Abstract

This case examines Derek Chim’s efforts to transform the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) from a largely administrative, program-driven organization into a proactive, founder-centric startup ecosystem operator. Drawing on his background in consulting, corporate innovation, and multiple entrepreneurial ventures—both successful and failed—Chim recognized that traditional, passive support models were insufficient in a fast-evolving global technology landscape. By 2024, Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem had expanded rapidly, supported by increased government investment and a growing number of ventures, yet it continued to face structural weaknesses, including fragmented support, talent constraints, geopolitical uncertainty, and intense regional competition.

Upon joining HKSTP, Chim identified that its rigid separation of ideation, incubation, and acceleration programs encouraged compliance-driven behavior rather than genuine startup development. To address this, he introduced a comprehensive organizational redesign anchored in the FUEL framework—Follow, Upskill, Expose, and Linkage. This approach restructured leadership roles around functional responsibilities, realigned staff incentives with startup outcomes, and emphasized milestone-based tracking, capability building, global exposure, and ecosystem connectivity. Initiatives such as structured biannual reviews, founder and staff upskilling, international booster programs, curated investor platforms, and strengthened corporate and peer linkages aimed to position HKSTP as an active partner in startup validation, scaling, and globalization.

The case highlights both the opportunities and challenges of ecosystem-level transformation, including sustaining cultural change, ensuring financial sustainability, and differentiating Hong Kong amid global innovation hubs. It invites readers to consider how entrepreneurial leadership, organizational design, and incentive alignment can shape the effectiveness of public-sector innovation intermediaries, and whether such founder-first transformations can endure beyond individual leadership and early successes.

Learning Objectives

This case aims to help learners understand how entrepreneurial leadership can drive organizational and ecosystem-level transformation. It explores the redesign of innovation support structures, incentive alignment, and capability building within a public-sector context, and examines strategic trade-offs in sustaining a founder-first, globally competitive startup ecosystem.