Hong Kong backs collaborative contracts as disputes stay lower

Survey points to stronger trust across projects.

The construction sector showed the strongest backing for collaborative contracts among five markets surveyed, with fewer respondents reporting frequent formal disputes over the past five years, according to research commissioned by NEC Contracts.

The study found that 85% of Hong Kong respondents support wider adoption of collaborative contracts, whilst 40% said they had direct experience working on projects using them, the highest among the markets covered.

Only 17% of Hong Kong respondents said formal dispute resolution had been frequently necessary in the past five years, below the global average of 26%, the report said.

It also found that 85% of respondents in Hong Kong viewed trust between parties as critical to successful project outcomes, whilst 84% said stronger collaboration helped resolve issues more quickly.

Hong Kong stood out in generational attitudes, with younger construction professionals more positive about trust and collaboration than their senior peers, reversing the pattern seen in every other market surveyed.

The report said 58% of early-career respondents in Hong Kong rated industry trust levels as high, compared with 37% of more experienced professionals.

The study, conducted by OnePoll between February and March 2026, surveyed 1,065 construction and built-environment professionals across the UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Peru.