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At a meeting with the Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, Charles Meeker (June 9, Raleigh time), Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York, Ms Monica Chen, said researchers, scientists, and companies in Raleigh and Raleigh's Research Triangle Park might wish to consider possible collaboration with Hong Kong-based companies in the areas of research and development.
Introducing the establishment of the Hong Kong Science Park Biotech Centre, Ms Chen told Mayor Meeker that the Hong Kong SAR Government's commitment to support the continued growth of biotech industries in the territory would further enhance Hong Kong's status as a hub for innovation and biotechnology.
She said, Hong Kong had an Innovation and Technology Fund, which had supported about 1,400 projects with total funding of around US$512 million (HK$4 billion) since it was set up in 1999.
"The Hong Kong Science Park is home to more than 200 technology companies across a wide spectrum of industries, ranging from integrated circuits and electronics to biotechnology and green technology.
"These companies comprise start-ups to small-and-medium enterprises (SME) to multi-national corporations," she said, adding that the pool of quality graduates and researchers in Hong Kong could contribute to successful collaboration efforts.
Ms Chen said scientists and researchers in Hong Kong and Mainland China had also enhanced collaborations in R&D in recent years. For example, R&D institutes in both Hong Kong and Guangdong were carrying out joint applied research and development through the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Co-operation Funding Scheme.
The governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen also cooperated in launching its first major technology cooperation project under the "Shenzhen Hong Kong Innovation Circle" to establish a Solar Energy Research and Industrial Platform in collaboration with DuPont. The DuPont Apollo Global Thin Film Photovoltaic Business Headquarters and Research and Development Centre officially opened in the Hong Kong Science Park in March this year.
"Hong Kong, with its unrivalled geographical location and world class infrastructure, is an attractive place for entrepreneurs who are looking to start their business or to form joint-ventures with Hong Kong companies," said Ms Chen. "We also have a low and simple tax system, a free flow of capital and information, the rule of law and a strong intellectual property protection – key factors cited by many American businesses that have set up shop in Hong Kong."
During the meeting, Ms Chen gave an update on the latest economic situation in Hong Kong, pointing out that Hong Kong had adopted a number of measures in the current financial tsunami to stabilise the financial markets, support small and medium-size enterprises and preserve employment.
During her visit to Raleigh, Ms Chen visited the Research Triangle Park and met with executives from the Research Triangle Regional Partnership to learn more about this public-private partnership and also to discuss potential collaborations and partnerships.
Ms Chen visited North Carolina State University and addressed faculty members and students of the School of Public and International Affairs at a luncheon presentation, where she spoke on US-Hong Kong relations in the areas of trade, education and cultural exchanges as well as the economic strategy adopted by the Hong Kong SAR Government in the current global economic downturn.
Ms Chen said that Hong Kong was also leveraging its close integration with the economy of mainland China, noting that the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement or CEPA helped facilitate greater access to the China market for firms established in Hong Kong.
Ms Chen also spoke on Hong Kong's development as an education hub. She noted that Hong Kong was well-positioned to provide quality higher education in the region, due to the city's cosmopolitan outlook, strong links with mainland China, its world-class universities, and diversified system of education.
"Last year, we established a Research Endowment Fund to be allocated to our universities to work on researches on themes of a long-term nature and strategically beneficial to the development of Hong Kong," said Ms Chen. "We will be introducing a Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme from 2010/11 to attract the best and brightest students to Hong Kong to pursue their PhD programs in our institutions."
Ends/Thursday, June 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 02:26
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