Hong Kong University (HKU) establishes innovation hub in Tel Aviv

The University of Hong Kong has announced that it has launched an innovation center to promote the cooperation between Israel, Hong Kong, and the Greater Bay Area. It will be led by Professor Roni Michaely, a finance and entrepreneurship professor at HKU and managed by Dr. Tal Peleg-Shulman, who comes from a background with experience in pharma and bio-med.

The goal of the innovation hub is to promote collaborations and strengthen ties between Israel’s startup scene and the community of students and alumni of HKU, as well as senior executives and potential investors from Hong Kong and China. It will run courses and programs for undergraduates and graduates from Hong Kong and China that will touch on Design Thinking Methodologies, Fintech, Product Management, and how to bridge the cultural gap between the East and West in the hi-tech environment. The curricula is expected to combine academic content and hands-on experience with startups, multinationals, and venture capital firms in Israel.

The first program will begin at the end of December and will focus on Desertech challenges faced by companies in the vertical - fitting for a country whose Negev desert takes up 55% of its land area at some 13,000 square km.

To coincide with the announcement, it will hold a virtual workshop on Thursday with the representatives of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Israel (HKTDC). It is meant for Israeli startups interested in becoming familiar with the connection between business academics and economics in Hong Kong. Professor Heiwai Tang from HKU Business School will present the Southeast China Regional Development Plan for the coming years.

HKTDC was founded in 1996 and operates in 50 countries to help promote Hong Kong’s trade relations and economic interests.