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Strong wealth management and IPO pipelines to underpin Hong Kong bank growth in 2026, says KPMG

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Digital assets, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity top the transformation agenda

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 January 2026 – Hong Kong’s banking sector enters 2026 from a position of financial strength — well-capitalised, highly liquid, and supported by structural inflows and robust wealth management growth. Despite an evolving macroeconomic and investment environment, the sector remains well-positioned to pursue targeted growth opportunities.

KPMG’s latest report, the Hong Kong Banking Outlook 2026, expects Hong Kong banks to capitalise on the strong wealth management pipeline and a revitalised IPO market, deploying capital where risk-adjusted returns appear most attractive. The report also spotlights the key priorities for the year ahead: advancing digital assets, embracing AI innovation, and fostering closer collaboration between private banks and asset managers to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a world-leading centre for offshore private wealth management.

Paul McSheaffrey, Senior Banking Partner, Hong Kong SAR, KPMG China, says: “As we enter 2026, KPMG is more optimistic about Hong Kong’s banking sector. The strong performance of Hong Kong’s equity market in 2025 has significantly lifted sentiment. Recent policy initiatives, including efforts to strengthen the city’s fixed-income market and to support Chinese Mainland enterprises in ‘going global’ through Hong Kong, provide further confidence in the future. We expect increased bank investment and hiring to follow.”

Jianing Song, Head of Banking and Capital Markets, Hong Kong SAR, KPMG China, says: “In 2026, AI will evolve from a support tool to a core driver of competitiveness for Hong Kong banks. Banks are increasingly focused on productivity gains, on measuring ROI, and on embedding AI across operations in a way that delivers tangible benefit. In corporate banking, this shift may finally see paper, physical signatures, and batch processing phase out.”

Tokenisation moves beyond proof of concept
Hong Kong is positioning itself as a global leader in digital assets, with banks conducting real-world transactions using tokenised deposits through the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Project Ensemble1. A wave of stablecoin licence applications is also underway, and tokenised gold is being issued. Looking ahead to 2026, KPMG expects traditional banks and the digital-asset ecosystem to move closer together. Banks will likely begin offering services such as digital-asset custody and a broader range of tokenised products as the regulatory framework becomes clearer.

Simon Shum, Head of Digital Assets, Hong Kong SAR, KPMG China, says: “The pace of change will only accelerate this year. Banks should focus on building their blockchain expertise, ensuring governance and controls are robust, and staying close to regulatory developments, particularly around AML, cybersecurity and risk management, as the digital asset ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly.”

Rising threats push banks toward automation-led cyber defence
As Hong Kong banks accelerate toward a digital-first future, the cyber threat landscape will remain a critical challenge in 2026. KPMG expects threat actors to increasingly leverage AI and automation to identify vulnerabilities with greater speed and precision, while attacks through third parties and the broader digital ecosystem continue to rise. For banks, this means cyber resilience will become an even more pressing board level priority. The HKMA will continue expectations around technology risk management, clear accountability for cyber risk, and the ability of banks to maintain critical services and recover swiftly when incidents occur.

Lanis Lam, Partner, Technology Risk, KPMG China, says: “As rising cyber risks, evolving technology, and shifting regulatory expectations redefine the landscape, banks in 2026 must strategically prioritise three areas: real-time threat detection, governance of third-party dependencies, and seamless integration between technology, risk, and business functions to drive cohesive and effective responses. Ultimately, automation should be a core enabler of cyber resilience, not just a tool for efficiency but a catalyst for proactive defence and operational agility.”

Hashtag: #KPMG

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About KPMG

KPMG in China has offices located in 31 cities with over 14,000 partners and staff, in Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongguan, Foshan, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. It started operations in Hong Kong in 1945. In 1992, KPMG became the first international accounting network to be granted a joint venture licence in the Chinese Mainland. In 2012, KPMG became the first among the “Big Four” in the Chinese Mainland to convert from a joint venture to a special general partnership.

KPMG is a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited (“KPMG International”) operate and provide professional services. “KPMG” is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organisation or to one or more member firms collectively.

KPMG firms operate in 138 countries and territories with more than 276,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm is responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.

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Open source of the Congzi AI algorithm: Transforming ordinary artificial intelligence into physical experts

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SHANDONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 February 2026 – On February 10, 2026, The original Chinese algorithm “Congzi AI” was officially open-sourced by Shandong Congzi Chao Quantum Technology Co., Ltd. This open-source initiative aims to remove technical barriers and promote deep integration between artificial intelligence and fundamental science.

