Speaker
Description
Hong Kong is rapidly positioning itself within the global Space economy, supported by a new wave of entrepreneurial actors and recent regulatory developments enabling space-related innovation. Entrepreneurial ecosystem research shows that high-growth entrepreneurship depends on the configuration of culture, networks, finance, policy, and human capital rather than isolated firms or instruments (Isenberg, 2010; Spigel, 2017; Malecki, 2018; Spigel & Harrison, 2018). Recent work has extended this lens to diverse geographical and sectoral contexts, including emerging economies and specialised technology domains, yet the intersection of entrepreneurial ecosystems with highly regulated frontier sectors such as SpaceTech remains underexplored and largely treated at a national level only. Building on prior ecosystem mapping in emerging Asian contexts (Borsano, 2022), this study examines how a SpaceTech innovation ecosystem is emerging in Hong Kong, using the Orion Astropreneur Space Academy (OASA) and the city’s broader Space community as an anchor case.
Recent policy signals — including Chief Executive John Lee’s 2025 Policy Address commitment to streamline vetting procedures for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite licensing and to expand low-altitude and aerospace technology infrastructure — provide a shifting institutional environment that may unlock new pathways for upstream and downstream space ventures.
Using a qualitative methodology, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with ecosystem stakeholders, including founders, policy actors, OASA executives, industry practitioners, and Hong Kong–based legal and regulatory experts specialising in satellite governance and aviation/low-altitude legislation. The study analyzes how entrepreneurial initiatives, talent development programmes, and evolving regulatory frameworks interact to shape early-stage ecosystem formation. Findings will offer actionable insights for policymakers, astronomy partners, and cross-border science–innovation platforms seeking to integrate entrepreneurial ecosystems into space and satellite development agendas.
Borsano, P. (2022). Mapping the Thai entrepreneurial ecosystem: Constraints, trends, entrepreneurial intention and initiative. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2644, 020001.
Isenberg, D. J. (2010). How to start an entrepreneurial revolution. Harvard Business Review, 88(6), 40–50.
Malecki, E. J. (2018). Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Geography Compass, 12(3), e12359.
Spigel, B. (2017). The relational organization of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(1), 49–72.
Spigel, B., & Harrison, R. T. (2018). Towards a process theory of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 12(1), 151–168.
