SME ReachOut

SUCCESS-supported Activities

I. Holiday Marketing Strategies – Essential Tips for E-Commerce (Seminar)

(This seminar will be held at the Hong Kong Retail Management Association on 13 October 2023)

This seminar is organised by the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  This seminar will share the latest holiday marketing strategies and allow retailers and retail service providers to use the seminar as a platform for face-to-face communication to understand customer needs and explore business opportunities.  (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)

More Details (in Chinese only)

II. Webinar on Competition Ordinance

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 27 October 2023)

This webinar is organised by the Competition Commission.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  In this webinar, representatives from the Competition Commission will provide an overview of the Competition Ordinance, dos and don’ts under the Ordinance, red flags of anti-competitive practices and Leniency and Cooperation Policies and competition law case studies.  (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)

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Business Advisory Workshop: “Meeting Mainland China’s Enhanced Import Demand via the YRD Service Platforms” (Webinar)

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 9 October 2023)

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Seminar on Productivity Assessment for Employees with Disabilities under the Statutory Minimum Wage Regime

(This seminar will be held at the Mong Kok Community Hall on 3 November 2023)

This seminar is organised by the Labour Department.  The seminar will introduce details of the productivity assessment for employees with disabilities under the Minimum Wage Ordinance.  Employers, persons with disabilities and their family members as well as representatives from rehabilitation organisations are welcome to attend.  Admission is free.  (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese with sign language interpretation service provided.)

More Details and Application Form

Creating a Family-friendly Workplace

Implementing employee-oriented family-friendly employment practices can help relieve employees from work stress and the pressure of taking care of their families.  With their minds at ease, employees can be more devoted to their work with enhanced work performance and productivity, which in turn will boost the enterprises’ competitiveness, achieving a win-win situation for both sides. Creating a family-friendly workplace not only helps build up a positive image for enterprises, boost staff morale and enhance employees’ sense of belonging, but  also facilitates enterprises create an edge in attracting and retaining talents and reducing recruitment and training costs.

For more details on Family-friendly Workplace, please refer to the following publications uploaded to the Labour Department’s website:

Family-friendly Workplace
Tips on Good Human Resource Management and Family-Friendly Employment Practices

Datasets of Physical Banking Facilities of Retail Banks in Hong Kong Available via Open API

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced on 29 September 2023 that two additional spatial datasets, providing information on physical branches and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of 20 retail banks in Hong Kong respectively, are made available via Open Application Programming Interface (API) for public use starting from 29 September 2023.

The relevant datasets are available for download from the HKMA’s Open API portal.  The HKMA welcomes apps developers, technology service providers and the public at large to make use of the open information to unleash more practical applications.

As part of the efforts in fostering financial inclusion, the HKMA also collaborated with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) in showcasing the locations of physical branches and ATMs of the 20 retail banks on a digital map through the adoption of these two new spatial datasets, which is available on the OGCIO’s Open Data Portal.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/29/P2023092900496.htm.

Pilot scheme for Hong Kong and Macao lawyers to practise in nine Mainland municipalities in GBA extended for three years and practice experience threshold lowered

The General Office of the State Council published the revised pilot measures for Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to obtain Mainland practice qualifications and to practise as lawyers in the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA on 28 September 2023, so as to implement the decision passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) in early September 2023 to extend the period of the pilot scheme for Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to practise in the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA until 4 October 2026.  Pursuant to the revised pilot measures, which will come into operation on 5 October 2023, the practice experience threshold for Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to enrol in the GBA Legal Professional Examination (GBA Examination) has also been lowered from five years to three years.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said, "I am deeply thankful to the Central Government for attaching high importance to the expectations of the Hong Kong legal sector and for revising the pilot measures, thereby providing the legal sector with more room for development in the GBA and enabling them to seize the unlimited opportunities brought by the country's overall development and leverage Hong Kong's advantages to meet the country's needs.  I also thank authorities including the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for proactively striving to implement the relevant suggestions, and for their tremendous efforts in taking forward the extension of the period of the pilot scheme and lowering the practice experience threshold.  The Department of Justice (DoJ) will continue to work closely with authorities such as the MoJ and the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province to encourage more Hong Kong legal practitioners to enrol in the GBA Examination, thereby further showcasing the advantages and achievements of the GBA lawyers' practice regime, and nurturing more foreign-related legal talent with dual qualifications for the country."

According to the MoJ's information, as at 28 September 2023, 357 Hong Kong and Macao lawyers have obtained the Lawyer's License (GBA).  The DoJ plans to organise, in co-operation with the Supreme People's Court, the MoJ and the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, the GBA lawyers' practical legal training course within 2023, covering theoretical and practical modules, in order to enhance the practical knowledge of Hong Kong legal practitioners practicing in the GBA of the Mainland courts' handling of different areas of civil and commercial matters.

