Hong Kong investment agency says 142 key firms pledge HK$84bn, exceeding targets
Hong Kong's InvestHK has brought 142 key enterprises to the city, pledging HK$84 billion and creating 26,700 high-end jobs, exceeding initial targets by about 30 per cent. The latest batch includes the first South Korean firm, with AI and life sciences each accounting for 30 per cent.
Hong Kong's Office for Attracting Key Enterprises said it has brought 142 key firms to the city, with pledged investment reaching HK$84 billion and expected to create about 26,700 high-end jobs. The office's director, John Yim, said on RTHK's Saturday Accountability programme that the office has contacted more than 1,000 companies since its establishment.
Yim said investment and job creation have exceeded targets. For the first six batches of key enterprises, capital input surpassed pledged figures by about 30 per cent. The office monitors the firms' progress and has seen all commitments met or beaten.
The office selects companies carefully, with in-depth discussions held with 20 to 30 per cent of contacted firms. It helps them draw up development plans for Hong Kong, contacting them several months before they set up and following up for more than a year. Staff discuss project progress and match firms with relevant policies and stakeholders, including universities, investors and businesses, to ensure concrete industrial contributions.
The latest batch, the seventh, includes 18 firms. Among overseas firms, the United States contributed the most, along with European companies and, for the first time, a South Korean key enterprise. Mainland Chinese firms came from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Artificial intelligence and life sciences each accounted for about 30 per cent of the new batch, while fintech and new energy each made up more than 10 per cent.
