As I write this, we are halfway through this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and I have a few quiet minutes in a super packed week to update you on everything that has happened so far!
Yesterday, Laura wrote about the energy and vibrancy at this year’s event and I couldn’t agree more. I like to talk about the power of connectivity and the role that superconnectors play in bringing people and ideas together, and it’s been fantastic to see this in action at this year’s retreat.
In the run up to Davos, the news agenda has been full of statements about retrenching globalisation and growing polarity. But here at WEF, I’m seeing people connect across borders, drive dialogue and address common challenges as one community. Much of what has been talked about here stands in stark contrast with the notion of stalling globalisation.
Specifically, I took part in an inspiring panel on ‘The Future of Globalisation’ yesterday – and the consensus was that globalisation is very much alive. Although it has been impacted by COVID-19 and geopolitics, the desire to trade and connect remains strong. What we all acknowledged is the need to be more flexible and agile. The benefits of globalisation, such as pulling vast swathes of people out of poverty are immense, and we as business leaders must continue to focus on that with technology as our enabler. We live in uncertain times and making connections has never been more vital.
As a superconnector with China, HKEX has a key role to play in facilitating these essential connections. We are a capital raising venue of choice with a deep, diverse and increasingly international ecosystem, ideally positioned to drive the Big Bang of Finance, and the growth of the Greater Bay Area and the green and sustainable finance ecosystem. I’m looking forward to exploring this in more detail at tomorrow’s HKEX Breakfast alongside our Chairman Laura M. Cha and our distinguished guest speaker Kishore Mahbubani.
And while the WEF is about shaping the future, I’m also taking the opportunity to share the role that we are already playing. The ‘Biotech Revolution’ and ‘Financing Net Zero: Moving from Commitment to Action’ sessions are high on the WEF agenda and I’m proud to talk about the progress we have already made as a regulator, operator and listed company in furthering the net-zero transition and our position as the world’s second largest biotech fundraising hub at these sessions.
I’ll be talking more about these subjects in the coming days and I’m looking forward to the next round of interviews, panels and 1:1s in the schedule. I’m already excited to bringing my learnings from this year’s event back to Hong Kong and our business, and see where the connections we have made will take us as we set about building the Marketplace of the Future.