The findings of the “2025 Business Sentiment Survey” for foreign-linked companies were unveiled this week, noting that amidst certain economic challenges, businesses maintain a cautious optimism towards the economic prospects of Macau and its neighbouring regions.
The data was unveiled during a presentation of the report at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) on Monday evening. Valid responses were received from 27 member companies of chambers of commerce, with the survey, the first one tailored for Macau and serving as an initial exploratory study, conducted by the Macau European Chamber of Commerce’s (MECC) Economic Development Group in conjunction with USJ’s Faculty of Business and Law from June 11 to August 8.
“The purpose of this survey is to take the pulse of the European companies that are established here in Macau, to try to understand what is their sentiment regarding the business environment and what are their prospects for the future”, MECC Executive Vice President and convener of the survey working group Rui Pedro Cunha told reporters on Monday, before the presentation
Cunha also told the Post that they expect to have the survey done periodically in the future. The survey, he added, will allow them to understand where the opportunities are, what is going well, and what can be adjusted to “make sure that Macau is more attractive for foreign companies that want to establish themselves here”.
The findings were presented by USJ Faculty of Business and Law Dean Jenny Philips.
Among notable findings were opportunities in technological innovation, regional integration and talent mobility. The data showed that 70.4 percent of the surveyed enterprises prioritise technology and AI in their research and development focus, while over 60 percent of the foreign invested enterprises have established business agreements or partnerships with Chinese mainland entities.
Moreover, while there is optimism for regulatory changes to attract foreign investments, challenges persist in cross-border data protection, legal matters, and trade regulations. Findings also show that there is interest in Hengqin, being mainly driven by its cost benefits and market access.
Following the survey presentation, Philips told reporters that from the small sample surveyed, there was “a general direction showing that there is high expectation in the regulatory changes” in Macau and the Chinese mainland, as well as towards a positive expectation of business. “As we can see that most companies either did not change or increase investment in their business last year”.
Philips told the Post that while the sample size for the research is small, it provides “a dashboard of what is happening now”, adding that this can give them a view of how the business scene for foreign-linked business in Macau looks. From there, Macau’s researchers can identify angles and directions for broader application to get better result for generalisation, she said.
USJ Faculty of Business and Law Dean Jenny Philips presents the findings of the “2025 Business Sentiment Survey” on Monday evening at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Ilha Verde. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
MECC Executive Vice President and convener of the survey working group Rui Pedro Cunha speaks with reporters before the survey presentation.
