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A strategic plan recommending measures to promote co-operation in innovation and technology in the Pan Pearl River Delta (Pan-PRD) region was endorsed at a regional conference in Hong Kong today (September 30).
The 4th Pan PRD Joint Conference on Regional Co-operation in Science and Technology endorsed the "Planning Study on Pan-PRD Co-operation in Science and Technology for 2006-2010" (Planning Study) and agreed on ways to jointly implement suggestions of the Planning Study for enhancing regional co-operation in technology and innovation.
Representatives from the Department of Science and Technology of the nine Pan-PRD provinces (Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunan, Guangxi Zhuang Nationality Autonomous Region and Hainan), the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Science and Technology Commission of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) attended the conference. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR also attended.
They agreed that co-operation in innovation and technology in the Pan-PRD region should aim to: (1) jointly establish an environment and mechanism conducive to innovation and technology co-operation; (2) realise the opening up and sharing of technology infrastructure and resources; (3) enhance co-operation in the nurturing and exchange of technology talents; (4) jointly nurture industry clusters with regional characteristics; and (5) undertake joint research of international quality.
At the same time, the Planning Study proposed 20 projects to achieve the overall target of co-operation on development. For implementation of the Planning Study, the conference agreed that 12 projects should be taken forward first. (Please refer to the Annex for these projects).
Speaking at the conference opening ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, said innovation and technology were the driving forces for sustainable economic growth and industry upgrading while the promotion of co-operation in innovation and technology was one of the essential elements in Pan-PRD regional co-operation.
"Strengthening Pan-PRD co-operation can foster better utilisation of technological resources and talent exchange among the provinces and SARs, thus achieving a win-win situation. In the long term, this will enhance regional capability in innovation and technology, speed up commercialisation of deliverables, reduce the reliance on imported technology and increase international competitiveness of industry in the region which is line with the national policy to 'go global," Mr Tsang said.
The Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Hunan Province, Mr Wang Kemin, said that after careful planning and implementation in the last few years, technology co-operation in the Pan PRD-region was promising, adding that the 11th Five-Year Plan period was a crucial period for technology co-operation in the Pan-PRD region. Hunan led the chairmanship of the Pan-PRD Joint Conference on Regional Co-operation in Science and Technology last year.
Mr Tsang said the Innovation and Technology Commission of HKSAR would take the chairmanship after this meeting.
"We will spare no effort in working closely with other member provinces to promote Pan-PRD technology co-operation for the better development of the region," he added.
The Counsellor of the State Council and the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Shi Dinghuan, said the joint conference would study ways to enhance co-operation in the Pan PRD region to further enhance economic prosperity and technology development.
"The HKSAR Government has done a lot of work in recent years to effectively promote innovation and technology. This has created a conducive environment for development and had laid a very good foundation for co-operation in the Pan-PRD region," Mr Shi said.
The conference also unanimously agreed that the Fifth Pan PRD Regional Science and Technology Co-operation Conference would be held in Jiangxi Province next year.
Ends/Friday, September 30, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:03
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