Italian Businesses Prioritize Hong Kong for Asia Expansion

Hong Kong is seen as a priority market and an essential trading partner by many of Italy’s increasingly Asia-focused businesses. This is among the key findings of a new report – Italian Companies’ Asian Expansion Priorities: Innovation, Healthcare and Retail Sectors – jointly conducted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Milan-headquartered Italy China Council Foundation (ICCF).

The research forms part of the forthcoming edition of the HKTDC’s signature promotion campaign Think Business, Think Hong Kong (TBTHK), set to take place in Milan, Italy on 27 November. The event will bring together over 700 business leaders, officials and investors from both Hong Kong and Italy to discover business and partnership opportunities in Asia.

Primarily targeted at Italian companies with business in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and Asia, the research survey was conducted in Q3 2025, covering 172 Italian C-suite and senior business leaders.

Commenting on the significance of the report, Irina Fan, Director of HKTDC Research, said: “According to the survey findings, 77% of Italian businesses are genuinely enthusiastic when it comes to expanding in Asia, with the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong being their priority markets.”

“It is particularly gratifying to see Hong Kong poised to play such a vital role in facilitating the Asia expansion of such businesses. When asked about how Hong Kong can facilitate Italian business expansion in Asia over the next three years, some 93% of respondents believe Hong Kong can effectively support their future Asia expansion plans. Its unrivalled status as a strategic gateway to many Asian markets, as well as its capabilities as a logistics and supply chain management hub, were also widely acknowledged,” she added.

Facilitating expansion and leveraging trade agreements

When it came to future opportunities, the survey also highlighted the relatively limited awareness and low utilisation of many regional trade agreements. In particular, two agreements emerged as having significant potential to transform the commercial relationship between Hong Kong and Italy.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest free trade agreement, encompassing the ASEAN bloc, the Chinese Mainland, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. While 51% of respondents are currently capitalising on its benefits, huge untapped potential remains. Should Hong Kong’s application to join the RCEP be successful, 60% of Italian enterprises anticipate that it would unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen their engagement with the city.

Another pivotal agreement is the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which has provided Hong Kong-based suppliers of goods and services with privileged access to the vast Chinese Mainland market since 2003. Despite CEPA having been in place for many years, some 80% of the Italian businesses surveyed were unaware of the agreement or how to leverage its benefits. This reveals a major opportunity, as only 12% are currently making use of CEPA’s advantages through strategic partnerships in Hong Kong.

Putting the survey and its findings into perspective, Sara Berloto, Head of Research for the ICCF, said: “The survey highlighted many Italian companies can better leverage several existing regional trade agreements. This was most notably the case with the RCEP and CEPA. Overall, there is a real need for comprehensive information, training, and institutional support initiatives in order to ensure companies — especially SMEs — can heighten their strategic utilisation of such agreements.”

Apparent opportunities amid already strong ties
Looking at the broader picture, the scale of opportunity available to Hong Kong SMEs is striking. Most notably, 77% of Italian companies plan to expand within Asia over the next three years, with the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and India cited as their preferred markets.

By sector, 95% of Italian innovation and technology companies plan to expand in Asia, followed by 88% of healthcare companies and 86% of enterprises in the retail /wholesale sector. These findings align well with Hong Kong's new industry focus on innovation and technology, the life sciences and healthtech, as well as the raft of ambitious e-commerce initiatives the city has committed to.

Such developments would further enhance the strong business relationship between Italy and Hong Kong. In 2024, trade between the two amounted to US$8.3 billion (HK$64.5 billion), positioning Italy as Hong Kong’s fourth-largest EU trading partner and export market and its third-largest EU import market.

As of the end of 2023, Hong Kong was the third most significant destination for Italian investment in Asia. Hong Kong investors also made substantial investments in Italy, with the city being the third-largest Asian investor in the country. As of 2024, there were some 200 Italian companies active in Hong Kong.

Think Business, Think Hong Kong
The full survey report will be launched at TBTHK in Milan on 27 November.

After successful Paris and Jakarta editions, TBTHK Milan will bring together some 80 delegates from Hong Kong, including government officials, top business and creative industry leaders, corporate service professionals, investors and start-up entrepreneurs, for a day of dialogue, networking and partnership-building with Italian companies keen to expand into Asia.

The mega promotion will feature a symposium and an exhibition comprising the Business Support Zone and InnoVenture Salon, where some 20 Hong Kong service providers and startups will showcase their flagship products and solutions. Business matching meetings will be arranged to facilitate deals and collaborations between Italian and Hong Kong companies. The programme also includes the Hong Kong Dinner. At the symposium, Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR, Prof Frederick Ma, HKTDC Chairman, along with representatives from the Italian government, will deliver remarks. High-profile speakers from various industries will share their insights at the Plenary Session. The agenda also includes five thematic sessions, each dedicated to a strategic area including finance and trade, innovation and technology, global supply chains, as well as creativity and design. These sessions reflect shared priorities between Hong Kong and Italy and offer in-depth insights into practical collaboration opportunities.

