TRADE AND INDUSTRY
(HKITCC) promotes technological innovation and the application of new technologies, apart from facilitating technology transfer. The department is represented on the HKPC and the HKITCC.
Through the Industrial Support Fund scheme set up in 1994, the government continues to provide financial support to projects recommended by ITDC that contribute to Hong Kong's industrial and technological development. By July 1995, $185.85 million was committed for 122 projects which are being under- taken by industry associations, higher-education institutes and industrial support organisations.
Quality Services
The department's Quality Services Division promotes the wider application of quality assurance in manufacturing and service sectors. The division works closely with the autonomous Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, which runs the ISO-9000 quality system certification scheme. The Hong Kong Government Standards and Calibration Laboratory holds Hong Kong's official measurement standards and provides a calibration service for verifying the accuracy of local measurement instru- ments. The Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme offers formal recognition to competent local laboratories and facilitates the acceptance of local test certificates overseas. The Product Standards Information Bureau is the focal point for informa- tion on various national and international product standards.
Applied Research and Development
Major efforts have been made to encourage applied research and development in recent years. The Applied R&D Scheme, started in February 1993, which seeks to foster the technological capabilities and competitiveness of industry. The scheme can fund up to 75 per cent of the cost of an applied R&D project. Funding support can either take the form of a loan or equity participation. As at December 1, 1995, 14 applied research and product development projects had been approved for fund- ing, with a funding commitment of $50 million, in areas such as software develop- ment, telecommunications products, security systems, pharmaceutical products and environmentally-friendly packaging materials. In June 1995, a new scheme called Co-operative Applied Research and Development Scheme (CARDS) was launched to support product development projects undertaken in collaboration with China's research institutes. As at December 1, 1995, projects in the fields of biotechnology and electronics were approved under CARDS with a funding commitment of $16 million.
Monitoring Technology and Market Trends
The department conducts periodic studies of the main manufacturing industries to look at technology and market trends and identify constraints on industrial development. In 1995, it commissioned a consultancy study on the textiles and clothing industries. Following the completion of a consultancy study on Hong Kong's software industry in 1995, action was taken to provide infrastructural support to prime the development of the software industry. A study on the establishment of a science park was also completed.
99