HKSTP and the UK Establish Stronger Connection to Mutually Promote and Accelerate the FinTech Sector

Mr. Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (1^st row, left) and Mr. Paul McComb, Director General, Department for International Trade (1^st row, right) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a long-term and strategic relationship, witnessed by Mr. Andrew Heyn OBE, British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao ( 2^nd row, right) and Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (2^nd row, left).

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation joins hands with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade to enhance collaboration in FinTech and encourage business growth and economic development in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom through the signing of MoU today. Major attending guests included: (1^st row from left to right):  

• Mr. George Tee, Chief Technology Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
• Mr. Charles Ng, Associate Director, InvestHK
• Mr. Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
• Mr. Andrew Heyn OBE, British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao
• Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
• Mr. Paul McComb, Director General, Department for International Trade
• Mr. Nelson Chow, Head of FinTech, Hong Kong Monetary Authority
• Dr. Claudia Xu, Chief Commercial Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

(Hong Kong, 11 October 2019) – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Trade (DIT) to enhance collaboration in FinTech and encourage business growth and economic development in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom (UK).

Through the MoU, HKSTP and DIT will establish a cooperative framework and outline the foundations for a long-term and strategic relationship to enhance collaboration, with a view to helping homegrown FinTech startups and companies discover opportunities and develop business in Hong Kong and/or the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the United Kingdom, respectively.

The MoU follows the principles and mechanisms of collaboration in FinTech set out in the HK-UK Fintech Bridge (the Bridge), an agreement signed by the Hong Kong SAR government and the UK government in 2017, and includes the exchange of knowledge, talent, innovation, business and investment between Hong Kong and the UK.

For the next two years, HKSTP and DIT will both arrange not less than 10 FinTech startups and enterprises to visit or exhibit in Hong Kong and the UK, respectively, each year. The two parties will provide its companies education and preparatory training before a visit, and the counterpart will offer the visiting companies tailored programmes of support, including education roundtables; business networking; pitching and investment matching opportunities, to increase readiness for landing and exposure to opportunities and investment.

Besides, HKSTP will partner with DIT on its annual DIT FinTech Awards and promote to businesses from Hong Kong and Mainland China an opportunity to explore the UK’s FinTech eco-system, expose to potential opportunities in the UK. On the other hand, DIT will become an industry partner of HKSTP’s Global Acceleration Academy (GAA), one of the longstanding and successful business acceleration programmes in Hong Kong, and promote an opportunity to the UK’s FinTech startups and enterprises for landing in the city’s flagship base for R&D and incubation.

DIT’s Director General Trade & Investment, Paul McComb, said, “Hong Kong enjoys many unique geographical, cultural and infrastructural advantages in the region as an international financial centre. Hong Kong is also at the heart of the many exciting developments in FinTech and the financial sector, especially the Greater Bay Area. We are further encouraged by both the Hong Kong SAR government’s commitment to grow their I&T sector, and HKSTP’s ongoing efforts to cultivate Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, especially in FinTech. We are eager to continue our relationship with HKSTP, and hope to see our affiliated startups achieve their full potential with the signing of this MoU.”

Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP, said, “As one of the fastest growing tech markets, Hong Kong is primed to become a world-leading FinTech centre, thanks to the enormous government support and the vibrant I&T ecosystem. It allows companies to forge new partnerships, showcase top talent and catalyse innovations with FinTech startups and companies at Hong Kong Science Park.

HKSTP is of full commitment to providing a fertile ground as well as new opportunities for best-of-breed innovations around the world. The strategic partnership with DIT will further accelerate the development of FinTech between the two world-class ecosystems. I look forward to seeing our startups gain from the advanced and well-regulated FinTech ecosystem in the UK, while UK companies could leverage the opportunities arising from the Greater Bay Area. May they achieve new heights and find in Hong Kong the appeal of deep talent pool, robust financial sector that could support commercialisation of R&D results, and the distinctive "East-meets-West" culture that sparks creative inspiration.”