CUHK Business School advances CII 3.0 with Open Forum and Pilot Study to strengthen corporate innovation in Hong Kong - CUHK Business School

The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School hosted the Corporate Innovation Index (CII) 3.0 Open Forum and Pilot Study on 15 July 2026, marking the next phase of the CII project with an enhanced assessment framework that places greater emphasis on strategic benchmarking, best-practice sharing, practical guidance and empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Developed by APIB and supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China under the General Support Programme, the Corporate Innovation Index has become a benchmarking tool for assessing and fostering innovation among large corporations and SMEs in Hong Kong. Building on the achievements of previous phases, CII 3.0 seeks not only to measure corporate innovation performance, but also to provide enterprises with actionable insights and clear pathways for continuous innovation and transformation.

The event brought together academic experts, corporate leaders, industry practitioners and representatives from supporting organisations to exchange views on corporate innovation, share key observations from previous research, and provide feedback on the CII assessment framework and pilot questionnaire before the launch of the full-scale survey.

Dr Wendy Lam, Director of Policy and Research at the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC), delivered welcoming remarks. She highlighted the importance of collaboration among academia, industry and the business community in strengthening Hong Kong’s innovation capacity.

Dr Wendy Lam, Director of Policy and Research, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Mr Chris Au Young, General Manager of Terminal & Passenger Experience at Airport Authority Hong Kong and Chairman of the CII Steering Committee, delivered the keynote speech. Drawing on his extensive experience in driving innovation in a major infrastructure organisation, he discussed how large enterprises can institutionalise innovation, enhance organisational capabilities and contribute to industry-wide progress.

Mr Chris Au Young, General Manager, Terminal & Passenger Experience, Airport Authority Hong Kong; Chairman, CII Steering Committee

Professor Zhou Lin, Dean of CUHK Business School, delivered the opening address. He emphasised that innovation is essential to the long-term competitiveness of enterprises and to Hong Kong’s continued development as a regional innovation hub. He also reaffirmed CUHK Business School’s commitment to advancing research, knowledge exchange and practical solutions that support corporate transformation.

Professor Waiman Cheung, Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of CUHK Business School, Executive Director of APIB, and CII Project Lead, presented the latest progress of the project. He shared interim findings from earlier research and outlined the direction of CII 3.0, particularly its enhanced benchmarking approach and standardised measurement framework. Professor Cheung noted that the project seeks not only to assess corporate innovation performance, but also to provide enterprises with actionable insights and a clearer roadmap for innovation development.

The event featured two panel discussions exploring innovation from both practical and theoretical perspectives. The first panel, themed “From Turbulence to Transformation: Innovating under Uncertainty and Disruption”, brought together leaders from the property, construction and logistics sectors to discuss how enterprises respond to market volatility. Moderated by Professor Toa Charm, Associate Director of the CUHK EMBA Programme, the panel featured Ms Ellen Lim, Assistant General Manager of Sino Group, and Mr Paul Loo, Chief Operating Officer of Lalamove.

The second panel, themed “The Motivation to Innovate – Historical and Theoretical Perspectives”, explored the underlying drivers of innovation and how enterprises can sustain momentum for transformation. Moderated by Mr Patrick Lee, Honorary Institute Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business, the panel featured Mr Dicky Ying, CEO of Mezzofy, and Mr Victor Tan, CEO of eyes3 Sports Technology.

Looking ahead, CII 3.0 will continue to engage enterprises, industry partners and supporting organisations across sectors. By combining academic research, strategic benchmarking and practical business insights, the project aims to build a sustainable innovation support system, help companies identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and contribute to the development of Hong Kong’s corporate innovation ecosystem.