https://www.scmp.com/rss/519089/feed Mark Gong joined the SCMP in 2024 as an intern on the Business and Technology desks. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinyi Wu,Mark Gong Xinyi Wu,Mark Gong Hong Kong should nurture the potential of start-up companies in the city, a key to attracting and retaining skilled workers amid competition among regional hubs for talent, according to the dean at INSEAD, a French non-profit graduate business school. A vibrant scene will help mitigate some of the concerns, such as steep living costs, that prevent global talent from choosing the city, according to Francisco Veloso, the dean of INSEAD. More can be done to raise the visibility and reputation of... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3274782/nurture-hong-kongs-start-scene-compete-global-talent-insead-dean-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3274782/nurture-hong-kongs-start-scene-compete-global-talent-insead-dean-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 02:00:22 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong China was one of the top destinations for fintech investments in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the first half of the year, but it mirrored a global decline, as investors tread with caution amid high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty, according to KPMG. Fintech investment worldwide fell nearly 17 per cent to US$51.9 billion in the six months to June, compared with US$62.3 billion in the second half of 2023, according to the consultancy’s Pulse fintech report on Thursday. The number of deals... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3273910/china-hogs-apac-fintech-funds-first-half-amid-global-decline-investor-caution-kpmg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3273910/china-hogs-apac-fintech-funds-first-half-amid-global-decline-investor-caution-kpmg?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:00:34 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Step into a Bianlifeng convenience store in China, and the first thing you are likely to notice is a grey robot roaming among the shelves of snacks and drinks. Next you might note the high number of cameras on the ceiling and a sign advising you that the store is under 24-hour video surveillance. The setting is emblematic of the company’s attempt to eradicate human decision-making from the operation of its stores. While the robot has no name, it does have the power to boss around the one or two... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3273122/robot-tended-chinese-convenience-chain-bianlifeng-finds-limitations-automation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3273122/robot-tended-chinese-convenience-chain-bianlifeng-finds-limitations-automation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2024 22:30:11 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Digital Domain Holdings, the Hong Kong-listed firm behind the Oscar-winning visual effects studio involved in Marvel Studios’ blockbuster films, plans to set up a research and development (R&D) centre at Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin. The company plans to invest HK$204 million (US$26 million) in this facility by the end of 2029 to expand its professional team, according to Daniel Seah, acting chairman and chief executive at Digital Domain, during Wednesday’s launch ceremony at the park run... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3271738/hollywood-visual-effects-firm-digital-domain-set-rd-base-hong-kong-science-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3271738/hollywood-visual-effects-firm-digital-domain-set-rd-base-hong-kong-science-park?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:07:12 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Demand for new homes in the Greater Bay Area rebounded last month after Beijing’s historic measures to rescue the property sector took effect. However, a meaningful recovery in prices will take time amid economic headwinds, property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield said on Tuesday. Total transactions for new houses in the bay area numbered 28,584 in June, nearly 20 per cent more than in May, driven by a boost in demand that followed an unprecedented package of government easing measures. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3271592/greater-bay-area-home-sales-surged-june-after-property-market-rescue-package?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3271592/greater-bay-area-home-sales-surged-june-after-property-market-rescue-package?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 23:00:14 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Geopolitical tensions have surpassed inflation as the primary concern for sovereign investors, prompting them to invest more in emerging markets and gold, according to a new survey. Eight out of 10 sovereign wealth managers or central banks view geopolitical tensions as a major risk to global growth in the next year, up from 72 per cent in 2023, according to the survey by Invesco released on Monday. The annual study by the US financial firm collected the views of 140 chief investment officers... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3271412/sovereign-investors-look-emerging-markets-geopolitical-tensions-rise-says-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3271412/sovereign-investors-look-emerging-markets-geopolitical-tensions-rise-says-study?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 10:00:20 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong The Chinese were the top foreign buyers of US residential property for an 11th straight year, but their investment dropped more than 40 per cent from a year earlier, according to the US National Association of Realtors (NAR). The Chinese spent US$7.5 billion on US homes in the 12 months to March 2024, compared with US$13 billion in the year-earlier period, the NAR data showed. The association, which has 1.5 million members, groups buyers from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan as... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270989/chinese-top-buyers-us-property-11th-year-canadians-dominate-volume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270989/chinese-top-buyers-us-property-11th-year-canadians-dominate-volume?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2024 22:00:18 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Young Hongkongers are struggling to make ends meet and many employees are living paycheck to paycheck which is posing a risk to their mental health, according to a survey by advisory firm WTW. The survey polled 1,000 employees in both medium and large private sectors during the period January to March 2024 and found more than half the respondents considered themselves at risk or struggling financially, while more than a third said they were living paycheck to paycheck. Financial stress is also... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270658/over-half-hong-kong-employees-are-struggling-or-risk-financially-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270658/over-half-hong-kong-employees-are-struggling-or-risk-financially-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:01:54 +0000 Mark Gong Mark Gong Cathay Pacific and DB Schenker, the logistics arm of German state railway operator Deutsche Bahn, have teamed up to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and signed an agreement that will help cut more than 2,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. DB Schenker signed up on Thursday to Cathay’s corporate SAF Programme, an initiative aimed at tackling climate change by advocating the use of SAFs instead of conventional fuels. The programme encourages customers to contribute towards... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270221/db-schenker-joins-cathays-sustainable-fuel-programme-pledging-cut-carbon-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3270221/db-schenker-joins-cathays-sustainable-fuel-programme-pledging-cut-carbon-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 08:02:58 +0000