2026 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises held in Foshan
The 2026 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), entitled "The Beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan: IP Layout, Strategies and Practices for Enterprises to Go Global", was held today (September 3) in Foshan. The seminar aimed to enhance the understanding of key practical issues covering cross-boundary IP layout and dispute resolution among Hong Kong SMEs in Guangdong Province and Mainland enterprises, strengthen their capabilities to utilise IP protection and management strategies effectively when going global for business expansion in overseas markets, and enable enterprises to fully capitalise on the new development opportunities arising from the National 15th Five-Year Plan. It was attended by over 200 representatives of SMEs, IP practitioners, as well as government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the Deputy Director of Intellectual Property, Mr Thomas Tsang, said that through continuous and multifaceted collaborations and exchanges over the years, the IP authorities of Guangdong and Hong Kong have been committed to jointly enhancing the capability of enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to protect and manage their IP assets, thereby promoting IP trading. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has also been capitalising on the steadfast national support under the 15th Five-Year Plan to deepen Hong Kong's development as a regional IP trading centre, with its latest key policy initiatives including the implementation of the IP Financing Sandbox and the Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme, and the establishment of the Hong Kong IP Academy.
Mr Tsang also pointed out that the HKSAR Government will keep utilising the platform of close collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong to promote the advantages of Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" principle as a highly market-oriented and international economy underpinned by the rule of law among GBA enterprises, and encourage them to utilise Hong Kong's quality professional services in steadfast support of every step of their journey for expansion into international markets, enabling Hong Kong to leverage its strengths and contribute to the country's high-quality development.
Speakers presented multiple topics relating to "Cross-boundary Trademark Protection for Enterprises", "From Innovation to Implementation: Practical Strategies for Global Market Expansion", "Navigating IP Risks and Disputes for Going Global" and "Technology Enterprises Going Global and IP Layout: Foreign IP Strategies and Global Supply Chain Compliance", sharing valuable information and experience with participants at the seminar.
Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have continuously co-organised different exchange activities to promote the importance of effective IP protection, management and exploitation among SMEs. This year's seminar was a key co-operation item under the framework of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, and was jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), the Foshan Municipal People's Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; was undertaken by the Foshan Administration for Market Regulation (Foshan Intellectual Property Administration); and was co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the Government of the HKSAR and the Guangdong Technology-transfer Center for the Commercialization of University-Innovations. The event was also supported by members of the Expert Group and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
Details of the seminar are available on the IPD's website (www.ipd.gov.hk).
Source: AI-found images
