Hong Kong pushes IP trading hub ambition with new policy initiatives
28 April 2026
Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to become a regional hub for intellectual property trading, introducing new measures to strengthen taxation, improve patent valuation, expand financing channels and build specialist talent. Speaking at the World Intellectual Property Day Reception 2026, financial secretary Paul Chan said the government aims to unlock the economic value of IP and better connect innovation with capital.
The event coincided with World Intellectual Property Day and formed part of the National Intellectual Property Publicity Week, with this year’s theme, “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate,” highlighting the growing role of patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs in industries such as sports equipment, branding, broadcasting and digital media.
Chan described IP as a strategic asset in economic transformation, noting its role in converting innovation into market value. He pointed to the Greater Bay Area, which holds nearly 820,000 valid invention patents – close to one-sixth of China’s total – as evidence of a strong pipeline of commercially viable innovation that Hong Kong can help bring to market.
To strengthen the IP ecosystem, the government has introduced a patent box regime offering a 5 percent tax rate on qualifying IP income and is preparing amendments to the Inland Revenue Ordinance to support IP-related transactions. It is also launching a patent valuation support scheme through the Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Support Centre and advancing an IP financing sandbox to help firms use intangible assets as collateral.
Talent development remains a key focus, with the Intellectual Property Department expanding its patent examiner workforce and plans underway to establish an Intellectual Property Academy by 2026. Officials said these initiatives aim to strengthen the full IP value chain and position Hong Kong as a leading marketplace for intellectual property in the region.
- Excel V. Dyquiangco
