*********************************************************
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) clinched the top positions in four categories at the Strategic Direct Investor magazine's inaugural Asia Pacific IPA Awards 2003.
The HKSAR Government's investment promotion agency won Best Overall Managed Investment Promotion Agency (IPA), Best North Asia IPA, Best IPA in Creating Partnerships and Best IPA in Attracting Financial Services Investment.
InvestHK was also runner-up for the Best Marketing Campaign, Best Targeted Strategy and Best Client Service Provision.
The Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Mr Mike Rowse, was runner-up in the CEO Lifetime Achievement category.
Mr Rowse said today (June 22): "We are very pleased and honoured to have won these prestigious awards. They will serve as an encouragement for all of us in the department to work even harder to promote Hong Kong's advantages."
He continued: "Since our inception in July 2000, InvestHK has built up an infrastructure to effectively support international companies in their investment decisions and promote Hong Kong as the key business hub in the Asia Pacific. We are now expanding our capabilities and services at InvestHK, and these awards confirm that we are on the right track."
Following is a full list of Asia Pacific IPA Award winners 2003:
Best Overall Managed IPA in Asia Pacific
----------------------------------------
Winner: InvestHK
Runners-up: Invest Australia and Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre
Best IPA in North Asia
----------------------
Winner: InvestHK
Runners-up: Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre and South Korea KOTRA
Best IPA in the Pacific region
------------------------------
Winner: Invest Australia
Runners-up: Queensland Dept of State Development and NSW Dept of State and Regional Development
Best IPA in the Indian subcontinent
-----------------------------------
Winner: Sri Lanka Board of Investment (BOI)
Runners-up: Foreign Investment Promotion Board India and Pakistan BOI
Best IPA in South East Asia
---------------------------
Winner: Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
Runners-up: Taiwan Industrial Development and Investment Centre and Philippines BOI
Most Improved IPA in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------
Winner: Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre
Runners-up: Beijing International Investment Promotion Council and Papua New Guinea Investment Promotion Authority
CEO Lifetime Achievement Award
------------------------------
Winner: Philip Yeo, Singapore EDB
Runners-up: Arujnna Mahendran, Sri Lanka BOI and Mike Rowse, InvestHK
Best Marketing Campaign by an IPA in Asia Pacific
-------------------------------------------------
Winner: South Korea KOTRA
Runners-up: InvestHK and Invest Australia
Best IPA Website in Asia Pacific
--------------------------------
Winner: Invest Australia
Runners-up: Sri Lanka BOI and Beijing Investment Platform
Best Targeted Strategy by IPA in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------
Winner: Singapore EDB
Runners-up: Queensland Dept of State Development and InvestHK
Best Client Service Provision by an IPA in Asia Pacific
-------------------------------------------------------
Winner: Singapore EDB
Runners-up: InvestHK and NSW Dept of State and Regional Development
Best IPA in Asia Pacific in Creating Partnerships
-------------------------------------------------
Winner: InvestHK
Runners-up: Business Victoria and JETRO, Japan
Best Deal Facilitation
----------------------
Winner: Beijing Foreign Investment Service Centre
Runners-up: State Level Investment Promotion Board, Tamil Nadu and Foreign Investment Promotion Board India
Best Greenfield Investment by IPA in Asia Pacific
-------------------------------------------------
Winner: Guangzhou International Investment Promotion Council
Runners-up: Investment Coordinating Board Indonesia and Malaysian Industrial Development Authority
Best Secondary Investment by IPA in Asia Pacific
------------------------------------------------
Winner: Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre
Runners-up: Philippines BOI and Thailand BOI
Best IPA in Attracting Manufacturing Investment in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------
Winner: Thailand BOI
Runners-up: Tianjin Foreign Investment and Services Centre, China and Foreign Investment Promotion Board India
Best IPA in Attracting Research & Development Investment in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------
Winner: Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre
Runners-up: South Korea KOTRA and Business Victoria
Best IPA in Attracting Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Investment in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------
Winner: India Foreign Investment Promotion Board
Runners-up: Business Victoria and Shanghai Foreign Investment Service Centre
Best IPA in Attracting Biotech/ Pharmaceutical Investment in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------
Winner: Singapore EDB
Runners-up: Taiwan Industrial Development and Investment Centre and Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Dev Corp
Best IPA in Attracting Financial Services Investment in Asia Pacific
---------------------------------------------------------
Winner: InvestHK
Runners-up: Queensland Dept of State Development and China Investment and Technology Promotion Office
Ends/Sunday, June 22, 2003
Issued at HKT 14:54
NNNN