In the Media

In the late 19th century, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that 80% of the nation's wealth was controlled by just 20% of its population. This striking disparity later inspired American management theorist Joseph Juran to develop the renowned "80/20 Rule," which posits that 80% of outcomes typically stem from 20% of contributing factors.

In a recent interview with HK01, Associate Professor of HKU Business School Yang Liu, discussed the financial situation in Hong Kong. He acknowledged the public's concerns about the government's financial reserves but reassured that even with the current deficit, Hong Kong’s reserves could last about five years. This shows that Hong Kong's financial status is stable. Prof. Liu stressed that compared to other developed economies that frequently face persistent deficits, Hong Kong's debt levels are manageable, and the government has historically generated enough income to cover expenses, which minimises the risk of ongoing deficits.

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, commented that, “At the end of the day the reality is that the private business sector in China is only of value when the Chinese Government needs some growth or needs to stabilize the economy".

The "Flying Geese Paradigm," proposed by Japanese economist Kaname Akamatsu in the 1930s, describes the industrial upgrading process of East Asian countries from labor-intensive manufacturing to capital- and technology-intensive industries. According to this theory, Japan, as the "leading goose," was the first to achieve industrialization and stimulated the development of other countries through foreign direct investment. This created a mutually dependent and progressively advancing industrial division of labor in East Asia, resembling the formation of a flying geese flock in the sky. The theory was validated through decades of post-World War II economic practice. Japan's global expansion strategy not only shaped the manufacturing landscape of East Asia but also became a model for the globalization of enterprises in countries such as China and South Korea.

Hong Kong, historically a vital trade hub, faces challenges from the development of cargo ports in Asia, the rise of cross-border e-commerce, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions. Increasing number of companies are adopting strategies like "China+N" to diversify production networks and mitigate risks. As China and neighbouring nations drive industrial development in Asia, Prof. Heiwai Tang, Associate Dean of HKU Business School and Director of the Asia Global Institute, explains that Hong Kong must redefine its strategic position and focus on becoming a gateway between China and emerging economies, identify segments where it has a competitive advantage in regional supply chains, and adapt to geopolitical tensions by capitalising on new globalisation trends.

Fixated on finding an ideal partner? You may be missing out on your true match! HKU Business School’s Assistant Professor of Marketing, Ivy Dang, recently studied how people approach online dating platforms. She found that holding onto rigid ideals of the ‘perfect partner’ (i.e., Mr./Ms. Best) can end up overlooking genuinely compatible matches (i.e., Mr./Ms. Right).

As competition in artificial intelligence (AI) development between the US and China heats up, DeepSeek R1 recently emerged as a serious contender. Challenging OpenAI with DeepSeek’s innovative algorithms and open-source strategy, the Chinese counterpart offers OpenAI’s GPT-4 performance at just 5% of the cost.

Startups are often drivers of innovation, job creation, and economic growth. As Hong Kong undergoes a reinvention of its innovation and technology development, there is a need to frame Hong Kong's startup ecosystem development from a qualitative firm-level microeconomic perspective. In chapter 5, Alberto Moel examines how the ecosystem structure relates to startup lifecycles and finds that the ecosystem is weakest at the intermediate "Valley of Death" stages – precisely where startups need the most support. Because technology entrepreneurship in Hong Kong remains poorly understood, existing research often develops in isolation from industry needs, making it difficult to tease out a product and market. Moreover, interactions and integration between business schools and early-stage R&D efforts are weak, and the current accelerator and incubator programs usually fail to provide tools for long-term growth.

随着科技和网络发展，拼车服务势必向自动化及智能化方向迈进。笔者透过研究不同定价模式和匹配机制，为网约车平台建议提升拼车盈利的策略。