The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, yesterday (April 28, Geneva time), congratulated Hong Kong delegation achieving outstanding results at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2023, by winning a record number of Grand and Special prizes, and Gold Medals with Congratulations of Jury, including two Grand Awards, namely Prize of the State of Geneva and Prize of the International Federation of Inventors' Association, eight Special Awards and about 30 Gold Medals with Congratulations of Jury.  
      
     Professor Sun made his trip to Geneva yesterday afternoon to join the award presentation ceremony and support in person a Hong Kong delegation comprising close to 500 representatives from universities, research and development centres, research laboratories, technology companies, government departments, and primary and secondary schools to participate in the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2023, in which Hong Kong's innovation and technology (I&T) community presented a record-high 293 projects in total. He also spoke at a Hong Kong reception at the exhibition hosted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 
      
     In his welcoming remarks, Professor Sun noted that Hong Kong delegation's participation in the exhibition is the best testimony demonstrating to the world that Hong Kong is back on the world stage. He briefed close to 500 guests on Hong Kong's latest I&T development with the prime focus on further enhancing our I&T ecosystem and promoting interactive development of the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. He said this term of Government is also making all-out efforts on promoting the industry development, in particular those with an edge and of strategic importance, emphasising that Hong Kong is making good progress in attracting Mainland and overseas tech companies to set up or expand their businesses here after months of hard work. 
      
     "My trip this time also serves to send a clear message to the tech companies here in Europe that we welcome them to expand or set up operations in Hong Kong where they can find boundless business opportunities brought about by the seamless access to the gigantic market in the Greater Bay Area, and of course the Mainland market, " he added.
      
     At the reception, Professor Sun witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Hong Kong Exporters' Association and PALEXPO SA, which are going to host the Asia Competition and Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions once again in Hong Kong this December.
      
     In the morning, Professor Sun in Lausanne visited a start-up focusing on developing topical ophthalmic treatments, and received a briefing on the company's latest technology in treatments and business development plan in Hong Kong.
      
     Professor Sun then paid a visit to the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a world top public research institution in science and engineering in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was briefed on the institution's programmes for turning innovative ideas and technologies into startups and operation of Innovation Park at Innovation and Tech Transfer, and toured the Laboratory for Experimental Museology, St. Sulpice.
      
     Professor Sun will leave Switzerland on April 29 (Geneva time) and arrive in Hong Kong on Sunday (April 30, Hong Kong time).

Ends/Saturday, April 29, 2023
Issued at HKT 9:00

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