China's 15th Five-Year Plan calls for support for Hong Kong in further developing itself as a regional intellectual property (IP) trading hub. Leveraging this national policy opportunity, Hong Kong is strengthening protection across the entire IP value chain and promoting the commercialization and industrialization of innovative achievement.

A Guangzhou-based AI-native company specializing in animated-drama technology has built an integrated ecosystem for animated-drama content since its establishment in January 2024. Powered by its proprietary AI content creation engine, the company has developed an end-to-end business covering content production, global distribution, and IP incubation.

According to Liu Zhenhua, the company's co-founder and CTO, its AI-powered production system can generate localized versions of content for multiple countries. This, in turn, raises important questions regarding IP ownership and protection, as well as the global distribution and licensing of copyrighted works. In this regard, Hong Kong could serve as an ideal "testing ground" for companies seeking to expand their IP internationally.

Hong Kong's professional services sector is also playing an increasingly important role in supporting Mainland enterprises going global. A Hong Kong-based consulting and valuation firm recently assisted a Mainland robotics company in establishing operations in Hong Kong. In addition to helping the company identify potential application scenarios, the firm also connected it with investment and financing funds. Luo Jueyu, the company's Executive Director, noted that Hong Kong can leverage its strengths in international finance and technology commercialization to help Mainland enterprises bring research achievement to market and access international financing opportunities.

The "Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou" innovation cluster once again ranked first among the world's top 100 innovation clusters in the World Intellectual Property Organization's latest Global Innovation Index 2026. Lin Yawen, Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, said recently at a seminar in Guangzhou that demand among Mainland enterprises in the Greater Bay Area for Hong Kong's professional services remains strong, with companies showing a growing interest in leveraging IP to expand business opportunities.

The Greater Bay Area currently has nearly 820,000 valid invention patents, accounting for nearly one-sixth of the national total. This substantial IP base provides significant opportunities for enterprises seeking to commercialize and expand their innovative technologies internationally.

The 2026 Policy Address of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also sets out measures to further strengthen Hong Kong's position as a regional IP trading hub. These measures include continued optimization of the patent, trademark, registered design, and copyright systems, as well as efforts to promote IP valuation and financing and reduce transaction costs.

In addition to continuing the IP financing sandbox initiative, the Hong Kong SAR Government plans to introduce legislation on tax incentives during the year, establish a "Development Strategy Committee", and allocate HK$52 million for a pilot program for the "Hong Kong Intellectual Property Academy", which is scheduled to commence by the end of the year.

As Mainland enterprises increasingly expand into international markets, effective IP protection, commercialization, licensing, and financing have become critical components of their global strategies. With its international legal and financial infrastructure, sophisticated professional services, and strong links with the Mainland, Hong Kong is well positioned to provide enterprises with comprehensive IP support as they take their innovations and brands to global markets.