The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will co-organise the 16th Business of IP Asia Forum (BIP Asia Forum) and the 18th HKTDC Entrepreneur Day (E-Day) from 19 to 20 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The twin events, announced via NEWMEDIAWIRE, will gather global innovators, investors, professional service providers and policymakers to explore trends in intellectual property, innovation and technology, and entrepreneurship.
The significance lies in their alignment with Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan and the latest Policy Address, which position the city as an International Innovation and Technology Centre and a Regional IP Trading Centre. Silas Chu, Associate Executive Director of the HKTDC, said the BIP Asia Forum acts as a catalyst for IP exchange and business collaboration, while E-Day brings together start-ups, investors and industry leaders to translate innovation breakthroughs into commercial opportunities. The synergies are intended to accelerate technology transfer, IP commercialisation, and market expansion into the Chinese Mainland and international markets through Hong Kong.
Under the theme 'Powering Commercial Success Through IP & Innovation', the BIP Asia Forum will host close to 100 industry pioneers to discuss how businesses can leverage IP to build competitive advantages, attract capital and generate long-term value. Financial Secretary Paul Chan and HKTDC Executive Director Sophia Chong will officiate at the opening session. Plenary Session I, 'From Sandbox to Scale: Unlocking the Next Phase of IP Financing', will examine how IP assets can move beyond pilot initiatives towards broader market adoption, with speakers including Adam Williams of the UK Intellectual Property Office and Ying-ying Cheng of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Plenary Session II, 'Reinventing Sports: Unlocking IP Value Inside and Beyond the Stadium', echoes WIPO's World Intellectual Property Day 2026 theme and features Tom Cheng of Lenovo and Filipe Gonçalves of Asia Partners Holding Corporation Ltd.
A new Tech Chapter will feature sessions on IP strategies in the world of play, strategic IP investments, and a WIPO-led session on AI and IP licensing, with experts from the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and Tencent Music Entertainment Group. The Forum will also address brand protection in e-commerce and local brand transformation. The Innovation & IP Market will showcase technologies from leading universities and research institutions, while the debut GoGlobal Connect Zone offers one-stop solutions for Mainland enterprises expanding globally.
E-Day, under the theme 'Where Start-up Dreams Take Flight', expects more than 370 start-ups and innovation projects from 14 countries and regions, focusing on AI, Deep Tech, Green Tech and Health Tech. The HKSAR Government Digital Policy Office will host the Hong Kong Innovation Pavilion, and the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau will feature over 50 ventures. The fifth edition of Start-up Express International will spotlight global innovators in AI, Green Tech and Health Tech. Full details are available at https://bipasia.hktdc.com/en/ and https://www.hktdc.com/event/eday/en, with Start-up Express International at https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international. DesignInspire will run concurrently from 18 to 21 November, creating further synergy.
