Thursday 1 September 2016

Do HK Startups have the ambition for the global market? (Chinese only)



香港初創企業  有否打入國際市場的野心?

初創企業  缺乏國際市場潛力  

根據以三藩市為基地的Compass在上年7月發布的2015年全球生態系統排名,香港在全球發展最快的新創企業生態系統中排名第五位,總體排名則為全球第25位。 「香港是完全能夠發展強大的新創企業生態系統,但創業者必先提升國際化及視野。」這是Compass2016129日發布關於香港新創企業生態報告的最重要訊息。許多投資者認為香港新創企業生態系統看似缺乏風險資本,其中最重要原因便是缺少具國際市場潛力的初創企業。

筆者最近擔任一個本地初創企業比賽的評判,在30隊決賽隊伍中,幾乎沒有一隊有打入亞太區域或國際市場的計劃或野心。跟據一些非正式的統計,現時香港大約一半的初創企業是外藉或是曾在海外升學或就業回流到港的人士,而這些企業也是較國際化。香港作為一個小型城市,再加上在全球化經濟體驗系下,「走出去」是不容置疑的。但過去十多年,除了這金融行業外,香港似乎跟「國際化」的距離愈來愈遠。相反鄰近的新加坡與國際接軌的速度,無論在企業或是政府層面,都有著神速的發展,作為帶動城市發展的火車頭。 「聯繫力」是全球化、數碼化和知識經濟的新貨幣。其實,香港作為一個國際貿易中心,應有足夠條件發展其「超級聯繫人」的角色,將世界各地的構想、資本、人才、生產設施和市場連起來 。

吸納創新方案  香港不比新加坡進取  

提及新加坡,很多人希望香港特區政府能更積極協助初創企業發展。既然缺乏風險資本不是一個基本問題,那政府其實可以做甚麼呢?近年投資推廣署積極推動香港作為初創企業之都,功不可沒;但光是一個部門的熱誠和努力,當然是不足夠。若各公營部門能扮演 「需求創新者」的角色,在採構制度下,能容許空間與新創企業合作,對本地初創企業的發展,一定幫助不少。新加坡政府在這一方面,便比香港更積極進取。香港一初創企業便曾經向筆者透露,正當創辦人不停被公營部門婉拒,新加坡政府卻對其創新方案大感興趣,主動邀請他往獅城提供服務。

此外,政策制訂者與規管者要明白新創企業的營商本質,在確保公眾利益獲得保障的大前題下,應與時並進,容許打破舊有模式的創新行為。中國內地和新加坡政府在金融科技規管上的進取,便相當值得香港參考。

台灣新創競技場:世界就是你的競技場!

除了新加坡,台灣亦非常積極推動初創企業國際化。2014年核定的「創業拔萃方案」,其三大策略包含積極排除法規障礙、引入國際專業資金、打造國際創新創業園區 “The World is Your Stadium!” 作為口號,去年成立的台灣新創競技場的任務便是協助台灣初創企業發展國際業務建構國際化科技創業的微型生態圈。

連起各界  推動科研商業化

最後,社會上有不少聲音認為香港須加大科研的投資和科技人才的培養 。香港雖然長遠需要發展科學、技術和研究能力 ,但其實香港是不乏世界頂級科硏人才我們缺乏的是把科硏商業化的能力。如以此角度看香港不僅需要更多技術優才還需要設計師、產品開發與行銷專才,了解技術與創新的專家以及商業化的專家。 換而言之,香港是需要提升整個社會不同界別人士對創新的興趣,認知與能力。這當然不是一朝一夕可以做到,但卻是刻不容緩。其中最重要的,還是香港人需要提升我們的國際視野和網絡,做個世界級「超級聯繫人」!

Hong Kong as a Startup Hub: Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen


Hong Kong as a Startup Hub in a Network Economy

(This article is an extract from HONG KONG AS A STARTUP HUB: Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen published on 29 Jan 2016 by Prof Richard Wong, K C Kwok and Rachel Chan.)


Each startup ecosystem is unique with its own economic, social and political underpinnings.  Hong Kong could not emulate directly the success of Silicon Valley, or that of other startup hubs in the world.  

Hong Kong Needs More Than Tech Talents

Globalization and technology have made it much easier nowadays for people from different locations to work and collaborate with one another. It also means that it does not matter where scientific discoveries and breakthrough technologies originate — the important thing is who commercializes them.  Seen from this perspective, Hong Kong needs not just more tech talents, but also designers, product development and marketing specialists as well as professionals who understand technology and innovation and are experts in commercialization. 

Not So Much About Funding – But Capacity Building

Many stakeholders believe that the seemingly lack of risk capital is just a symptom of the early stage development of the Hong Kong startup ecosystem.  Hong Kong should invest in attracting global accelerators to Hong Kong and developing special access for local startups in accelerator programs located in top startup ecosystems.

Positioning Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a city that works and works fast. It is well positioned to be an accelerator for startups to build and scale their international business and to realise their global ambitions. Hong Kong should:
  • Plays to its strengths as a service economy: Innovation (whether it is technology or non-technology related) is likely to accelerate in many services, within the service sector itself as well as through the “servitisation” of the manufacturing industry. Hong Kong is a service economy, and should take pride in and ride on its achievements.
  • Be A Super Connector to the World: Connectivity is the new currency in a globalised, digital and knowledge economy. In a network economy, Hong Kong is well positioned to play the role of a ‘Super Connector’ in linking ideas, capital, talents, production facilities and markets.
  • Serve as a Test Market: Hong Kong is an ideal place for market validation – for both B2C and B2B businesses. 

Catalysts for Growth

To fully realise Hong Kong’s potential as a startup hub, different players in the ecosystem need to build and strengthen their global footprints and connections. Hong Kong also has to strengthen its role as a “Customer” of innovation. Both the private and the public sectors need to see the value of working with startups as their innovation partners.

Policy makers and regulators have to understand the nature of startup businesses, striking a balance between enabling disruption to happen and ensuring that public interests are protected. The Hong Kong startup ecosystem should not be restricted by the geographical confines of the HKSAR but is intimately connected with the ecosystems in the Pearl River Delta and to the world.