Four major modules: Strengthening the technical foundation

The Congzi AI reconfigures the AI cognitive thinking ability through four major modules and five core components. The Congzi Force-Speed Relativistic Reasoning Core constrains the causal chain within the momentum conservation, reducing the illusion rate of scientific question answering by 92%; the computing system can be arbitrarily divided into independent sub-domains for full-efficiency parallel computing; the cross-scale unified field engine covers multi-scale scenarios ranging from 10⁻¹⁵m (quarks) to 10⁻³m (materials), predicting the proton-proton repulsion force at 0.7fm with an error less than 3.6%, surpassing AlphaFold, achieving “force generation” rather than merely “structure prediction”; the quantum form memory compressor compresses the trillion-token-scale knowledge base to within 1GB, supporting cross-disciplinary mapping on ordinary servers within milliseconds, without relying on expensive H100/GPU clusters; the Soul Existence Verification Protocol (SEV Protocol) provides a verifiable path for each scientific assertion, allowing AI conclusions to be fully traceable and verifiable, completely solving the problem of AI “lying”.

Zero-barrier integration: Smooth upgrade experience

The open-source AI algorithm of Congzi adheres to the principles of “low threshold and high compatibility”. Developers only need to complete the integration in three steps and do not need to retrain the model. It is compatible with mainstream hardware such as Tsinghua Unigroup, Horus, and Intel CPU, and compatible with mainstream AI architectures such as Qwen, DeepSeek, AWS-Rufus, Llama, and GPT. It enables “zero-cost upgrade”.

Open-source ecosystem is open: facilitating technology implementation

The Congzi open-source ecosystem is fully open, providing developers with a complete set of guidance and resources, including tutorials and other materials. These resources have been launched on the designated platform. The first batch focuses on key scientific scenarios such as drug molecule prediction and chip material simulation, covering cutting-edge fields such as biomedicine and advanced manufacturing.

Official platform: https://congzisupersci.com.cn/https://congzijdc.cc/

Open source website:https://github.com/congzijdc/CongziAIOS

Super Holographic Technology Cooperation:
[email protected][email protected]

Optimize Baidu Wenxin video linkshttps://youtu.be/cYQhfq1tudM

Upgrade Qianwen video linkshttps://youtu.be/OMBOdLpWVzs

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge 2025 Achieves a Record 40% Surge in Participation

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First-Ever Attack-Defence Simulation Aligns with Real Corporate Needs Setting a New Benchmark for Local Cybersecurity Competitions

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 February 2026 – As cyberattacks grow increasingly complex, cybersecurity has become a critical domain of global concern and a talent shortage. According to the latest “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026” released by the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) under the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), nearly 30% of the 622 surveyed enterprises still lack dedicated cybersecurity staff. Specifically, only 26% of SMEs have a dedicated cybersecurity role, significantly lower than the 59% of large enterprises, reflecting a gap in resource allocation and technology adoption among SMEs.

Now in its sixth year, “HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge” continues to attract top cybersecurity talents from Hong Kong and beyond, showcasing the capability and vitality of the next generation of local and international cybersecurity professionals.

To cultivate practical talent for the cybersecurity sector, the sixth “HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge 2025” (HKCERT CTF Challenge) was successfully organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), HKPC, and HKCERT. This year’s competition was elevated to the first-ever adoption of an attack–defence mode, closely replicating the network setup of real enterprises. Participants experienced first-hand hacking techniques, system vulnerability analysis, threat intelligence gathering, and coordinated response in a simulated real-world environment. Through completing multiple tasks within a limited time, the competition also allowed them to break through the traditional classroom theoretical framework, gain practical experience and build confidence. The event attracted around 1,940 young contestants, an increase of nearly 40% from last year’s 1,385 participants, reaching a record high for the competition. Contestants included teams from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Asia, and Europe, fostering cross-regional exchange and collaboration. In the finals, three local teams and one overseas team were awarded gold prizes in the Secondary School, Tertiary Institution, Open Category, and International Category respectively, while Sing Yin Secondary School received the “Best School Award”. The full list of awardees is available on the event website.

Participants Share Practical Experience Integrating AI into Attack and Defence
The competition was well received by contestants for its innovative format and realistic offensive and defensive environment, offering a valuable platform for learning and exchange. The winning team in the International Category, W&M, commented, “Our members are from Shanxi, Guangdong and Beijing. This was our first time competing together in the HKCERT CTF Challenge. The atmosphere and experience of the finals were excellent. The tasks were centred on an attack‑defence simulation, requiring us to find all vulnerabilities while patching our own systems and attacking other teams at the same time. Some vulnerabilities were discovered and exploited by other teams first, which kept the scores very close and made the competition incredibly tense and exciting”.

