• The Macau European Chamber of Commerce released its “2025 Business Sentiment Survey” report at the University of Saint Joseph.
• Results show that, despite global economic challenges, surveyed companies remain cautiously optimistic about the outlook for Macau and neighboring regions.

The Macau European Chamber of Commerce (MECC) released the “2025 Business Sentiment Survey” report on 9 February at the University of Saint Joseph, aiming to systematically capture the views and expectations of foreign-linked enterprises operating in Macau regarding the local economic environment, policy trends and regional cooperation.

The survey was conducted as a collaboration between the MECC Economic Development Group and the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Saint Joseph. It gathered responses from 27 member companies and analyzed the priority factors influencing investment decisions in Macau and Hengqin, with the goal of supporting foreign participation in Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.

Results show that, despite global economic challenges, surveyed companies remain cautiously optimistic about the outlook for Macau and neighboring regions and see opportunities in areas such as technological innovation, regional integration and talent mobility.

Key findings of the report include a modest improvement in companies’ outlook for 2025 compared with 2024; generally stable investment intentions, with most respondents planning to maintain or slightly increase investment in Macau; and that 70.4% of respondents prioritize technology and artificial intelligence in their R&D efforts.

The survey also found that Hengqin’s appeal mainly stems from cost advantages, access to the mainland market and talent pool, and alignment with Macau’s “1+4” economic diversification strategy. More than 60% of respondents have established business agreements or partnerships with mainland entities and most believe the political environments of the EU and the US have limited impact on their operations in Macau.

Rui Pedro Cunha, Executive Vice President of MECC and Convener of the Survey Working Group, said the survey provides a systematic, data-based picture of foreign-linked businesses’ real perceptions of the business environment, replacing the reliance on scattered observations in the past.