HKPC Welcomes CE's Plan to Promote Innovation & Cleaner Production

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) welcomes the package of initiatives announced in the Chief Executive's 2009-10 Policy Address today (14 October 2009) to develop the six economic areas, especially measures in promoting innovation and technology and environmental management that are crucial for the sustainable development of Hong Kong.

Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC, said: "As Hong Kong is evolving into a knowledge-based economy, one of the critical success factors is the capabilities of enterprises to innovate. The proposals unveiled in the Policy Address to allocate $200 million to launch the 'R&D Cash Rebate Scheme' will provide a major boost for the private sector to conduct applied R&D. By providing financial incentives, the scheme will encourage enterprises to establish long-term partnerships with research institutions such as HKPC, and leverage our R&D strengths to assist them in technology upgrading and business transformation. I trust that the initiative will enhance the innovation capabilities and overall competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises, bringing in more new business opportunities."

"While it is appropriate to set the start-up point at $200 million, we hope the Government will increase the funding injection if there is overwhelming support from the industry towards the scheme," he added.

On the environmental initiatives, Mr Chen said: "Over the last year, the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme implemented by HKPC has generated encouraging results. Since its launch in April 2008, the Programme has approved over 330 projects, covering on-site improvement assessment, demonstration projects and performance verification. The Government's plan to extend the scope of the Programme to assist Hong Kong enterprises in treating and reducing effluent discharge timely answers industries’ demands. It also creates new business opportunities for environmental technology service providers."

"As an industry support organization, HKPC will continue to work closely with industries, and partner with them to embark on applied R&D and environmental management projects to tap new opportunities and enhance their competitiveness," he said.

For media enquiries, please contact Justina Shum at tel. (852) 2788 5895 or email: justina@hkpc.org.

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Mr Jonathan Ho
General Manager
Corporate Communications
Tel: (852) 2788 6390
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: jonathanho@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org

14 October 2009