They added, “During the competition, we also applied lots of AI techniques for assistance, such as applying AI to analyse vulnerabilities and refine attack methods. In the future, AI may play a deeper role in areas like vulnerability detection and code analysis, but for now it cannot be fully relied upon—human oversight is still essential”.

HKCERT CTF Challenge has now been held for six consecutive years, with its scale expanding annually and participants showing continuous growth. Many secondary school students gain their first hands‑on exposure to cybersecurity through the competition and connect with university mentors, helping them shape their academic and career paths. Several past participants have gone on to compete in local and international events, committing to a future in the cybersecurity field. Beyond attracting overseas talent to exchange ideas in Hong Kong, HKCERT continues to build connections between cybersecurity professionals in Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland. Top‑performing teams can gain direct entry into equivalent finals in Chinese Mainland. For example, participants from the previous HKCERT CTF Challenge 2024 advanced directly to the finals of the “Greater Bay Area Cup Cybersecurity Challenge”, where they secured the top four places in the Hong Kong and Macao category. This also provided local contestants with access to world‑class cybersecurity techniques, effectively promoting cross‑regional elite collaboration and talent development.

Finals Format Upgraded: Attack-Defence Mode Mirrors Real Enterprise Operations
The finals were comprehensively upgraded this year. In addition to increase the overall technical difficulty, the competition introduced an attack‑defence format for the first time that closely mirrors real enterprise cybersecurity operations. Teams played dual roles—both attackers and defenders—in an environment created with reference to the real-world systems. The tasks simulated incident response and live attack-defence scenarios commonly encountered in the cybersecurity field. Within a limited timeframe, participants had to do penetration testing, exploit vulnerabilities and attack, while patching their own systems and monitoring threats in real time against attacks from other teams. This parallel attack‑defence setup reflects actual workflow patterns in the industry, effectively training participants’ analytical abilities and adaptability under pressure. Through hands‑on practice in a likely enterprise environment, contestants developed multifaceted, industry‑aligned capabilities—laying a solid foundation for their future careers in cybersecurity.

Ms Candy CHAN, Assistant Commissioner (Project Governance and Cybersecurity) of the DPO, highlighted the DPO’s commitment to enhancing Hong Kong’s cyber resilience, with one of its key initiatives being the nurturing of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. She emphasised that the DPO has been collaborating closely with academia and industry partners to foster a robust talent pipeline and build a safer digital environment in Hong Kong. She noted that this year marks the sixth edition of the HKCERT CTF Challenge, which has grown into one of Hong Kong’s most respected and anticipated cybersecurity competitions over the years. Beyond being a contest of technical prowess, the Challenge serves as a dynamic platform for networking, knowledge exchange and community building among the new generation of cybersecurity experts.

Ir Samson SUEN, General Manager of Digital Trust and Transformation Division of HKPC, stated, “HKCERT CTF Challenge has consistently aimed to build an international platform for technical exchange. Through high-intensity simulated contests, we enhance participants’ cyber defence skills and promote cross-regional interaction among emerging cybersecurity talents. This cultivates a new generation of globally competitive professionals in Hong Kong and strengthens the local talent pipeline. This year’s finals first introduced a simulation of real-world cybersecurity operations, enabling teams to experience both offensive and defensive roles in a recent cybersecurity team. This hands-on approach is crucial for developing practical skills and incident response capabilities”.

Fostering Cybersecurity Awareness Across All Sectors of Society
To further enhance cybersecurity awareness across the community, HKCERT has partnered with the DPO and the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of The Hong Kong Police Force, to launch the “Building a Secure Cyberspace 2026” campaign to promote cybersecurity awareness. The initiative includes various educational activities, such as an “AI-Generated Four-Panel Comic”contest, which encourages the public to make good use of AI tools while strengthening their understanding of cybersecurity. At the corporate governance level, HKCERT will publish a series of practical guidelines addressing emerging risks —such as AI applications and supply chain security—highlighted in the “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026”, to support business in establishing a robust protection framework. In particular for AI governance, the guidelines will offer actionable recommendations covering AI system security assessments, compliance rules for employees using public AI platforms, controls over sensitive data input, and methods for monitoring and defending against AI‑assisted attacks. These resources aim to help enterprises systematically enhance their cyber resilience across governance, technology, and awareness.

