Productivity agencies from Hong Kong and Macao are advancing collaboration through diversified initiatives to assist local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access broader markets.

The partnership was highlighted during a working meeting on Thursday in Macao jointly organized by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center (CPTTM).

The meeting was part of HKPC’s engagement session series — which had conveyed 13 meetings across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) — to gain a deeper understanding of the transformation and upgrading needs of enterprises in the cluster while forging synergies with peer institutions.

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Edmond Lai Shiao-bun, chief digital officer and chief executive officer of Mainland Business of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, said in a media interview before the meeting that HKPC and CPTTM are co-authoring the Macao Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practice Technical Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedure Templates, slated for release in June.

He said the guideline will help local pharmaceutical firms establish compliant facilities, advancing Macao’s traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and healthcare sectors.

Lai said HKPC has recognized Macao’s growth potential through its past support on Macao’s pharmaceutical and food industries, including digital transformation and quality control.

By assisting in the formulation of industry standards, HKPC hopes to diversify its support for Macao enterprises, Lai said.

Lai said the primary consideration for companies expanding internationally is to adhere to standards and intellectual property issues in overseas markets.

The HKPC has previously provided services related to international market standards, helping Hong Kong firms well-versed in standards for both mainland and international market, and he believes this endeavor can help Macao businesses, too.

Such collaboration will also benefit Hong Kong enterprises. For instance, Lai said, in the low-altitude economy, in which Hong Kong lacks suitable locations for flight operations, collaboration with Macao and the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin could ease the bottleneck and boost the development of the low-altitude economy in both two cities.

Carina Leong Sin-man, CPTTM’s senior manager of its External Cooperation and Development Department, highlighted Macao government's strong drive toward diverse industrial development, with technology being a crucial component.

She said that most Macao enterprises are small and medium-sized, facing common challenges in digitalization and intelligent development and needing more scenarios to test its services and products.

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HKPC can provide comprehensive assistance to Macao businesses through technology integration, cross-domain collaboration and talent development, Leong said.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com