EY releases joint survey with HKTDC and thought leadership report at AFF 2026

As the Knowledge Partner of the Asian Financial Forum (AFF), EY Greater China Region (EY) launches two reports at the AFF 2026 this week – the AFF 2026 Joint Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and EY Survey From Disruption to Blueprint: Charting the Future of Global Growth (“joint survey”) and the EY thought leadership report AI bank white paper – Reconstructing the financial paradigm through intelligent agents.

From Disruption to Blueprint: Charting the Future of Global Growth

The joint survey aims to understand how corporations and institutional investors are recalibrating their global strategies under the new landscape shaped by macroeconomic shifts, geopolitical dynamics and technological transformation. It examines the key priorities, operating models and pain points that will define the next stage of global expansion and capital allocation. More importantly, the joint survey also highlights Hong Kong’s strategic value as a core financial hub in enabling and accelerating global deployment.

Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and Greater China Regional Managing Partner, says at the presentation of the joint survey on the first day of the AFF: “Our research shows that prolonged uncertainty has become the new baseline, yet global expansion remains a strategic imperative. Companies have now entered the ‘Go Global 3.0’ era – shifting from scale driven growth to deeper integration and more sophisticated cross border operating models. In this journey, Hong Kong plays a unique value adding role, evolving from a super connector to a proactive growth orchestrator where capital, compliance and competitive strengths converge. We hope this study guides leaders to build resilience, act boldly on overseas opportunities and leverage Hong Kong as the critical hub that enables sustainable, high quality global expansion.”

Key joint survey insights

Uncertainty becomes the baseline, driving a focus on resilience

• Over 90% of respondents expect high levels of uncertainty to persist for at least a year, prompting enterprises to adopt a resilience-by-design approach at the strategy-setting stage.
• Most executives identify technology disruption, geopolitical tensions and slowing economic growth as the top risks.
• The majority are accelerating digital transformation (AI and automation), portfolio reshaping and supply chain diversification.

Pursuing overseas growth with a strong focus on ecosystem partnership

• 54% of the enterprises plan to increase the share of overseas business, with Asia‑Pacific region as the anchor for expansion.
• Regulatory uncertainty and compliance complexity remain the biggest hurdle for enterprises expanding overseas, making the value of professional insights and guidance increasingly essential.
• Most enterprises view ecosystem partnership as the most effective market-entry strategy, leveraging commercial partnerships (68%), M&A (51%), or joint ventures (38%) to help reduce market-entry risks.

Hong Kong’s strategic value continues to empower enterprises’ global growth

• 78% of respondents consider Hong Kong a critical hub or important node that enables their Asia growth strategy.
• Hong Kong has a unique combination of strengths – financial market ecosystem, accessibility to the Chinese mainland, international legal and regulatory framework, global connectivity and professional services and a meeting point for global talent and culture.
• Hong Kong’s role is evolving from a super‑connector to a proactive growth orchestrator, empowering enterprises to access larger markets and create lasting value.

The survey was conducted from 8 December 2025 to 12 January 2026, gathering online responses from leaders of corporations and investors spanning diverse industries, including financial services, technology, manufacturing and industrial across Asia. EY aims to provide clearer perspectives and actionable direction through this study, helping enterprises navigate uncertainty with more resilient and forward looking growth strategies.

The Chinese roadmap of reconstructing the financial paradigm through AI

EY also unveiled the latest thought leadership report AI bank white paper – Reconstructing the financial paradigm through intelligent agents: Chinese path, global perspective and implementation roadmap during AFF 2026. The report highlights that artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving from an “efficiency enhancing tool” into the core driving force of transformation in the financial industry. This shift is triggering a new wave of reinvention across operating models, risk management systems and organizational structures. At its core, the AI native bank is built on intelligent agents as fundamental units, enabling a shift from “human driven processes” to “agent orchestrated processes,” thereby achieving a fundamental transformation of the banking model.

EY also introduced a five stage maturity model that gives offering Chinese financial institutions a clear upgrade path for upgrading their capabilities. The model guides them from tool based adoption to fill ecosystem level development. China has been progressing rapidly in this field, supported by a stable regulatory environment and abundant real world application scenarios, and is becoming a key global reference for intelligent finance.

The report highlights four key insights:

• Redefining the AI banking paradigm:

An AI bank functions as an “intelligence driven growth engine + autonomously operating risk architecture + human machine collaborative organizational model.” Its ambition is not merely to be “more digital,” but to evolve into an “intelligent value unit” that can be embedded across diverse industries.

• A China specific development pathway:

Under policy principles emphasizing “security, stability, and orderly development,” China’s banking sector is rapidly scaling AI deployment. From platform based implementations by large banks, to journey level intelligence in joint stock banks, and targeted deepening within regional banks, a multi layered, China characteristic innovation framework has emerged.

• Assessment and navigation:

The five stage maturity model introduced by EY – pilot exploration, scenario application, process reconstruction, business integration and super-intelligent prototype – supports institutions in evaluating their current state and planning future development. Progressing through these stages requires simultaneous advancement in three capabilities: customer engagement, risk management and trustworthy AI governance.

• Recommended actions:

Successful transformation relies on aligning technology strategy with business strategy. This paper provides tailored advancement paths, organizational reform plans and ecosystem collaboration strategies for banks at different stages, centered on building a sustainable innovation system with measurable value, embedded governance and ecosystem capabilities.

The report concludes that intelligent agent technologies are reshaping banks’ growth, risk and organizational models, becoming a critical catalyst of the future development of financial sector. EY aims to work with the industry to seize this transformational opportunity and move toward a more intelligent, inclusive and trustworthy financial future.

-Ends-

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