Speech by SCST at opening ceremony of Knowledge of Design Week 2023 (English only)
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Eric (Chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Professor Eric Yim), Victor (Chairman of the Knowledge of Design Week Steering Committee, Dr Victor Lo), Mr van den Berg (Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong, Mr Arjen van den Berg), distinguished speakers, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2023. I am excited to greet our international guests in KODW with a full return in physical format this year.
Riding on the theme "The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World", over 40 creative and business leaders from around the world are gathering in Hong Kong today to share their knowledge and innovative ideas. In the coming three days, a series of face-to-face forums, workshops, masterclasses and networking events will bring together experts and professionals to explore the application and impact of innovative practices in design for creating a more sustainable and resilient future.
The Netherlands has been taking the lead in implementing and championing green designs. I recall during my last visit to the Netherlands in March, the dialogues with the officials and local industry players were rewarding and inspiring. We are very pleased for the Kingdom of the Netherlands to be our partner country of both KODW and Business of Design Week (BODW) this year. I look forward to the in-depth exchanges and sharing on circular economy amongst the design leaders from the Netherlands and other countries.
The current-term Government is committed to fostering Hong Kong's arts, cultural and creative industries under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. With an additional $500 million injection into the CreateSmart Initiative, we will continue with our efforts to support the development of Hong Kong's creative industries, including design, with an aim to reinforce Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
I would like to thank the Hong Kong Design Centre and supporting organisations for making KODW happen again. My special thanks go to the Consulate-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and the CreativeNL, which have been facilitating the partnership for KODW and BODW this year.
I wish KODW every success and all of you a fruitful and enjoyable event. Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Issued at HKT 10:10
Issued at HKT 10:10
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