TakingData – a prominent Chinese mainland data intelligence service provider – is setting up its regional headquarters in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, hailing the city’s qualities as key to its overseas expansion.
The Beijing-based unicorn, which proffers digital transformation solutions enabled by data and artificial intelligence algorithms for more than 2,000 businesses, pledged to leverage the SAR’s strengths in finance, business and legal system, as well as intellectual property protection, in gaining a footing in the Asia-Pacific market and beyond.
“It (Hong Kong) is an ideal place for TalkingData to go global,” Cui Xiaobo, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, said on Tuesday.
He cited the SAR’s geographical advantage, a well-developed business environment, a deep pool of international talent, and robust intellectual property protection as the main considerations for the company’s decision.
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Cui said TalkingData also plans to team up with Hong Kong enterprises and universities to develop more advanced data solutions that can be driven by more dynamic digital innovations across industries.
Charles Ng Siong-kwong, associate director-general of investment promotion at Invest HK -- a government department responsible for non-local investment -- said TalkingData’s move reflects Hong Kong’s multi-pronged efforts to reinforce itself as an emerging epicenter for the global artificial intelligence and big data industry, and an ideal launch pad for enterprises to go abroad.
He said the SAR government will continue to strengthen investment in innovation and technology to accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces.
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As part of efforts to respond to the nation’s emphasis on AI development, Hong Kong has launched a three-year, HK$3-billion ($385-million) subsidy program to support the growth of AI-related technologies, strengthen cybersecurity and data protection, and attract mainland and overseas AI specialists and firms to the city.
Last month, Hong Kong’s largest AI supercomputing center began operation at Cyberport -- a government-backed innovation hub geared to meeting the AI sector’s growing demand for computing power.