(From left) Director of HKTDC Research Irina Fan, Principal Economist (Global Research Team) Alice Tsang and Senior Economist (Global Research Team) Simeon Woo previewed findings of a new report – Italian Companies’ Asian Expansion Priorities: Innovation, Healthcare and Retail Sectors – at a press conference today

Irina Fan, Director of HKTDC Research

Alice Tsang, Principal Economist (Global Research Team), HKTDC

Simeon Woo, Senior Economist (Global Research Team), HKTDC

Following the successful Think Business, Think Hong Kong in Jakarta in January, this mega promotion will take place in Milan, Italy, on 27 November

The fifth edition of the International Healthcare Week, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held in Hong Kong from 11 to 31 May. The two flagship events – the sixth Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the HKTDC, and the 17th Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair (Medical Fair), organised by the HKTDC and co-organised by the Hong Kong MedTech Association – serve as a comprehensive business platform covering the entire medical and healthcare industry chain, including technology R&D, investment matching, medical equipment manufacturing, medical products and services. The events will be held concurrently to maximise synergy at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai next month. The ASGH will take place on 11 and 12 May, while the Medical Fair will run from 11 to 13 May.

Sophia Chong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “The medical and healthcare landscape is undergoing a profound and rapid transformation. Hong Kong, by leveraging its preeminence as an international financial centre, its world-class research ecosystem and its unique positioning bridging the Chinese Mainland and the world, serves as an ideal platform for scientific excellence, strategic investment and financing, and international trade for medical and healthcare innovation. The National 15th Five-Year Plan prioritises health development. The HKTDC will actively align with the Plan through the two flagship events of the International Healthcare Week – the ASGH and the Medical Fair. The events will focus on high-growth areas such as biopharmaceuticals, AI-empowered healthcare, the silver economy and modernisation of traditional Chinese medicine, and will help to accelerate commercialisation of research outcome, facilitate high-impact business matching, and boost cross-border investment. Collectively, the twin events reinforce the ‘Healthy China’ initiative, solidify Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s leading biotech and investment hub, and demonstrate Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector and super value-adder.”

Speaker line-up features Nobel Prize Laureate

The sixth ASGH, themed “Fuelling Healthcare Breakthroughs”, will convene a prestigious assembly of international health officials, scientific, medical and industry experts, start-ups and investors. Through various sessions, they will exchange valuable insights and navigate the latest frontiers in public health, medtech, international trade and investment, while unlocking the future prospects and untapped business opportunities of the industry.

The opening session will feature welcome remarks by Prof Frederick S Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC, and opening remarks by John Lee, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, followed by special remarks of Prof Zeng Yixin, Vice Minister of the National Health Commission.

On the morning of the first day, two plenary sessions will be held. Plenary Session I: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness through Global Collaboration will begin with a keynote speech by Prof Lo Chung-mau, Secretary of Health of the HKSAR government. The session will be moderated by Prof Leo Poon, Daniel CK Yu Professor in Virology at the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong and Co-Director of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute. Speakers include Prof Ibrahim Abubakar, Vice-Provost (Health) at University College London; Dr Leung Yiu-hong, Head of Emergency Response and Programme Management Branch, Department of Health; Dr Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research; Prof Wang Yu, Chairman, Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control; and Dr In Kyu Yoon, Acting Deputy Director General at the International Vaccine Institute. They will delve into critical strategies such as pathogen surveillance, data sharing, and multinational collaboration to bolster the resilience of global health infrastructure.

Plenary Session II: Fuelling Healthcare Breakthroughs will examine how cross-sector collaboration catalyses the commercialisation of research outcomes and unlocks market potential. The session will feature a special address by Leng Weiqing, Chairman of Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings). It will be moderated by Victor Chu, Chairman and CEO of First Eastern Investment Group, with speakers including Jonathan Symonds, Chairman of GSK; Prof Song Ruilin, President of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association; Dr Mehmood Khan, CEO of The Hevolution Foundation; Clara Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited; David Lau of JP Morgan Securities; and Theresa Tse, Chairwoman of Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited.

On the afternoon of the first day, the Dialogue with Global Pioneer in Health session will feature 2013 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Prof Michael Levitt, Robert W and Vivian K Cahill Professor in Cancer Research at Stanford University. Prof Levitt will share his distinguished journey in scientific discovery and envision the transformative impact of technology on future healthcare and scientific research.

With rapid advances in AI drug discovery, oncology, and precision medicine, the summit introduces a dedicated CSO Insights: Catalysing Scientific Breakthroughs and Investments for Future Health session on the morning of the second day. Chief Scientific Officers and R&D leaders from leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Fosun Pharma, Omico, Zhaoke Ophthalmology, and more, will share how they set scientific strategy and forge partnerships that accelerate time-to-impact.

