This is the second year of the three-year planning cycle covering the period 2020/21 to 2022/23. Last year, we set three medium-term objectives to guide our work up to 2023, which are to:
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Cement Hong Kong as a global investment and business hub riding on Belt and Road and Greater Bay Area opportunities; |
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Leverage Hong Kong’s value-added and customised offerings to create and facilitate business opportunities worldwide; and |
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Nurture an international entrepreneurial ecosystem for Hong Kong in the digital era.
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Amid the havoc caused by the pandemic to the global economy, Hong Kong has had additional challenges in the past two years - both domestic and external, which impacted not only our economy but also perceptions on the core strengths and value proposition of Hong Kong. We need a new narrative to re-establish the city as the premier business and investment hub in Asia, and the key to exciting opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Our Priorities in 2021/22
We will reposition our mega promotions in mature and emerging markets under a unified brand “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” and remind the world that companies come from all corners of the globe because Hong Kong is the best place to do business.
Our new narrative will stress not only the resilience of our pillar sectors but also point to the vitality of our technology and start-up scene. The proposition of Hong Kong is further strengthened by the steady recovery of Mainland China, one of the first to re-open from pandemic lockdowns, and the undeniable and unique role of Hong Kong as the ideal partner for Mainland and international companies to capitalise on the new dual circulation policy.
“GoGBA” will be a central theme for us in 2021/22. We will launch a one-stop platform to provide practical and useful business information for newcomers to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), local and international. We will develop packages to meet the marketing and export needs of SMEs and set up a T-box GBA Centre at our Shenzhen Office. All our anchor events will highlight the opportunities GBA offers.
The ASEAN region continues to offer promising opportunities for export, manufacturing and investment. Riding on the full implementation of the Hong Kong – ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, we will promote a “Hong Kong-Mainland-ASEAN” tripartite partnership where Hong Kong facilitates Mainland and Hong Kong investment into ASEAN and ASEAN exports into Hong Kong and Mainland. The aim is to make Hong Kong the effective deal-maker between two massive markets that economies worldwide are keen to tap into.
The pandemic has also focused attention on the critical importance of healthcare and related technologies. To capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantages and position the city as the investment hub for the healthcare sector in the region, we will stage the inaugural Asia Summit on Global Health. This will add to the stable of anchor events such as the Belt and Road Summit and Asian Financial Forum which connect investors to promising infrastructure, technology and urban development opportunities.
With technology playing a prominent role in the way we live, work and do business in the new normal, our signature exhibitions, conferences and promotions will adopt a hybrid "physical + digital" mode going forward. The aim is to provide a seamless experience for all participants across platforms and offer customised services through omni-channel engagement.
To help our SMEs thrive in the new normal, we will expand our T-box programme and provide year-round online and offline support on e-commerce and digital business solutions. We will also offer new formats to allow SMEs to explore new markets and connect with new partners without leaving home. The goal is to drive our SMEs to embrace technology and the power of change.
