Hong Kong Pavilion at China Hi-Tech Fair 2005 opened today

The Hong Kong Pavilion was officially opened today (October 12) at the China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) 2005 in the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The CHTF is a state-level, international event for the high technology sector. Hong Kong has participated in the CHTF since its inauguration in 1999. This year, the pavilion – organised by the HKSAR Government's Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) and the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) – showcases the five new research and development (R&D) centres being established in Hong Kong by the Government.

The Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (CIT), Mr Anthony Wong, said the Government had adopted a new strategic framework for innovation and technology development to ensure optimal use of resources and improve the relevance of applied R&D to the needs of the industry.

"A major initiative of the new strategy is to set up five R&D centres in technology areas where Hong Kong has a competitive edge and has the potential for meeting market needs," Mr Wong said. "These include the R&D centres for automotive parts and accessory systems, logistics and supply-chain management enabling technologies, textile and clothing, nanotechnology and advanced materials, and information and communications technologies. There is huge potential for co-operation in R&D and technology commercialisation among the R&D centres and organisations from the Mainland and overseas."

"Strengthening technology co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong is another key element of our new strategy. By combining the Mainland's rich human resources and research strengths with Hong Kong's capabilities and experience in applied research and commercialisation, competitiveness on both sides will be enhanced," he said.

The five new R&D centres will introduce their research foci and development plans, offering ways to explore collaboration with Mainland and overseas counterparts. Among them, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was interested in enhancing technology co-operation with the Hong Kong Government. A meeting was held in Shenzhen today between the CIT and the Vice-president of the People's Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr Wu Heng, to discuss issues concerning technology collaboration between Guangxi and Hong Kong.

The two sides agreed to enhance the development and sharing of technology resources; support and encourage technology collaboration between tertiary institutions, R&D organisations and enterprises in Guangxi and Hong Kong; explore opportunities to provide joint funding support for collaborative R&D projects; promote technology upgrading in the region; support technology transfer to industry and promote industrialisation and commercialisation of R&D results through research platforms including the five R&D centres to be set up in Hong Kong.

The key collaboration areas include deep processing of coloured metals and R&D in new materials; research in key technologies including biological energy resources and their industrialisation, engineering mechanics, automotive parts and accessory systems; and integration and promotion of information technology applications in the manufacturing industry. Both sides will further discuss details of collaboration proposals.

At the Hong Kong Pavilion, visitors will also be able to see the latest innovations from Hong Kong's high-technology companies, including energy-saving systems and environmental products, 3-Dimension visualisation software, substrates and related technologies, and supply-chain solutions.

A "Hong Kong Design Showcase" has also been set up to exhibit winning items from Hong Kong design competitions and awards, providing a glimpse of Hong Kong's creative and vibrant designs.

To tie in with the staging of the Hong Kong Pavilion at the CHTF, five business and technology matching seminars will be held tomorrow (October 13). Jointly organised by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, ITC, and the Shenzhen Bureau of Science, Technology and Information, the seminars will provide an opportunity to foster technology collaboration in the region in the technology areas covered by the five R&D centres to be set up in Hong Kong.

The CHTF is the largest event for the high technology sector in the Mainland. It is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Information Industry, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Personnel, the State Intellectual Property Office, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, and co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The CHTF 2005 is open to the public until next Monday (October 17) at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre.

For further information on the Hong Kong Pavilion at the CHTF 2005, please contact HKPC's Ms Justina Shum at 2788 5895, or visit the website: www.hkpc.org/chtf/. For media enquiries on the Hong Kong Pavilion at the CHTF 2005, please contact the General Manager (Corporate Communications and Events) of HKPC, Ms Betty Lee (Tel: 2788 5895; Fax: 2788 5056; E-mail: justina@hkpc.org).