The NPCSC decided in August 2020 to authorise the State Council to conduct a pilot scheme for eligible Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA on specified civil and commercial matters to which the Mainland laws apply, after passing the GBA Examination and having obtained the Lawyer's License (GBA).  The pilot scheme is for a period of three years and will originally expire on 4 October 2023.

The DoJ will continue to keep in close contact with the two legal professional bodies to understand the legal sector's concerns relating to the implementation of the pilot scheme for GBA lawyers' practice, and convey their concerns, as appropriate, to authorities such as the MoJ and the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/29/P2023092900481.htm.

HKSAR Government welcomes enhancements to Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect

The People's Bank of China, the National Administration of Financial Regulation, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong and the Monetary Authority of Macao issued a joint announcement on 28 September 2023 on further enhancing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Pilot Scheme (Wealth Management Connect).  The HKSAR Government welcomed the decision.

The financial regulatory authorities of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao will enhance the Wealth Management Connect along five directions, including refining the eligibility criteria of investors to support more Greater Bay Area residents to participate in the scheme, expanding the scope of participating institutions to include eligible securities firms, expanding the scope of eligible investment products, increasing the individual investor quota as appropriate, and further enhancing promotion and sales arrangements.  They will refine the implementation arrangements and operational guidance with a view to implementing the measures as soon as practicable.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, "The Wealth Management Connect has been growing steadily since its launch in September 2021.  The enhancement measures announced will further enrich the investment options of Greater Bay Area residents and promote mutual access of the financial markets of the three places, which is conducive for the industry to explore business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, and can further realise the potential of the Wealth Management Connect while enhancing Hong Kong's position as an international asset and management centre.  I am most grateful to the Central People's Government for the support, and the regulators of the three places for their efforts in taking forward the initiative."

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/28/P2023092800650.htm.

ITC held Forum on Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme

The Chief Executive announced in his 2022 Policy Address the launching of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+ Scheme) in 2023 to incentivise collaboration among industry, academic and research sectors to further promote the "1 to N" transformation of R&D outcomes and the industry development.  ITC held a forum on 28 September 2023 to announce to universities the official launch of the Scheme in mid-October 2023.

Speaking at the forum, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, "The Innovation Technology and Industry Bureau has attached great importance to the collaboration among the industry sector, the academia and research institutions.  The RAISe+ Scheme, apart from fostering deep co-operation among these three sectors and encouraging more private companies to participate in or invest in R&D projects and I&T start-up activities, also aims to unleash the potential of universities' research teams in transforming R&D outcomes and provide more comprehensive support for Hong Kong's applied R&D activities."

With a funding allocation of $10 billion, the RAISe+ Scheme will fund, on a matching basis, at least 100 research teams in eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee which have good potential to become successful start-ups.  Funding support from $10 million to $100 million will be provided to each approved project.  Assessment criteria include the I&T component of the project, commercial viability of project outcomes, technical and management capability of the team, relevance of the project with government policies or in the project's overall interest to the community, as well as the financial considerations of the project.

The Scheme together with the first application solicitation exercise will be launched in mid-October 2023.  The first batch of application results is expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2024 after assessment of applications.  Details of the Scheme will be uploaded to the website of ITC when the Scheme is launched.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/28/P2023092800471.htm.

Hospital Authority and HKSTP collaborate to promote healthcare research and development

The Hospital Authority (HA) signed a collaboration agreement with the HKSTP on 26 September 2023.  The HA will set up a data platform in Hong Kong Science Park to allow eligible scientific research companies in Science Park to access the HA's healthcare data for scientific research and development purposes.  The HA hopes to promote the development of healthcare technology and the quality of the healthcare sector in Hong Kong for the benefit of patients with the open data platform.

The HA Chief Executive, Dr Tony Ko, said, "The HA's data platform is open to scientific research companies in Science Park.  It will help promote healthcare research, stimulate innovative ideas, and offer patients higher-quality medical treatment and services.  The HA, in full support of the policy direction of the Government to promote scientific research, will render vigorous support to scientific research development and drive the potential use of healthcare data by more scientific research institutions."

Dr Ko added that the HA has been providing healthcare data to local universities for scientific research.  It has already provided data support for more than 60 scientific research projects. The results of co-operation with university researchers to promote scientific research development are very satisfactory.

The Chief Executive Officer of the HKSTP, Mr Albert Wong, said, "We look forward to seeing scientific research companies in the Science Park develop more breakthrough technologies by using the healthcare data in the platform to fuel Hong Kong's medical transformation.  The HKSTP will further enhance co-operation with the HA to promote the development of Hong Kong's healthcare industry and benefit the public."

