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The Hong Kong and Guangdong governments will jointly provide funding for four applied research and development (R&D) projects under the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Co-operation Funding Scheme.
"To further enhance Hong Kong's technology collaboration with Guangdong and Shenzhen, a category of co-funded projects was introduced last year, under which projects are to be funded jointly by the Guangdong and Hong Kong authorities or the Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities," a spokesman for the Innovation and Technology Commission said today (December 16). "Through closer co-operation and exchanges between the two sides under this category, we hope to enhance the innovative and technological upgrading of Hong Kong and the Guangdong area more effectively."
"A total of 11 applications seeking joint funding from Guangdong and Hong Kong were received when applications closed on October 15.
"These applications have been vetted jointly by the Hong Kong and Guangdong sides. The results of applications seeking joint funding from Shenzhen and Hong Kong will be announced later," he said.
The amount requested from the Hong Kong side for the four supported projects is about $12.8 million. These projects involve technologies for RFID applications, and energy-saving and environmental technologies.
"These technology areas are relevant to the needs of industry in the Greater Pearl River Delta region. The project applicants from the Hong Kong and Guangdong sides will leverage their respective strengths and undertake the projects together," the spokesman said.
The funding scheme, launched in 2004 by the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Innovation and Technology, serves to enhance the collaboration between R&D institutions and industry in the two places, and to upgrade the technology level of industry in the Greater Pearl River Delta region. In the past four years, the two governments have supported more than 660 R&D projects with total funding of $1.63 billion.
Apart from the category of co-funded projects, there are two other categories under the funding scheme. One is for projects to be funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund of Hong Kong, with Hong Kong institutions as principal applicants and in which Guangdong institutions are encouraged to participate. Applications should be submitted to the Hong Kong side. The technology areas to be supported under this category are (1) logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies; (2) automotive parts and accessory systems; (3) textiles and clothing; (4) nanotechnology for energy savings; (5) green nanotechnology; (6) nanotechnology in medical and healthcare applications; (7) nanotechnology in electronic and electrical appliances; (8) information security; (9) aircraft parts and appliances; (10) critical precision manufacturing equipment; (11) development of high performance silicon driver intellectual properties for display panel (TFT-LCD and OLED) applications, and (12) modernisation of Chinese medicine, medical biotechnology and medical device. This year 54 applications were received under this category and their assessments are under way.
The other category is for projects funded by the Guangdong provincial government. This category is for projects with Guangdong institutions as principal applicants and in which Hong Kong institutions are encouraged to participate. Applications should be submitted to the Guangdong provincial government.
Details of the scheme can be found on the ITF website at www.itf.gov.hk. Further information can be obtained from the ITF secretariat at 20/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Tel: 2737 2433/2736 0055; Fax: 2957 8726; Email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 10:01
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