HKPC develops online tool to boost tech companies' global expansion

Authorities are advancing the development of an online tool to empower Hong Kong and mainland enterprises to succeed in the global market, according to Du Yonghai, Chief Innovation Officer of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC).

HKPC launched "The Cradle - Going Global Service Centre" last month to offer one-stop professional support for tech innovation enterprises expanding into international markets.

During an interview with the government's online news platform, Du noted that HKPC could leverage the online assessment tool to quickly evaluate a company's needs for going global and identify its capability gaps.

The tool will also assist authorities in determining which services the Council can provide or refer to their partners.

Meanwhile, Du stressed that exporting to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or Europe involves different requirements as user demands, laws, regulations, standards, and acceptance levels vary.

In response to these challenges, the Council has categorized the need for going global into four levels, including product exports, technology exports, manufacturing exports, and the broader category of management exports.

Xu Shu, the overseas business division director and Hong Kong general manager at a Beijing tech company that developed autonomous driving technology, praised Hong Kong as "an ideal launchpad to go global.

"Hong Kong is highly internationalized and standardized," Xu said. "For the same luggage or cargo transport tasks, we must align with the strict regulations here in Hong Kong. Having gone through the intense processes for such scenarios here, we have full confidence that we can do the same in other countries."

The technology has been deployed at Hong Kong International Airport since 2019 and has successfully reached overseas markets, with Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar as its latest pilot site.