According to the agreement, eligible scientific research companies in Science Park can access the HA's data platform remotely at designated locations in Park, which includes anonymous data of around 200 000 patients randomly selected from the HA database.  The data contains patients' demographic characteristics, attendance records to hospitals or clinics, clinical diagnosis, procedures, medication and examination results, etc.

The HA has attached great importance and established a robust mechanism to protect the safety of patient data and privacy.  Information that could identify patients has been deleted from the data available for access.  According to the agreement, Science Park will ensure that companies comply with the requirements of the HA when using the data and that the data will only be used with authorisation.  The HA and Science Park will regularly review the arrangements and monitor data usage.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/26/P2023092600285.htm.

InnoCarnival 2023 to run from 28 October to 5 November 2023

Organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), InnoCarnival 2023 (IC 2023) will be held from 28 October to 5 November 2023 at the Hong Kong Science Park with the theme of "Go Smart! Go Tech! Go Green!".  The event is receiving support from 50 programme partners, including local universities, research and development centres, government departments and other organisations.  Through an array of interesting activities, it aims to promote innovation and technology (I&T) culture by enhancing public knowledge about I&T and inspiring interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) among the younger generation.  IC 2023 is also one of the supporting events of the Happy Hong Kong campaign.

Speaking at the press preview for IC 2023 on 26 September 2023, the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Ivan Lee, said that the Commission has been proactively promoting the development of I&T in Hong Kong.  Among work such as developing infrastructure, supporting research and development (R&D) and technology applications, nurturing I&T talent, promoting I&T culture is also one of ITC's key focuses.

The press preview exhibited the R&D projects of several participating teams.  Project team representatives presented their inspirational ideas, R&D processes, features and functions, and project applications.  These projects include a "Smart Sponge" by City University of Hong Kong, which is a versatile and selective oil-absorbing sponge that can be used in various settings, including aquaculture filtering systems, grease cleaning for household implements, and oil spill cleanup efforts in both marine and fresh water environments; as well as a "5G Cloud Robotics System" developed by the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), by combining the power of 5G technology with advanced cloud computing and robotic capabilities to navigate complex environments autonomously, perform intricate tasks, enhance efficiency and productivity while reducing human intervention and risk.

In addition, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School, an awardee in the 25th Hong Kong Youth Science & Technology Innovation Competition organised by the Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association, introduced their invention, "Upcycling of Abandoned Beehives", which uses materials such as beeswax, rosin and ground soybean to replace plastics as materials for 3D printing.

There will be 38 exhibition booths at the Hong Kong Science Park to showcase local I&T achievements, some of them with interactive games.  In addition, about 150 workshops with different themes, including parent-child workshops, will be organised on-site.  Furthermore, about 35 webinars will be held during the IC 2023 period, covering topics such as air pollution and artificial intelligence.  All IC 2023 activities are free of charge.  Some of the activities require pre-registration.  Details are available at the thematic webpage (innocarnival.hk).  Members of the public are most welcome to join.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/26/P2023092600310.htm.

2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Standards open for applications now

The Governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are working proactively to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Standards for different products and services.  The Governments of the three places signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on jointly promoting the development of the GBA Standards on 24 April 2023, to drive the harmonisation of rules in relevant sectors in the region and improve product and service quality.  The list of GBA Standards announced on the same day of signing the MOU covers a total of 110 items in the fields of food quality and safety, Cantonese cuisine, transportation, mechanical and electrical products, as well as medical care, nursing care, education, e-sports, etc.  The TID is responsible for co-ordinating the participation of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSARG) in the work on the GBA Standards, and has invited relevant bureaux/departments to promote their use by industrial, commercial and professional organisations and enterprises within their purview.

For the formulation of a new batch of GBA Standards, the Standardization Research Center for the GBA (GBA Standardization Research Center), which was established jointly by the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the nation's Standardization Administration, recently issued the Guidelines on the Common Needs of GBA Standards in 2023 (Guidelines on the Common Needs) and the Guidelines on Applications for GBA Standards (Guidelines on Applications) respectively to invite applications for GBA Standards from the trade in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.  Full texts of the two Guidelines (available in Chinese only) are published on the GBA Standard Information Public Service Platform (GBA Standard Platform) (www.gbsrc.org.cn/newsInfo/).

The Guidelines on the Common Needs set out eight priority sectors for formulating GBA Standards (i.e. new technologies, new energy industries, service industries, consumer goods and food products, talents and employment, healthcare and hygiene, public services, and green industries), while the Guidelines on Applications set out the application requirements and channels as well as the list of application documents.  The trades concerned are welcome to submit applications through the GBA Standard Platform (www.gbsrc.org.cn/applicationDevelopment) or by email to the GBA Standardization Research Center (gbsrc@gdis.org.cn) in accordance with the specific requirements set out in the two Guidelines, for the GBA Standardization Research Center's assessment and examination.  The two channels mentioned above accept applications all year round.

