Cyberport signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 17 September with Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, to establish a strategic partnership focused on bridging innovation hubs through cross-border collaboration. The MoU, driven by the launch of Hub71 Start-up Immersion Programme, aims to connect later-stage Hong Kong start-ups with Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem, supporting their regional expansion and market access while facilitating reciprocal ecosystem access and joint initiatives.
The signing ceremony took place at Investopia Hong Kong, witnessed by Simon Chan, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport, and His Excellency Mohammad Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Minister of Investment. The MoU was signed by Ir Eric Chan , Chief Public Mission Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport and Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71.
The MoU establishes a partnership between Cyberport and the Hub71 to build a strong pipeline of high-potential start-ups into the programme while facilitating reciprocal ecosystem access, knowledge exchange and joint programming opportunities across government, infrastructure and venture capital networks. This collaboration supports Hong Kong start-ups in exploring Abu Dhabi for regional expansion and market access in the Middle East, while attracting Middle Eastern enterprises to Hong Kong as a gateway to Chinese Mainland, the Greater Bay Area, and Southeast Asia.
The Hub71 Start-up Immersion Programme, launched at Investopia Hong Kong, is a two-week initiative designed to accelerate market entry for Hong Kong start-ups by combining virtual onboarding for market readiness with an in-person session in Abu Dhabi. Participants gain direct access to regulators, investors, corporate partners, tailored mentorship and curated networking. They will also gain exposure to Abu Dhabi based investors, regional pilot projects, and opportunities to collaborate with government and corporate partners, concluding with a Demo Day during Hub71’s Impact Event in Abu Dhabi.
Ir Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport said, “Cyberport is honoured to partner with Hub71, united by a shared vision to nurture entrepreneurship to expand from home and beyond. Through this collaboration, Cyberport has strengthened its role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’, springboarding high-potential enterprises from Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland to access the vibrant markets driven by technology and innovation in the Middle East and the Belt and Road regions, while attracting enterprises of the similarly high calibre from the Middle East to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong to enter the high-growth markets in Mainland including the Greater Bay Area, and Southeast Asia. Looking ahead, we look forward to collaborating with Hub71 on connecting start-ups to quality opportunities for business, investment and innovation resources in the Middle East to fast-track their growth, turning their innovative prowess into driving forces behind smart city and digital economy development for the world in the AI+ era.”
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