as well as HKSTP’s all rounded support to tech ventures such as incubation and tenant programmes. With high engagement and huge interest generated, the event would contribute to HKSTP’s mission in attracting global talent and investment to Hong Kong.
Co-presented by HKSTP, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO), San Francisco and the Hong Kong Association of Northern California, the dinner reception aimed to inspire tech professionals in the US to discover the wealth of opportunities in Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, clinching it as their base to expand to Asia and beyond.
Spoke in a sharing session, Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, pointed out the distinctive advantages of the city, “Hong Kong is now in a golden era of I&T that the resources and support provided to the sector are unprecedented. As an international I&T hub, we are home to five of the world’s top 100 universities with strong R&D capabilities. Located at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Hong Kong serves as an important gateway to attract international companies and investment to China while assisting Mainland enterprises to go global.”
“Hong Kong is also a stage for talent from around the world to realise their potential and attain success,” he added. “On top of its strategic location in the GBA, competitive salaries and supporting government policies, HKSTP offers a diverse range of programmes to help overseas talent settle down and thrive in this dynamic hub. Our InnoCell is a prime example which provides affordable high-quality accommodation for global I&T talent.”
Jacko Tsang, Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco said that ETO in San Francisco was pleased to welcome HKSTP’s delegation and was happy to assist companies and individuals interested in exploring opportunities in Hong Kong.
A panel discussion was arranged to enlighten participants on different tech landscapes across the Pacific and how to navigate opportunities in Hong Kong. Two entrepreneurs, who had successfully developed their businesses in both Hong Kong and the US, were invited to share their views and experiences. Dr Louis Wong, President and CEO of Advanced Sensor Integrations, said that the well-established intellectual property protection law and free flow of capital made Hong Kong an ideal place for startups. Mr Redg Snodgrass, Co-Founder & CEO of EdgeIn, said that enterprises would be greatly benefited from the enormous investment opportunities in Hong Kong’s ecosystem and the huge market potential in China.
Following the visits to Southeast Asia last year, HKSTP continued its Innovation Mixer to connect the tech talent and enterprises in the US with vast opportunities in Hong Kong, the GBA and Asia. In addition to the dinner reception, the HKSTP delegation will be meeting with like-minded innovators, academics and talents from world-class tech ventures and prestigious institutions such as NVIDIA, Stanford University and UC Berkeley to introduce the fast-growing I&T ecosystems in Hong Kong.
