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The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, was today (October 24) briefed by the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Anthony Wong, on how the Innovation and Technology Commission supports businesses in developing and adopting technology to harness their competitiveness.
The briefing was at the Hong Kong Science Park and Mr Tsang was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for Communications and Technology, Mr Francis Ho.
The commission provides support to technology development for business use through provision of funding support to technological research and development (R&D) projects and technological infrastructure, fostering collaboration with the Mainland and overseas institutes, promoting the adoption of design by industry in order to move up the value chain, promoting an innovation culture among the general public, and the provision of accreditation, standards and laboratory services.
Mr Tsang also received an update from Vice-President (Projects and Facilities), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation Mr Pau Shiu-hung on the development of the Science Park, which is the flagship project of the Government's strategy in providing technological infrastructure for applied R&D. It is being developed along the clustering concept, with the four clusters of electronics; information technology and telecommunications; biotechnology and precision engineering.
"I am happy to see that Phase 1 of the Science Park, which was commissioned only four years ago, is now, virtually fully occupied, home to 143 R&D companies and some 4,000 workers in the four advanced technology clusters. These companies include 50 start-ups which are beneficiaries of the Science Park's incubation and small enterprises nurturing programmes. The Science Park also promotes inward investment, with about half of the tenants originating from Mainland and overseas companies," Mr Tsang said.
"With Phase 2 buildings coming on stream from early 2007, Science Park will become one of the largest science parks in the Greater Pearl River Delta region," he said.
The key officers of the five Research and Development Centres showcased to Mr Tsang the R&D prototypes and products of their respective specialty areas, explaining the technological roadmaps they will be pursuing in conjunction with the industry and research institutes.
Under a new strategy on innovation and technology, the Research and Development Centre Programme was launched by the commission to strengthen collaborative applied research activities between the industry and research organisations.
Five R&D Centres set up in April this year in the areas of automotive parts and accessory systems, information and communications technologies, logistics and supply-chain management enabling technologies, nanotechnology and advanced materials, and textiles and clothing will undertake industry-oriented research in technologies that are in increasing demand in the Pearl River Delta Region.
"The new strategy of focusing public resources in five areas is established after a long and thorough consultation process with the industry and the community at large. I look forward to active participation by industry players in projects to be pursued by the R&D Centres" Mr Tsang said.
He then visited the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI). The institute, which was set up in 2000 and began operation in 2001, undertakes applied R&D with a view to transferring the developed technology to the industry for commercialisation. In April this year, the institute was also designated as the R&D Centre for Information and Communications Technologies.
The institute has so far filed for 85 US patents and transferred 37 technologies to the industry for commercialisation in its four focused R&D areas of Integrated-Circuit Designs, Communications Technologies, Enterprise and Consumer Electronics and Material and Packaging Technologies.
Mr Tsang toured the Enterprise and Consumer Electronics Laboratory and the Material and Packaging Technologies Laboratory and watched demonstrations on various cutting-edge technologies including Home Media Centre, IP TV Set Top Box, Portable Multimedia Engine, Voice over IP WiFi Phone, LED Backlight Technologies for next-generation flat panel TVs and notebook PCs, high-intensity LED lamps, and System-in-Packaging Technologies for wireless applications.
"ASTRI has successfully brought together talented people to engage in R&D in Hong Kong. Some of the projects they are undertaking are among the world's most advanced and yet have a good market potential. I would encourage Hong Kong industries to more closely engage ASTRI, as well as the other R&D Centres, in developing new ideas and products," Mr Tsang said.
He also visited a project supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund on the development on an "Intelligent Omni-directional Hybrid Electric Vehicle". The vehicle offers the benefits of higher fuel economy and lower pollution emission than conventional engines, which should be more environmental friendly. It is to integrate advanced vehicle systems and technologies including four wheel steering, drive-by-wire and intelligent control.
Ends/Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:19
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