The policy address placed AI at the heart of economic strategy. It is time to match ambition with execution
Hong Kong’s economic story has always unfolded in cycles of innovation. Finance made it a global hub. Real estate later became a backbone. Both engines now face structural limits. As global competition intensifies, the question is what Hong Kong’s new growth engine will be.
This imbalance highlights the gap between potential and resourcing. Closing it will require capital, regulatory capital, infrastructure and institutional support.
China’s largest EV battery maker CATL celebrates strong debut at Hong Kong stock market
The start-up ecosystem is also maturing, with nearly 4,700 set up last year, up 10 per cent year on year and 40 per cent higher than in 2020. Close to 18,000 people work in local start-ups. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp houses more than 2,400 firms, supporting 24,000 people, while the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute has transferred about 1,600 technologies to the industry and secured more than 1,000 patents in Hong Kong, mainland China, the United States and elsewhere.
