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Driving economic growth with innovation and technology development is a dominant global trend, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, said today (November 5).
The Government is committed to facilitating the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong. With innovation and technology being recognised as one of the six industries in which Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages, the Government has introduced a number of measures on both the hardware and software fronts to support its growth, he added.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the InnoCarnival 2011 at the Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin, Mr So said that, on the hardware front, the Government will continue to co-operate closely with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation in implementing the development plan of Science Park Phase 3, as well as revitalise industrial estates to cope with social development needs.
The development of Science Park Phase 3 commenced in September this year, and the project is expected to complete in stages from the end of 2013 to 2016. Upon completion of the Phase 3 development project, the Science Parkˇ¦s gross floor area would be increased by 105,000 square metres, and some 4,000 jobs related to research and development (R&D) would be created.
On support on the software front, Mr So pointed out that the Government started to improve the operation of the Innovation and Technology Fund earlier this year to enhance support for R&D projects with realisation or commercialisation potential.
"On support to enterprises, we have launched a scheme to promote trial use of innovation and technology in the public sector. We seek to promote a wider application of innovation and technology in the community, and provide a trial platform for local R&D results, with a view to helping enterprises commercialise their new technologies and inventions in a wider market," Mr So said.
"To grasp every opportunity brought by the National 12th Five-year Plan, we shall also continue to facilitate technology co-operation with the Mainland on all levels," he added.
Mr So said that the Government is committed to strengthening public awareness of innovation and technology and facilitating its development. Key projects in this area include the implementation of the Innovation and Technology Scholarship Award Scheme and the organisation of the InnoCarnival.
This year's InnoCarnival carries three main themes, all closely linked to our daily lives: Health Sciences, Green and Quality Living, and Information and Communication Technology. In addition to activities targeting the younger generation, the carnival also features inventions that are related to the living and health of the elderly. Elderly people can see for themselves how innovation and technology brings about greater convenience and raises their quality of life. To promote science education, there is also an exhibition on local R&D achievements, as well as winning entries and creative inventions by students.
Mr So noted that the success of innovation and technology development depends on community support. He said he hopes that the public can work together with the Government in promoting innovation and technology, and contribute to the development of a knowledge-based economy in Hong Kong.
When Mr So toured the exhibition on local R&D achievements at the carnival, he congratulated the researchers from Ximplar Limited. The technology enterprise, a Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation incubatee, has just won the bronze award in the Wall Street Journal Asiaˇ¦s Asian Innovation Awards this year with the ACEHearing software jointly developed with the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Other guests attending the opening ceremony today included Legislative Council members Mr Wong Ting-kwong, Mr Timothy Fok and Dr Samson Tam; the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr E Anthony Tan; the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Dr Rosanna Wong; the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Ms Christine Fang; the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Miss Elizabeth Tse; and the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Miss Janet Wong.
Ends/Saturday, November 5, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:26
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