Hong Kong celebrates World Intellectual Property Day 2026 (with photos)
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In addressing the reception, Mr Chan highlighted the substantial economic value of IP in the region. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) now has close to 820 000 valid invention patents, representing nearly one-sixth of the national total.
Mr Chan said that the country fully supports Hong Kong's development as a regional IP trading centre, as reaffirmed in the National 15th Five-Year Plan. He underlined that in the Budget this year, the Government is advancing the IP agenda on three key fronts: strengthening the tax regime, promoting IP valuation and financing, as well as nurturing talent.
He highlighted that the Government completed the trade consultation on tax deductions for capital expenditure incurred on IP acquisitions. The aim is to amend the Inland Revenue Ordinance this year.
He also said that the Government has launched the IP Financing Sandbox, which allows stakeholders to experiment the full lifecycle of IP financing arrangements. Moreover, the Government supports the Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Support Centre to launch a Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme to help SMEs establish the value of their patent assets, with reference to the national standards, or Guobiao.
Mr Chan also highlighted that on the talent front, the Government has allocated $52 million for a two-year pilot scheme to establish an IP Academy. The Academy will commence operations by the end of this year and will offer practical, on-the-job training aligned with the Qualifications Framework.
In his welcoming remarks, the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, said that the Government is pioneering efforts in helping enterprises fully leverage their IPs for financing and commercialisation and promoting IP education by providing relevant training to working individuals from different sectors. He emphasised that the Government's sustained investment in fostering the development of IP is a key pillar for consolidating the development of a knowledge-based economy.
The World Intellectual Property Organization set the theme of this year's World IP Day as "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!". Exhibits of the 15th National Games were displayed at the venue. They showcased the power and commercial value of IP, as demonstrated by the huge volume of sale of merchandise associated with the two official mascots that have attracted widespread attention across the GBA.
About 180 guests including stakeholders from the legal community and IP-related associations, academics, consulate representatives, government officials and representatives from the public and business sectors attended the reception.
Celebrated annually on April 26, the World IP Day aims to increase general understanding of IP, pay tributes to inventors and creators, and explore how IP helps shape the world. The IPD promoted the World IP Day and related activities through various channels, including sponsoring the "Licensing Academy" workshops of the Asian Licensing Conference to offer industry players insights into new developments in IP licensing.
Ends/Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 21:30
Issued at HKT 21:30
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