The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced two major initiatives today as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. Chairman Professor Frederick Ma revealed plans to optimize the organization's corporate structure and reallocate global resources to help Hong Kong businesses capture opportunities in high-growth emerging markets.
The first initiative involves reorganizing HKTDC's services into six industry clusters: Finance and Professional Services; Global Network and Supply Chain; Technology and Digital Innovation; Wellness and Creative Industries; Consumer Goods and Lifestyle; and Corporate Development. This cluster approach aims to enhance operational efficiency and foster synergy among teams, enabling the council to provide comprehensive, integrated solutions. Executive Director Sophia Chong noted that companies can now access one-stop support through a single point of contact for market intelligence, exhibitions, conferences, overseas missions, investor matching, and expansion into new markets.
The second initiative focuses on optimizing resources to tap new markets. With 51 offices worldwide, HKTDC is reconfiguring its global network to help businesses capture opportunities in high-growth markets and new economic corridors. Specifically, the council will enhance resources at its consultant office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to strengthen support in Central Asia; strengthen its office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and establish a new consultant office in Cairo, Egypt, to leverage opportunities from the economic corridor spanning Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In support of the Belt and Road Initiative, HKTDC will also strengthen capabilities in São Paulo, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile, which will oversee the market in Peru, to capture opportunities in the Global South.
In ASEAN, the council will strengthen promotional work in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, while enhancing capabilities in Istanbul and Warsaw. For traditional markets, HKTDC will maintain two-way trade and investment with North America, encouraging enterprises in the United States and Canada to participate in its activities. The council will also expand the responsibilities of its London office to oversee promotion and business development in the Nordic markets.
Professor Ma emphasized that these optimizations reflect a forward-looking approach to future challenges and opportunities. By adopting a customer-centric, industry-focused strategy, HKTDC aims to help enterprises develop promotional strategies with comprehensive global solutions that leverage Hong Kong's unique role in connecting Mainland China and the world, align with Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan, and contribute to the country's development.
Looking ahead, HKTDC will continue to adapt to changes in the global economic and trading landscape, leveraging Hong Kong's strengths as a superconnector and super value-adder. The council will support Mainland enterprises in going global using Hong Kong's international advantages and networks, while encouraging more international companies to use Hong Kong as a base for their global expansion.
