Think long-term: Hong Kong cybersecurity firm boss says support too focused on start-ups

Michael Gazeley, founder of Hong Kong cybersecurity firm Network Box, said policies announced by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying focused too heavily on start-ups without providing support for these companies further down the line.

Since founding Network Box 15 years ago, Gazeley said the Hong Kong government had not done enough to promote or help develop a marketplace for locally developed technology.

“Until Hong Kong wakes up, and creates a healthy marketplace for local IT developers to thrive in, it will remain difficult for even the very best of IT start-ups to survive, let alone become true global successes,” he said.

At first, Gazeley said the company found it difficult to find customers for its locally developed technology as Hong Kong was not known in the cybersecurity field.

He said for the government to achieve a return on its HK$2 billion investment-matching fund for start-ups it should actively promote Hong Kong companies as well as buying local products and services.