Helping businesses understand how IP and boost start-up collaboration
The Business of IP Asia Forum (BIP Asia Forum), jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), along with Entrepreneur Day (E-Day) hosted by the HKTDC, attracted more than 140 international intellectual property (IP) experts and business leaders who explored how IP and innovation enhance business growth and boost start-up collaboration.
The events, held on 7-8 December, offered a plethora of engaging activities, including forums, exhibitions, competitions, workshops and business matching, with more than 350 exhibitors from IP, innovation and technology (I&T), start-ups and sustainability taking part to network, exchange insights on the latest in IP and innovation and seize business opportunities .
More than 200 business matching meetings were held at Entrepreneur Day. The BIP Asia Forum welcomed over 2,500 participants, while E-Day attracted more than 10,000 visitors.
With IP and innovation being inextricably linked, this year’s BIP Asia Forum was organised under the theme IP & Innovation: Steering New Economic Growth. The event kicked off with a Policy Dialogue – Powering Economic Growth through a Future-ready IP Policy, where international IP experts and government representatives discussed the latest trends in IP commercialisation, the economic value it generates, related legal issues and future policy direction.
Rowel S. Barba, Chair of the Intellectual Property Rights Experts Group of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), said: “APAC economies need responsive, adaptable and future-proof IP policies to drive innovation that address environmental challenges, promote inclusivity and facilitate adaptable business practices. Collaboration between stakeholders is critical in order to create a balanced approach to IP protection. Benchmarking and identifying best practices can also ensure consistent IP protection across economies.”
Tech Firms and Experts Discuss IP Updates
The meteoric surge in the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has given rise to many legal issues, including copyright infringement over creative works generated by AI.
At the Forum’s Inspo Talk, legal experts discussed these legal issues and potential IP issues when engaging with the online marketplace. The conference also provided training courses for IP owners and users, covering topics such as the fundamentals of IP, IP disputes in e-commerce, copyright and design in the digital age, and trademark management.
Alongside the conference, IPHatch Asia gathered global tech pioneers to discuss their IP best practices. Previous IPHatch competition winners also shared their entrepreneurship journey.
In addition, the IP & Innovation Market gathered around 50 exhibitors showcasing over 30 innovations to further strengthen IP commercialisation and facilitate collaboration. Mr. Peng Maoxiang, Vice President of Intellectual Property Publishing House, one of the exhibitors, remarked: “The IP services industry in the Greater Bay Area is developing steadily, driven by strong demand for the industry, which is essential for business growth. Hong Kong’s IP services industry ought to be strategically positioned to draw innovators from both global and Asian markets. The city’s IP development should leverage its political, economic and industrial strengths. Events like BIP Asia, can foster an innovative environment, which is vital to promote IP development.”
Entrepreneur Day boosts collaboration
As HKTDC’s anchor start-up event, E-Day featured over 50 industry leaders from around the world sharing their insights and experiences. Over 200 business matching sessions and networking activities were organised alongside insightful seminars. The exhibition also featured over 300 start-ups, innovation projects and start-up support services from 11 countries and regions to facilitate collaboration opportunities.
In addition, Investment NSW from Australia took part in the event for the first time and brought along nine start-ups to demonstrate healthtech, green tech and smart city tech. Furthermore, start-ups heard from GBA incubators all there is to know about establishing a business in the region.
To encourage entrepreneurship among the youth, 50 local start-ups, supported by the HKSAR Government’s Home and Youth Affairs Bureau’s Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the GBA, participated at E-Day.
Moongate, a Hong Kong start up offering NFT ticketing and membership solutions, joined E-Day for the first time as a Start-up Express 2023 winner. Co-Founder Peter Hui said: “As a company that started two years ago, we are happy to participate in E-Day gives us the opportunity to meet face-to-face with business partners, attract potential investors as well as showcase our services. We connected with a venture capitalist who is interested in our market potential as one of the world’s top three NFT ticketing platforms. We are hopeful that it would be the first step towards securing potential investment.”
A venture capitalist from India, who serves clients from Saudi Arabia and Dubai, visited E-Day to source innovative tech solutions. He was particularly interested in a couple of start-ups offering sustainable solutions using robotics and innovative building materials that have market potential. He remarked that he was pleased that E-day provided the opportunity for him to connect with these start-ups and he would explore possible collaboration with them.
The venture capitalist also visited the booth of GreenCoat, an Australian company offering plasma-coating for windows that helps increase a building’s energy efficiency, to explore the possibility of piloting its products in other markets.
Embracing tech for a sustainable future
Various seminars and exhibitions were held across four major series, Emerging Trends for Tech and Innovation, Fuelling the Future, Market Exploration and Inspirational Masterclass. The series focused on the latest trends in I&T to equip start-ups and SMEs to help them seize market opportunities.
With the increasing importance of ESG globally, a seminar was held at E-Day on this theme. The seminar explored ESG best practices, sustainable development and brand building.
Additionally, international brand experts discussed ways to leverage the latest AI chatbot technology as a tool for brand marketing.
This year, the HKTDC once again organised Start-up Express International, the international edition of its long-standing start-up development programme, to attract overseas start-ups to expand their business in Hong Kong. Eight of the ten award-winning global start-ups shared their entrepreneurial journey at E-Day.
