DBS Hong Kong: 63% of surveyed companies are optimistic about Hong Kong's business prospects

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on September 14, DBS Hong Kong announced the results of the latest survey on Hong Kong's business prospects. The investigation was carried out before the publication of the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan” and the annual “Policy Address”. According to the survey, companies are generally optimistic about the future. 63% of respondents are optimistic or very optimistic about the business prospects of Hong Kong companies in the next 12 to 18 months.

DBS Hong Kong conducted this survey from August 6 to September 7, 2026. 250 owners and decision makers from Hong Kong SMEs and large and medium-sized enterprises were interviewed. According to the survey, Hong Kong enterprises are improving their competitiveness through a balance between promoting innovation and strengthening operational management. Looking ahead to the next three to five years, 53% of respondents see product or service innovation as the top strategic priority, followed by cost optimization and efficiency improvement (46%), and customer experience improvement (31%). The interviewees also expected targeted measures to lower the investment threshold, support the application of technology, and open up channels for regional opportunities to help enterprises put their confidence in the future into actual investment and business development.

According to the survey, nearly half of the respondents (49%) believe that tax incentives and financial support are the most effective measures to stimulate corporate investment and growth, followed by promoting cross-border trade and investment (40%), supporting innovation and technological development (35%), and simplifying regulatory procedures and approval processes (32%). The survey results show that enterprises expect policies and financing measures to cooperate to reduce the cost and complexity of enterprise investment and drive growth, speed up the commercialization process, and help enterprises expand markets outside Hong Kong.

As Hong Kong prepares to set a longer-term development direction through the first “Five-Year Plan”, respondents believe that the main opportunities brought by the Northern Metropolitan Area include direct cross-border collaboration and entry into the mainland market (30%), and investment opportunities (29%). Another 23% believe that increased demand for products and services will help drive business growth.

Of all respondents, 36% believe that fiscal incentives are the primary measure to encourage enterprises to participate more actively in the development of the northern metropolitan area, followed by promoting cross-border resource flows (28%) and clearer long-term plans and policies (22%). Overall survey results show that although companies agree with the development potential of the northern metropolitan area, they still need more clear business application scenarios, participation channels and incentives to transform market perception into large-scale investment and commercial activities.

The application of artificial intelligence and digital technology continues to increase, especially among large and medium-sized enterprises. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the large and medium-sized enterprises surveyed said that artificial intelligence and digital technology were fully or partially integrated into their business operations; the proportion of relevant applications for SMEs was significantly lower, at 38%. Overall, companies mainly use these technologies to improve product or service quality (49%), streamline operations and reduce costs (48%), and automate routine tasks (36%).

However, companies are still facing many challenges in further applying relevant technology, including a shortage of technical personnel and concerns about data security and privacy, both of which were mentioned by 37% of respondents. Other major challenges include high implementation and ongoing maintenance costs (35%) and the difficulty of integrating new technology with existing systems (34%). The survey results show that public and private institutions can help enterprises expand the scale of technology applications by strengthening practical skills training, providing reliable technical support, and showing more clearly the commercial benefits of technology applications.