The development of the GBA Standards can promote the interconnectivity and integrated development of the three places, deepening Hong Kong's economic and trade exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland and Macao.  The GBA Standards and related information are available on the GBA Standard Platform (www.gbsrc.org.cn) for public access and voluntary adoption by the trade.

The TID will continue to liaise with relevant authorities of Guangdong Province and Macao, and co-ordinate within the HKSARG to jointly take the relevant work forward.  Upon issuance of the Guidelines on the Common Needs and the Guidelines on Applications, the TID has encouraged the trade to submit applications for the GBA Standards, and will invite the relevant bureaux/departments to encourage organisations and enterprises within their purview to submit applications.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/26/P2023092600249.htm.

HKMA launched Green Fintech Competition

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced on 21 September 2023 the launch of the Green Fintech Competition to promote the adoption of green fintech solutions in the Hong Kong banking industry.

The Green Fintech Competition is part of the HKMA's efforts to enhance the resilience of the banking sector to climate risk.  Green fintech firms in Hong Kong and around the world are invited to participate and showcase how their solutions can be applied to the banking industry.  Their solutions should be relevant to any of the themes below:

• Net-zero Transition or Transition Planning;
• Climate Risk Management;
• Green and Sustainable Finance; and
• Sustainability or Climate-related Disclosure and Reporting.

The themes and problem statements were developed based on feedback received from the industry, reflecting challenges faced by the Hong Kong banking industry which might benefit from green fintech solutions.

Interested firms will need to submit a market-ready solution for at least one of the above themes.  Examples of problem statements for each theme can be found at the designated website (https://platform.matchi.biz/Home/EnterChallenge/hkma_greentech) for the competition.  They can choose to tackle the problem statements listed at the website or other problem statements which they think are relevant to the four themes, and submit their solutions to the website above by 20 October 2023.  Further details about the competition can also be found on the same website.

Solutions will be judged by a panel comprising representatives from both the public and private sectors, including the banking and technology sectors, professional associations and academia.  Winners of the competition will be offered a fast-track opportunity to the presentation stage of Cyberport Incubation Program which provides comprehensive business support to facilitate the development of their green fintech solutions.  Finalists will be invited to join and host exhibition booths in the HKMA event "Green and Sustainable Banking Conference" to be held in December 2023 for conducting in-depth exchange with and showcasing their solutions to the industry, as well as exploring opportunity for further collaboration.  They can also enjoy tailor-made consultation services from InvestHK to gain further insight into the Hong Kong market so as to ensure their solutions meet the market needs.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/21/P2023092100613.htm.

Lands Department launched 3D Visualisation Map of Kowloon Central and "Open3Dhk" application platform

The Lands Department (LandsD) launched the 3D Visualisation Map dataset of Kowloon Central and an online application platform, "Open3Dhk", for the public to use free of charge on 20 September 2023.

To tie in with the development of smart city, the LandsD has started the production of a territory-wide 3D Visualisation Map since 2021 for release for public use in phases.  The first 3D Visualisation Map covering Kowloon East was launched in December 2022.  The dataset of 3D Visualisation Map of Kowloon Central released on 20 September 2023 comprises around 9 500 buildings and about 210 individual models of infrastructures, including flyovers, footbridges and subways.  Public can download the dataset through the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure portal (portal.csdi.gov.hk).

3D Visualisation Map adopts advanced survey and mapping technologies to generate high-precision and photorealistic 3D models of the city.  Its dataset comes in both native and open formats, which can be integrated with various types of spatial data to support a variety of analysis and applications, including urban planning, land administration, project development, environmental assessment, transportation and logistics study, spatial analysis and game design, contributing to the smart city development in Hong Kong.

To demonstrate the potential applications of 3D map data, the LandsD also launched a new online application platform, "Open3Dhk" (3d.map.gov.hk).  The platform transformed a large variety of spatial data into user-friendly applications which can support diverse uses by the general public, the academia and professionals.  Through the interactive functions on the platform, users can view photorealistic 3D city models of Kowloon East and Kowloon Central, building information and the approximate lot boundaries.  Users can also plan hiking and cycling routes with the help of the intuitive profiles graphs and gradient measurement tool.  The platform also provides a first-person view function which enables users to have a detailed understanding of the surrounding environment of a location.

The platform also offers Application Programming Interfaces (API) for streaming data of 3D maps and sample code, allowing innovation and technology sector and the academia to utilise the dataset in developing web services or applications.

The LandsD will continue to promote spatial data, with a view to completing the full set of 3D Visualisation Map covering the whole territory of Hong Kong in the third quarter of 2024.  More 3D map applications will also be provided to the public on "Open3Dhk" progressively.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202309/20/P2023092000241.htm.