InnoEX and the Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) (EFSE) attracted over 88,000 buyers from 155 countries and regions for connection building and business matching. Buyers from outside Hong Kong mainly came from the Chinese Mainland, Japan, India, the United States, and Korea, among others.
Jenny Koo, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The HKTDC provides a crucial platform connecting global innovation and technology by assisting Chinese Mainland enterprises in expanding overseas and seizing global business opportunities and also offering global enterprises a springboard to enter the Asian and Chinese Mainland markets.”
The new RoboPark brought together tech firms from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas, showcasing over 100 robots. Among the exhibitors, UBTECH, the world’s first humanoid robot company listed in Hong Kong, engaged with buyers from the Chinese Mainland, the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. The company reported its participation delivered results well beyond expectations, underscoring the exhibition’s international reach.
Across the fields of AI+, robotics, low altitude economy, proptech and retail tech, InnoEX exhibitors from 21 countries and regions presented a wide range of cutting-edge technology solutions. Among other exhibitors, the fair featured universities, research institutes and leading technology firms, including Huawei, China Mobile Hong Kong, HKT and Lenovo.
Participants also engaged with the Chinese Mainland pavilions representing 17 provinces and municipalities as well as UK pavilion. Amongst deals made, UK pavilion exhibitor PropSmarts concluded a partnership and licensed distribution agreement with a geographic information system software firm.
Spotlighting smart living electronics, the concurrent EFSE launched around 60 products. Among them, local firm HelloBaby, which specialises in the R&D and sales of baby monitor products, showcased its latest product at the trade fair. Qin Zhihui, the company’s Sales Director, said: “The exhibition is highly international in character, and we participate every year. Our buyers mainly come from Japan, Korea, Singapore and other Asian markets.”
Buyers noted that EFSE is a strong brand focused platform, enabling companies to connect with Chinese Mainland and global markets via Hong Kong. Carmate Electronics Pty Ltd, an Australian manufacturer of automotive electronics, said it successfully engaged with high-quality buyers from Brazil, Mexico, Belgium and Indonesia, among others. The company recorded potential transactions of around US$200,000 on the first day and expects follow up orders to reach US$400,000 to US$500,000.
Michael Lin, General Manager of the company, noted that amid heightened China-US tensions, Hong Kong’s unique role as an international platform has positioned the city as an important bridge between overseas and Chinese Mainland enterprises, generating valuable business opportunities.
Connection building and business matching are a hallmark of HKTDC’s trade fairs. To support China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, in particular in regard to the development of new quality productive forces, the HKTDC and Xi'an Jiaotong University signed a memorandum of understanding to promote technological innovation and commercialisation, and support tech firms going global.
In addition to sourcing and deal-making, buyers gained valuable insights into industry trends, with the tech fairs featuring over 100 events. Over 260 leading tech firms, industry experts and scholars from around the world engaged in conversation on the latest industry trends and shared practical experiences with buyers to help them stay ahead of the curve and competitive.
Among other seminar highlights, the rise of embodied AI in robotics was explored, a new era in which autonomous systems are capable of independent decision-making and executing complex tasks. Speakers included Prof Xuguang Lan from the School of Artificial Intelligence at Xi’an Jiaotong University and Kristine Mo, Vice President of Global Market and Ecosystem at AI² Robotics, who discussed how AI-driven robotics are transforming industries, such as education, entertainment and services, while delving into technological breakthroughs, ethical considerations and future applications.
Some 80% of respondents have explored or adopted generative AI technologies, according to a survey, conducted during the tech fairs, designed to further understand the development trends of the I&T and electronics industry. 81% of respondents expressed interest in expanding into emerging markets, including the Chinese Mainland, ASEAN, Europe and Latin America.