District Council Chairmen and Vice-chairmen visit Hong Kong Science Park (with photos)
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     The Home Affairs Department and the Innovation and Technology Commission arranged for District Council Chairmen and Vice-chairmen to tour the Hong Kong Science Park this morning (June 9) to brief them on the latest developments in the Government's efforts to promote innovation and technology.

     They were briefed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr E Anthony Tan, on the park's facilities and latest developments.

     They then attended a sharing session by a technology company on its experiences in starting up its business in the park. At present, the park is home to more than 340 companies ranging from start-ups and small-and medium-size enterprises to multinational enterprises from Hong Kong and overseas. They engage in five major industry areas: electronics, information technology and telecommunications, precision engineering, biotechnology and green technology.

     To enhance their understanding of the park's latest developments, the Chairmen and Vice-chairmen visited various facilities including the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, the Probe and Test Development Centre, the Wireless Communications Test Laboratory and the Material Analysis Laboratory.

     Open since 2002, the 22-hectare Hong Kong Science Park provides 20 laboratory-fitted buildings offering a gross floor area of 220 000 square metres. The park is divided into three construction phases, of which Phases 1 and 2 are already complete. Construction on Phase 3 is expected to commence in the second half of this year for completion in stages between 2013 and 2016.

Ends/Thursday, June 9, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:36

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