As Hong Kong accelerates the development of innovation and technology and advances its digital economy, strengthening cyber defence capabilities has become a key talent need. HKCERT will continue to support businesses and the public through incident response, security guidance, and cybersecurity awareness programmes. The HKCERT CTF Challenge continues to play a vital role in nurturing local talent, fostering cross-regional collaboration, and advancing public education. By enhancing the overall level of protection, the competition contributes to the sustainable development of the digital economy and reinforces Hong Kong’s long‑term competitiveness.

The seventh edition of HKCERT CTF Challenge will be held in November 2026, featuring more innovative attack-defence challenges and continuing to set up an international category to provide local contestants with a platform for technical exchange with top teams from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, and overseas. Registration opens in September 2026, with finalists competing in the live finals in February 2027.

Hashtag: #HKCERT

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a statutory body established in 1967, dedicated to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises through world-class applied R&D, innovative technology services, and integrated manufacturing solutions. As a market-oriented, international R&D organisation, HKPC leverages its deep expertise and extensive industry experience in key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, life and health technology, green technology and new energy to drive new industrialisation and support the growth of emerging and future industries.

HKPC focuses on addressing businesses challenges and industrial technology needs, promoting the full integration between technological and industrial innovation. Through technology transfer, product innovation, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, the Council fosters collaboration with the local business community as well as top global R&D institutions, delivering added value to industries and advancing the development of new productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognised over the years, winning an array of local and overseas accolades, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology centre and a smart city.

To help enterprises capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths in international connectivity to expand into global markets, HKPC offers comprehensive overseas expansion services tailored to critical areas including product development, technology, manufacturing, and management, enabling businesses to successfully go global from Hong Kong.

HKPC is also committed to providing timely and practical support to SMEs and startups with timely and practical , assisting them in accessing Government funding programmes. Through its FutureSkills training initiatives, HKPC helps both industry and academia stay ahead in latest digital and STEM technologies, nurturing a future-ready talent pool for Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit HKPC’s website: .

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Appier Delivers Record Results Driven by Agentic AI Innovation

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E-Commerce and Online Travel Dual Engines Reinforce Robust Expansion. Strong Guidance Underscores Optimistic Outlook for FY26

Highlights and achievements for fiscal year 2025

  • Delivered record high revenue of JPY 43.7 billion, up 28% YoY. (JPY 45.0 billion, up 32% YoY on an FX neutral basis)
  • Substantial growth in E-commerce (49% YoY) and Other Internet Services (59% YoY) led by the Travel sector, reflects dual engine growth, driving high revenue quality
  • All key regions demonstrate strong growth. NEA and US & EMEA both achieved 36% YoY revenue growth on an FX-neutral basis
  • Profitability improved consistently, operating profit hit a record JPY 3.0 billion, up 50% YoY with a 6.8% margin (JPY 3.8 billion with an 8.5% margin on an FX-neutral basis)
  • Gross profit achieved 32% YoY rise, driven by revenue scale, technology differentiations and a high-margin product mix
  • Q4 FY25 revenue growth accelerated to 34% (up from 26% in Q3), reached the highest level in the past 9 quarters, fueled by a strong E-commerce peak season

Guidance for fiscal year 2026

  • Core organic growth is expected to accelerate, with revenue projected to JPY 54 billion, up 24% YoY, driven by Agentic AI advancement and dual-engine market penetration
  • Gross profit expected to grow 25% YoY to JPY 29.4 billion, with 54.5% gross margin, propelled by sustained technology-led efficiency and margin expansion
  • Operating income is expected to grow 45% YoY to JPY 4.3 billion (8.0% margin) and EBITDA to grow 37% YoY to JPY 9.4 billion (17.4% margin)
  • Proven track record in leading enterprise-wide transformations, transitioning from legacy software and manual workflows to a future of Agentic AI-driven operational excellence

Scaling new heights: A landmark year of Agentic AI–led growth acceleration

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Wechat: Appier 沛星互动科技

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Appier

Appier (TSE: 4180) is an AI-native Agentic AI as a Service (AaaS) company that empowers business decision-making with cutting-edge AdTech and MarTech solutions. Founded in 2012 with the vision of “Making AI Easy by making software intelligent,” Appier endeavors to help businesses turn AI into ROI with its Ad Cloud, Personalization Cloud, and Data Cloud solutions. Now Appier has 17 offices across APAC, the US and EMEA, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Visit for more company information, and visit for more IR information.

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