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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Hong Kong and Skåne on Co-operation in the Fields of Innovation Policies and Innovative Solutions today (August 22):
Ms (Annika) Annerby Jansson (the President of the Skåne Regional Council in the Kingdom of Sweden), Professor (Sanimir) Resic (the Vice-Chancellor of Kristianstad University), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
Welcome to the MOU signing ceremony between Hong Kong and Skåne on Co-operation in the Fields of Innovation Policies and Innovative Solutions. It is my pleasure to be here today to seal this co-operation agreement with Skåne of Sweden, which is one of the most dynamic areas in Europe for science and technological innovations. I would also like to extend my warmest welcome to the Skåne delegation headed by Ms Annerby Jansson, who has made a special trip to Hong Kong for this signing ceremony.
The co-operation and collaboration between Hong Kong and Skåne are flourishing on various fronts, ranging from trade to environmental protection. In 2011, the City of Malmö and our Environment Bureau signed the Sustainability Charter to enhance collaboration between the two cities on environmental issues. In the past few years, delegations from the Cities of Malmö and Lund visited the InnoCarnival - our annual flagship event in promoting innovation and technology to the general public. I am delighted to hear that Sweden's first InnoCarnival, the InnoCarnival Skåne, will be held in Malmö in November this year. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation is also one of the most important supporting partners of this exciting event. I am also very pleased that Sweden is the partner country of our Business of Design Week to be held this December, bringing to Hong Kong some of the world's most outstanding design masters and influential business figures to inspire the audience in creative thinking and design management.
Today, we face regional and global challenges on many fronts, such as personal health, smart sustainable cities and food quality. We see great potential in innovations in the life sciences, smart materials, food sciences as well as design in addressing these challenges. These regional and global challenges represent a huge market which cannot be addressed by any individual enterprise, university or even economy. It requires effective international co-operation among policy-makers, industry, universities and research. Recognising that the challenges of stimulating innovation and economic growth are of mutual interest to both Hong Kong and Skåne, we have reached the understanding to share the experience and engage in more co-operation in the fields of innovation capacity and innovative solutions. The MOU to be signed this afternoon covers six areas of co-operation, namely, personal health, food sciences, smart sustainable cities, smart materials, life sciences and design. It is of mutual benefit to Hong Kong and Skåne to develop and strengthen co-operation in these six areas for sustainable development.
I am delighted with the signing of the MOU, which marks an important milestone in strengthening the ties between Hong Kong and Skåne. With a strong commitment from the government of both sides, I am confident that this collaboration will inspire more joint innovative activities between the two places in future, driving the developments in the six selected innovative areas between Hong Kong and Skåne to new heights.
Thank you.
Ends/Friday, August 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:11
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