Leverage Hong Kong’s Professional Talent to Make Technology “Marketable”

“Our research has found that many companies, despite holding core technologies, stumble at the very first step of going global—not because of product quality issues, but due to unfamiliarity with international intellectual property rules. Shortly after entering overseas markets, their products become targets of patent litigation, rendering years of R&D effort futile.” Sharing his reflections on the pain points in corporate internationalization, Jun Kit Lam, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Young Entrepreneurs Association, and Chairman of Ceylon Group, spoke with emotion. “Hong Kong is ready to fully leverage its strengths in service-oriented talent to assist mainland enterprises in their global ventures with peace of mind.”

“Intellectual property is the ‘passport’ to international competition, but many mainland enterprises are underprepared in this regard.” Lam emphasized the pivotal role of IP in overseas expansion. He cited examples of companies that had secured domestic patents but failed to file for protection in target markets, only to later face infringement lawsuits filed by local competitors. Others, despite possessing cutting-edge technology, lacked the know-how to structure international-standard IP portfolios, resulting in low efficiency in technology commercialization and weak market competitiveness.

“Hong Kong boasts a large pool of internationally oriented professionals in law, accounting, and consulting, who have deep expertise in international compliance and intellectual property protection and are well-versed in overseas business practices and cross-border investment and financing norms,” Lam noted. In his view, Hong Kong—as a global hub for finance, trade, and shipping—offers legal and commercial systems aligned with international standards, providing a natural bridge for mainland enterprises to access global markets.

“Take a piece of new energy technology, for example: how should it be adapted to meet the environmental standards and patent laws of target countries? How do you draft technically accurate documentation that conforms to international conventions? How do you design a viable IP licensing scheme? All these steps require professional input,” Lam explained. He believes that Hong Kong’s talent, with their international outlook and professional expertise, can precisely meet the needs of mainland enterprises and help make their technologies “marketable” on the world stage.

In terms of specific recommendations, Lam proposed the following: First, give full play to the guiding role of Hong Kong professionals by forming overseas economic and information research teams to gather real-time market intelligence for mainland enterprises expanding abroad. Second, set up foreign trade advisory teams composed of Hong Kong professionals to help mainland enterprises access markets along the Belt and Road. Third, draw on Hong Kong’s expertise to develop internationally recognized certification systems for technology trade services, thereby facilitating the global commercialization of technological achievements.

“Backed by the motherland and connected to the world, Hong Kong has long played a vital role in the nation’s ‘going global’ strategy,” Lam said. In the new era of high-quality development, he added, Hong Kong compatriots should more proactively embrace the role of “super connector”, using their professional capabilities and global vision to support mainland enterprises in their international expansion. “We hope the relevant national authorities will increase support for Hong Kong’s professional services and establish more exchange platforms, so that the strength of Hong Kong’s talent can truly become a competitive advantage for mainland enterprises going global,” Lam concluded.