Hong Kong is preparing to establish a cross-sector committee to drive strategies and support measures for intellectual property trading, according to sources.
The committee will bring together representatives from sectors including innovation and technology, cultural and creative, commerce, finance, law, valuation and intellectual property. It is understood that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will announce the initiative in his policy address on September 16.
The move aligns with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, which supports Hong Kong in deepening its role as a regional IP trading hub. It also stated that the city must build a more competitive ecosystem by strengthening institutions, talent and financing channels. IP-intensive industries contributed an average of HK$877.9 billion annually to Hong Kong’s GDP between 2019 and 2021, accounting for 32.7 percent of output and creating about 1.09 million jobs, or 29.1 percent of total employment, according to the Intellectual Property Department.
Hong Kong ranked seventh globally in IP rights in the 2026 World Competitiveness Yearbook by Switzerland’s International Institute for Management Development, ahead of the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster also topped the innovation cluster ranking of the Global Innovation Index 2025, underscoring the Greater Bay Area’s international recognition.
Meanwhile, over the past five years, the department has granted more than 10,000 standard patent registrations annually, reflecting the city’s growing upstream innovation ecosystem and vast market potential. Sources said the committee will serve three key functions.
It will break down sectoral barriers by linking innovation, culture, finance, law, valuation, taxation and cross-border cooperation under a high-level institutional platform, improving policy coordination and execution.
It will also promote mechanisms for valuation, financing and transactions to help enterprises monetize IP through funding, licensing and market expansion, turning research and creative output into economic value.
Finally, it will consolidate Hong Kong’s position by leveraging its common law system, international finance and professional services, while connecting to the mainland’s vast innovation, manufacturing and consumer markets.
By coordinating cross-border cooperation, international rules and market promotion, the committee aims to attract more mainland and overseas enterprises to conduct IP trading, financing and licensing in Hong Kong, fostering new high-value service industries and growth drivers.
