2017-02-23

Open doors to Hong Kong´s business life

“We can help you do business in Hong Kong and Asia”. The message was clear for start-up companies from northern Sweden, when a delegation from Hong Kong visited Umeå and Cleaner Growth.

Hong Kong and Asia are huge markets for environmental and climate companies from northern Sweden. That was the message when representatives from Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, HKSTP, visited Umeå to meet with businesses, start-ups and innovations in the region.

Start-up companies within medical, biotech, and environment and climate change industries, were given a unique opportunity during one day, to establish contacts for future business opportunities. After visiting Umeå, there was also an entire day of meetings with start-ups in Stockholm.

Hong Kong provides access to markets 
Charles Ng, Associate Director General from Invest Hong Kong, was one of the visitors who offered his knowledge on Hong Kong’s start-up environment and business.  

- Hong Kong is a platform for companies that want to grow outside their own countries. There is access to new markets, and for the financiers who want to invest in promising start-ups and also access the production facilities for those who suddenly receive a large order, said Charles Ng.

- Asia is a huge growing market with great needs. And your country, Sweden, is a leader in many areas of Cleantech, health, and IT. There are companies that we are in need of.

- To make it easier for your business to grow, we would like to roll out the red carpet. We are here because we want to create contacts, said Charles Ng.

Open Doors
The meeting between companies from the north of Sweden and from Hong Kong was organised by the venture Cleaner Growth, run by Uminova Innovation in collaboration with Kompetensspridning in Umeå, ABI and Skellefteå and Örnsköldsvik municipalities.

- Do you want to establish yourself in Hong Kong or China; you can receive very good help from representatives from Hong Kong. They can open doors to find partners, says Susanna W. Lindström, project manager in the international marketplace Cleaner Growth.

- We have visited Asia previously to see how interesting it is for our companies. As we have seen, Hong Kong is a hub and a central location that is perfect to start from, continues Susanne W. Lindström.

Soft landing in Hong Kong
A solid offer that companies received was a so called soft landing in Hong Kong. It is HKSTP and its representative Maria Gaultney, offering companies to come to Hong Kong where HKSTP is responsible for arranging meetings and helping companies find good partners, depending on the type of contacts they are looking for. Everything is basically free except accommodation and their own time.

During the day, the Swedish companies that were present listened to several presentations about business opportunities in Hong Kong by Charles Ng. Invest Hong Kong, Marian Gaultney, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Ronald Li, Ming Wai Lau Centre, Van Hoang, Business Sweden, and Helena Storm, Swedish consul in Hong Kong.

After, companies were given the opportunity for individual meetings between Swedish companies and representatives from Hong Kong, to build on each company’s needs. The day was organised by Cleaner Growth in cooperation with Swedbank, Skellefteå Science City and Invest Hong Kong.

Text and photo: Mikael Hansson, Infotech.