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Developing Headquarters Economy brings in new industries and high value-added economic activities, along with diverse talent and investments. Hong Kong has a robust legal system and business environment, and it serves as an important gateway for China, a market with a population of 1.4 billion, to access the global market. However, there are only 1,336 corporate headquarters, which is just 30% of Singapore's figure.

After 3 years of the pandemic, Hong Kong's economy is still struggling to recover, despite supportive government measures. Professor Heiwai Tang, Associate Dean of HKU Business School and Director of Asia Global Institute, gave an interview to HKET iMoney and mentioned that over the past three years, Hong Kong has been lagging behind in terms of competitiveness and the quality of service industry. On the contrary, mainland China and neighbouring countries invested and improved on infrastructure quality and digital economy development. Furthermore, there is a decline in the quality of service in the retail and restaurant sectors, resulting in public dissatisfaction. Combined with cautious consumer spending due to the economic downturn, Hong Kong residents are more inclined to spend their money in neighbouring regions to seek better services and experiences. This preference for spending elsewhere further hampers the recovery process. Other interviewees believe, as the economy gradually recovers after the pandemic, businesses should consider adapting to market demands by adjusting their production and operational models, or even transforming their business strategies. Such proactive, solutions-oriented mindset will undoubtedly help mitigate risks and increase profitability. Additionally, the government should expedite the approval process for funding initiatives for SME, thus accelerating the process of productivity enhancement and the market explorations beyond Hong Kong.

2024 marks the fifth anniversary of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. However, given the weak consumption, the trend of "Going North", the sluggish performance of the stock and real estate markets and the geopolitical elements, Hong Kong's economy has been struggling. What could be the possible solutions?

Feb 18 marks the 5th anniversary of China's ambitious plan to transform the Greater Bay Area into a leading tech hub by 2035. Yet, has the region made progress as intended? Is Hong Kong fulfilling its role in attracting foreign investors? Prof. Heiwai Tang, Associate Dean of HKU Business School and Director of Asia Global Institute, shared his insights with South China Morning Post SCMP and mentioned that global geopolitical tensions, especially during the US election years and Beijing's ambitious policies to restructure certain industries in recent years have created uncertainty for Hong Kong and China's economic growth. Though significant progress has been made in collaboration within the bay area, especially in green technology, finance, and overall innovation as emphasised by Financial Secretary Mr. Paul Chan Mo-po, other interviewees indicated that it takes time for Hong Kong to fully promote the favourable benefits of investing here, i.e. investors can enjoy the economic advantages of the bay area as a whole.

在過去三年外需不足及地緣政治風險增加的影響下，許多跨國公司選擇將總部遷出香港。

在過去三年外需不足及地緣政治風險增加的影響下，許多跨國公司選擇將總部遷出香港。

新加坡近年積極發展知識產權交易市場，有什麼地方值得香港借鑑？ESG是近年熱捧的投資主題，在芸芸的ESG零售產品之中，投資者應該如何選擇？

港大經管學院副院長鄧希煒則建議，普及AI教育壯大人才，政府亦可制定政策鼓勵AI企業，把非本地AI技術員工遷移到香港，吸引全球AI人才。

(in Chinese only) 港大經管學院今日（7日）舉辦「香港大學創立方Impact系列」活動，聯合國貿易和發展會議全球化及發展戰略分會主任理查德·科祖爾-懷特（Richard Kozul-Wright）獲邀擔任專題演講嘉賓，深入剖析聯合國《2023貿易和發展報告》，並探討環球經濟局勢發展挑戰和機遇。