Local artist Michael Kwong, who studied illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design in the United States - and once turned down a job at The Walt Disney Company - spent time, effort and money developing a series of character figures and storylines for the international market. Without much success, at first.

A business breakthrough came when Mr Kwong's Galaxy Bunch series of characters was well-received at a trade fair in Taiwan, raising the profile of his company, Locomotive Production Limited, particularly in Taiwan, Europe and the US. To extend his reach, Mr Kwong capitalised on the Business Matching service of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which helped him build new markets in Japan and Australia. Mr Kwong says the HKTDC's specialists were very professional, providing in-depth industry research and analysis of market prospects. An appropriate Japanese buyer was identified and a meeting was arranged for both sides within two months. "The buyer they located was a perfect match for both parties," says Mr Kwong.

"We will launch the Galaxy Bunch series comic book in Japan. There is also a great deal of potential in the market for character figures in Australia. Through the Australian toy company introduced by the HKTDC, we are in touch with a major international toy brand, paving the way for our entry into the Australian and US markets," he says.

Mr Kwong's Galaxy Mob "cybot" characters, depicted as having mechanical bodies and human minds, have also been made into a set of vinyl figures. Less than eight centimetres high, they may not take over the world, but they are certainly making their mark - with the help of the HKTDC Business Matching service.

Rewritten from Next Magazine, Hong Kong, 27 March 2008.