Hong Kong’s shipping industry is at a critical stage of transformation and upgrading. A PolyU study has found that the city’s shipping ecosystem is gradually evolving from a traditional container terminal-led model towards a new diversified landscape jointly driven by freight forwarding, maritime services, insurance, finance, and cross-boundary collaboration.
The study is led by Prof. Mike LAI Kee-hung, Co-Director of the Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA), Associate Dean (Academic Support) of the Faculty of Business, Interim Head of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies, and Chair Professor of Shipping and Logistics. It notes that, while container terminals remain an important foundation of the shipping system, the core momentum behind the industry’s sustainable development has increasingly shifted to freight forwarders and a range of professional services with stronger digital capabilities and greater efficiency in resource integration. Amid intensifying port competition within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and uncertainty arising from the restructuring of global supply chains, Hong Kong must move beyond a development mindset focused solely on growth in throughput. To consolidate its position as an international shipping centre, the city should instead strengthen the connectivity and transformation capacity of its overall shipping ecosystem.
Prof. Lai suggests that Hong Kong should focus on three key priorities in the future: accelerating port digitalisation and data connectivity; strengthening collaboration with Greater Bay Area cities in sea-land-air intermodal transport; and further expanding and upgrading high value-added professional services such as marine insurance, maritime finance, compliance advisory, and green finance. These efforts will help drive Hong Kong’s transition from a “port city” to a comprehensive international shipping services centre.
Online coverage:
Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4vJKDPf
| Research Units | Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement |
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