HKEX Launches AI Index and Semiconductor Index, Signs China Licensing Deal

HKEX Introduces Tech Benchmarks for AI and Semiconductor Sectors

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) launched two new indexes on October 23, 2026, designed to track companies operating in artificial intelligence and semiconductor industries1

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. The move expands HKEX's range of tech benchmarks as investor demand for AI infrastructure, chips, and related technologies continues to accelerate. These indexes provide market participants with structured tools to monitor performance across high-growth sectors that are reshaping global technology landscapes.

The exchange simultaneously signed a licensing agreement with China Southern Asset Management, enabling the development of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on the HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index for mainland China investors3

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. This partnership could simplify access for mainland investors seeking exposure to AI-related Hong Kong-listed companies through index-linked investment products.

HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index Covers Five Layers of AI Ecosystem

The HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index tracks 40 Hong Kong-listed companies with significant exposure to the AI value chain1

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. Rather than concentrating solely on firms developing AI models, the index encompasses businesses involved in the broader technology ecosystem required to build and operate AI systems2

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The AI index covers five distinct layers: chip design, data centers, AI infrastructure, AI models, and software and physical applications3

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. This comprehensive approach reflects the reality that AI development depends on multiple interconnected components, from specialized processors to cloud computing facilities and application software. HKEX's selection and weighting methodology favors companies with significant AI-related research and development spending and capital expenditure2

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. This fundamental-based approach aims to identify firms making substantial investments in AI capabilities rather than those merely claiming AI exposure.

HKEX Semiconductor Index Tracks 30 Major Companies

The HKEX Semiconductor Index follows the 30 largest semiconductor-related companies listed in Hong Kong1

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. The semiconductor index covers manufacturing, equipment, electronic components, computing hardware, and storage—all critical elements for developing AI systems that require specialized chips, computing capacity, and supporting infrastructure2

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Constituents are selected using a methodology that prioritizes companies demonstrating meaningful involvement in semiconductor production and innovation3

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. The index gives investors a way to monitor a diverse range of semiconductor businesses rather than tracking individual stocks, providing a clearer picture of sector-wide performance and trends.

Licensing Agreement Opens Mainland China Market Access

The licensing agreement between HKEX and China Southern Asset Management represents a strategic move to connect Hong Kong's AI and semiconductor indexes with mainland China's investment community. While HKEX has not announced specific launch dates or product details for the ETF, the partnership could make it considerably easier for mainland investors to gain exposure to AI-related Hong Kong-listed companies through regulated investment vehicles2

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This development aligns with broader efforts to integrate Hong Kong and mainland China financial markets while providing Chinese investors with diversified technology investment options. Exchange-traded funds tracking the AI index could attract substantial capital flows given mainland China's growing interest in artificial intelligence investments and the limited direct access many mainland investors have to Hong Kong-listed technology companies.

What This Means for Technology Investment Strategies

The launch of these indexes reflects intensifying interest in AI and semiconductor investments globally. For investors, the HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index and HKEX Semiconductor Index offer structured approaches to monitor these sectors, though performance will depend on underlying company results, market conditions, and technology spending trends2

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. Financial firms can now develop funds and investment products linked to these benchmarks, expanding options for clients seeking technology sector exposure.

Watch for how these indexes perform relative to global AI and semiconductor benchmarks, particularly as geopolitical factors influence technology supply chains and investment flows between Hong Kong and mainland China. The indexes' methodology emphasizing research and development spending could favor companies positioned for long-term AI infrastructure buildout rather than short-term speculation, potentially attracting institutional investors seeking sustained technology sector growth.