GOVT TO STEP UP IP RIGHTS PROTECTION

Good morning from Hong Kong, and good day from wherever in the wide world of intellectual property (IP) you are joining us, for the 12th Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum.

For the first time in three years, day one of the forum takes place in person. And, of course, you can take it all in, online, over these next two days.

Concurrent sessions are also taking place in Guangzhou and Qianhai in Shenzhen, with live panel discussions between their speakers and those here in Hong Kong.

Beyond the Mainland of China, some 70 high-profile speakers from 12 countries and regions are participating. A warm welcome to you all.

You are service and technology providers, company executives and entrepreneurs, legal and consulting professionals, academics and researchers, buyers, sellers, traders and, most importantly, innovators. And you are at this year's forum, under the theme of "Creating New Value, Discovering New Frontiers", because that is what intellectual property is all about: creating value for a world of business, creating a smart and sustainable future for us all.

Intellectual property is the future. It has been referred to as "the oil of the 21st century". It will certainly be critical to Hong Kong's future.

Our country's National 14th Five-year Plan firmly supports Hong Kong's rise as a regional IP trading centre. It is one of the eight important sectors to drive our future development, and to lead the way in - for China and for the Asian region as a whole.

I am determined that we will do just that. In my Policy Address, I outlined a series of initiatives to develop Hong Kong into a regional IP trading centre. To strengthen IP rights' protection, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will work to implement the international trade mark registration system. We will also update our copyright regime to boost digital copyright protection.

With the support of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, we will enhance the capability of our patent examiners. By 2030, they will have institutional autonomy to conduct substantive patent examinations - another step forward in the realisation of cross-boundary IP protection.

We will also provide IP training for some 5,000 practitioners across a variety of industries over the next five years. That is part of a larger initiative - also announced in my Policy Address - to develop talent here in Hong Kong and to attract talent, and innovative companies from all over the world, to Hong Kong. And I invite you to join us.

These, and other initiatives, coupled with our advantageous position as the gateway to the Mainland, will go a long way towards becoming the region's business centre for IP trading.

We count, too, on the support of organisations such as the Trade Development Council. Along with co-organising this annual international IP event, the council runs Asia IP Exchange, an online portal featuring more than 28,000 tradable IP listings, from trademarks, copyrights and patents to registered designs and more. In the coming year, the exchange will expand into new sectors and the commercial IP opportunities they present.

In short, the exchange will take this year's theme - "Creating New Value, Discovering New Frontiers" - to heart. And bring it to IP life.

You can do the same over these next two days at the forum. Its inaugural Innovation & IP Market will connect research and development (R&D) centres, startups and universities with IP users and service providers to explore business prospects and expand the boundless potential for the commercialisation of IP. The market will include Inno Showcase, presenting home-grown Hong Kong innovations in a variety of promising sectors, ranging from energy and transport to healthcare and beauty.

Hong Kong's R&D infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand, continue to innovate. Indeed, Hong Kong was ranked 14th in the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index this year. And the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster was ranked second in the world in the Innovation Index.

That is a bright reflection of the broader Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and its determination to rise as one of the world's great innovation and technology centres, with Hong Kong playing a pivotal role in its progress.

Take the InnoHK research clusters at the Science Park as an example. The clusters have attracted more than 30 world-class universities and research institutes. In collaboration with Hong Kong scientists and researchers, 28 laboratories are up and running, focused on healthcare technology, artificial intelligence and robotics.

Innovation and IP go hand-in-hand. Bringing innovation and the business world together through IP is critical to powering a knowledge-based economy. Hong Kong is well on its way.

Yes, Hong Kong is back. Back in business, back bringing a world of innovative business, and opportunities, together.

Chief Executive John Lee gave this speech at the Business of IP Asia Forum on December 1.

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