Director General Visits Hong Kong; Participates in BIP Asia 2022
December 1, 2022
WIPO Director General Daren Tang concluded a two-day visit to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from November 30 to December 1, 2022 where he met top government officials to discuss how intellectual property (IP) could open new frontiers across the economy. The Director General also participated as Honorary Advisor in the 12th Business Intellectual Property Asia Forum (BIP Asia).
In talks with Mr. John Lee, the Chief Executive of HKSAR, the Director General shared WIPO’s vision of transforming IP from a technical and legal vertical to a cross-cutting horizontal and powerful catalyst for jobs, investments, opportunities and growth.
Mr. Tang pledged WIPO’s support in plans by the HKSAR Government to promote commercialization of IP in line with the national strategy of China and complementing Hong Kong’s vision to develop an IP trading center.
The Director General also pointed out that Hong Kong’s geostrategic location could help it become a regional center for IP trading. They dsicussed the imperative of connecting research to the market through the development of a resilient and sustainable IP ecosystem.
The commitment of the Central Government of China to support the development of Great Bay Area, and the second place ranking of Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Guangzhou in WIPO’s ranking of the world top science and technology clusters for three consecutive years were the focus of a meeting with Mr. Yirui YANG, Deputy Commissioner of China HKSAR Commission Office.
The Director General also visited the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department (HKIPD) and met with Director David WONG for bilateral discussions and WIPO’s global IP services.
In his opening address to the 12th BIP Asia Forum, the Director General noted that Hong Kong’s rise, as a leading center for commerce, finance and trade is one of the great economic success stories of recent decades, and Hong Kong is projected to become the world’s biggest cross-border financial hub by 2026.
He stressed that in this context, IP is a way to catalyze business growth and economic development and will become increasingly important. He noted that Hong Kong will help play an important role in intangible asset driven global economic growth.
In a policy dialogue with representatives from European Patent Office, ASEAN, APEC and WTO, the Director General emphasized the importance of working together on policies to build a sustainable and resilient IP ecosystem.
During the visit, the Director General also met with representatives of local SMEs to highlight the importance of IP in their business strategies.