Business of Asia Forum and Entrepreneur Day open with tribute
05 December 2025
The 15th Business of IP Asia Forum (BIP Asia Forum) and the 17th Entrepreneur Day (E-Day) opened yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with a moment of silence for the victims of the Tai Po fire. This year’s ceremony featured a black-and-white theme to express remembrance and solidarity, replacing the usual red before moving on to the day’s programme.
Jointly organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Government, the two flagship events bring together over 180 speakers, more than 420 exhibitors and over 3,000 participants, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector for global business and intellectual property collaboration.
This year’s BIP Asia Forum, themed “Leverage IP to Finance Business Growth,” focused on IP as a strategic asset for sustainable expansion. Key sessions included “IP Valuation and Financing,” featuring industry leaders, such as Lewis Lee of Moat Metrics, Terence Koh of United Overseas Bank, and Sung-tae Ha from Korea Invention Promotion Association. Discussions centred on how enterprises can transform IP into capital and competitive advantage.
The forum also introduced the “IP Go-Global Business Matching Session,” offering one-on-one consultations for mainland enterprises on trademark and patent registration, enforcement, licensing and dispute resolution – critical tools for scaling internationally.
Running concurrently, E-Day showcased over 360 start-ups from 11 countries and regions, spanning sectors, such as artificial intelligence, healthtech, cybersecurity, spatial computing and sustainability. Highlights included the Start-up and Innovation Zone, University Spin-off projects, and The Boosters, which provide comprehensive support services for founders. The event also featured Start-up Express International, where global startups share their entrepreneurial journeys and explore opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
Plenary sessions such as “Propelling Sustainability with IP” and roundtables on cross-border empowerment emphasized Hong Kong’s commitment to fostering collaboration between government, academia and industry. Today’s agenda will spotlight digital cultural IP protection, blockchain-enabled rights certification and strategies for expanding into ASEAN markets.
Together with DesignInspire, which runs until December 6, 2025, these events create strong synergy, positioning Hong Kong as Asia’s hub for innovation, IP trading and entrepreneurial growth.
- Cathy Li