Thematic sessions address market trends and the National 15th Five-Year Plan

The pervasive adoption of AI is driving a paradigm shift across industries, including healthcare. This year’s summit will feature two thematic sessions, including Intelligence at Scale: How AI is Powering Real-World Healthcare Revolution and Transforming Healthcare through Digital Health & AI Innovations. Speakers will examine pragmatic integration and pioneering breakthroughs of AI within the healthcare system.

The silver economy represents a high-growth frontier. This year’s Summit will once again feature a dedicated Silver Health Chapter to address the complexities of an ageing demographic and unlock the sector’s burgeoning market potential. In the session Unlocking Growth in Silver Health: From Precision Medicine to Smart Ageing Innovations, distinguished speakers will discuss breakthroughs in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases.

In response to the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and to catalyse the Healthy China initiative and regional collaboration, the Summit will include a session titled The Next Frontier in China's Healthcare Industry which will review the latest trends in medical innovation and investment in China.

The session Driving Chinese Medicine Development Through Standardisation and Innovation will address the National 15th Five-Year Plan’s emphasis on the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine. Speakers will share insight on traditional Chinese medicine innovation, cross-sector collaboration and regulatory matters.

Over the two days, the Summit will cover a wide range of topical issues in the medical and healthcare sector, including sustainable healthcare systems, gene and cell therapy, rare disease treatments, medical robotics and devices, and IP financing strategies for pharmaceuticals and medtech.

Supporting the expansion needs of medical/healthcare enterprises

In addition to the plenary and thematic sessions, the Summit will feature the ASGH Business Hub and InnoHealth Showcase, which presents innovative technologies from some 180 medical and healthcare companies across 11 countries and regions. Many of the exhibitors have received prestigious awards. The Project Pitching session will provide start-ups with the opportunity to present their innovations to potential investors, while the ASGH Deal-making facilitates one-to-one meetings, both online and offline, to channel capital to healthcare projects.

Medical and healthcare enterprises can also access the “GoGlobal Connect” Zone and Business of Healthcare Advisory Zone to consult with service providers on overseas expansion, fundraising, and R&D collaboration. The Summit will also host a workshop titled Hong Kong as a SuperConnector to Empower Global Expansion of Pharmaceutical Enterprises, where medical and business leaders will share how pharmaceutical companies can leverage Hong Kong’s platform to seize overseas business opportunities.

The Medical Fair’s three key categories: MedTech, GeronTech & Preventive Healthcare

The 17th Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair will be held from 11 to 13 May. Themed Innovations Boosting Smart Health Experience, the Fair will provide an ideal platform for research and development institutions, manufacturers, public healthcare organisations, and healthcare professionals from around the world to establish global business connections.

The Medical Fair will gather some 300 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions. The exhibition will feature seven major zones, including the Startup Zone, Hospital Equipment and Digital Health, Biotechnology and Lab Diagnostics, Laboratory Technologies and Healthcare Services, Medical Supplies and Disposables, Rehabilitation and Elderly Care, and the World of Health and Wellness.

The Fair will focus on three key areas: MedTech, GeronTech and Preventive Healthcare. Among the highlights, an exhibitor will introduce a smart health wearable watch that integrates concepts from both Chinese and Western medicine to assess the functions of the five major internal organs and provide personalized health recommendations.

Another exhibitor will demonstrate an augmented reality (AR) surgical platform designed for orthopaedic surgeons, providing real-time 3D navigation during surgical procedures. In addition, an exhibitor will present a world-first smart knee brace that integrates AI and wearable technology to support post-knee surgery recovery and sports injury rehabilitation.

The Medical Fair actively promotes collaborative innovation across government, industry, academia, research, and investment. A number of leading research and academic institutions will participate, including nine local universities and over 30 innovation and technology enterprises led by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks.

A startup will showcase innovative voice assistive technology products featuring a one-touch speech reconstruction function. More than 50 themed forums and seminars will be held during the fair, including “Accelerating Mental Health Innovation through AI Research and Adoption” and the “HKMTA Medical Fair Forum 2026: The Medtech Solutions - Greater Bay Area & Overseas”.

The exhibition will continue to adopt the “EXHIBITION+” hybrid model. The physical fair will take place from 11 to 13 May at the HKCEC. Global exhibitors and buyers can engage in discussions via the “Click2Match” smart business matching platform from 4 May until 20 May.

As the two flagship events of International Healthcare Week, the Asia Summit on Global Health and the Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair will gather global healthcare forces to create a cross-sector exchange platform, driving Hong Kong's development as a regional medical innovation hub.

The Asia Summit on Global Health

Date 11-12 May 2026 (Monday to Tuesday)
9:00am to 6:00pm (Opening Session at 10:00 am on 11 May)

Venue Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) Hall 3FG

Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair

Date 11-12 May 2026: 10:00am to 6:00pm
13 May 2026: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Venue Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) Hall 3DE

Last year's Asia Summit on Global Health highlights

Prof Michael Levitt, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Deal-making sessions at the Asia Summit on Global Health

Previous edition of the Medical Fair exhibition hall

Collaborative innovation and academic research in medical sector

Artificial intelligence and robotics in healthcare demonstration