The Ohel Leah synagogue in Hong Kong. Photo Tksteven via Wikimedia Commons.

HONG KONG – A Hong Kong business delegation will be visiting Israel next week. Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today that a business delegation will visit Israel from May 18-22 to learn about the latest innovations in Israel and participate in the 2014 Israel Innovation Conference (MIXiii) in Tel Aviv. The trip will highlight Hong Kong’s strong economic ties with Israel and aims to further raise Israeli business interest in the region.

InvestHK is part of the Government of Hong Kong’s Special Administrative Region, which is responsible for attracting and retaining direct foreign investment in Hong Kong as a leading international business location in Asia.

More than 80 Israeli companies currently do business in Hong Kong, including Nice Systems, Rad Vision, Amcor Ltd., Orbotech, and Zim Integrated Shipping, in addition to numerous telecom, finance, cosmetic, and diamond companies. With non-stop daily flights from Tel Aviv, and visa-free access for Israelis, Hong Kong is seen as an ideal gateway to the Asian and global marketplace. The local Israeli community in Hong Kong currently stands at more than 4,300 people, and includes a Jewish day school.

The visiting delegation, led by Director-General of Investment Promotion Simon Galpin and Associate Director-General Charles Ng will meet with Israeli government officials, tech startups, business incubators, educational institutions, and venture capital investors to discuss the various advantages of doing business in Hong Kong.

InvestHK will also be kicking off its global 2014 StartmeupHK Venture Programme on May 19. The international competition aims to help innovative ventures launch and develop their global businesses throughout Hong Kong. Last year’s competition received 384 entries from around the globe, including 43 from Israel. Two Israeli startups made it to the semifinals with one, IT Central Station, becoming a finalist.