COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
development of the Science Park in nine years instead of the originally planned 15 years.
The HKSTPC operates three industrial estates with 214 hectares of land, in total. Developed land is provided at cost to companies with new or improved technology and processes that cannot operate in multi-storey buildings. The industrial estates have helped broaden the industry base and upgrade the technology level of Hong Kong. The industrial estates in Tai Po and Yuen Long are currently full while the one in Tseung Kwan O is half-full.
Through the business incubation programme at its Tech Centre, the HKSTPC nurtures technology-based start-up companies by providing low-cost accommodation as well as management, marketing, financial and professional business services in the critical initial years of these companies.
Hong Kong Productivity Council
The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) promotes productivity excellence through its diverse range of consultancy services to enhance the value-added content of products and services.
In 2001, the HKPC continued to promote productivity excellence with a focus on total innovation, e-enterprise and continuous benchmarking. The Institute of Information and Media Industries provided streamlined and integrated information technology services, in particular e-commerce. The Techmart, a technology showcase and resource centre for industrialists, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, promoted Hong Kong's capability in innovation, invention and industrialisation. The Best Management Practices Institute helped local businesses make use of the latest management tools to improve their competitiveness in the world market. Specific initiatives were taken by the HKPC to promote information technology application among SMEs, the Mainland operations of Hong Kong companies and new enterprises to help them face the challenges of the digital economy.
Other Trade and Industrial Organisations
The local business community has a strong and well-established culture in forming trade and industrial associations to represent their interests. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce are among the oldest and the most influential trade and industrial associations in Hong Kong. Other major organisations include the Hong Kong Management Association, the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association, the Hong Kong Exporters' Association, and various overseas chambers of commerce representing the interests of businesses from, for example, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Federation of Hong Kong Industries is a statutory body established in 1960 to promote and foster the interests of Hong Kong's industrial and business communities. It has more than 3 000 member companies and its services include issuance of certificates of origin, organisation of seminars and overseas study missions, factory visits and training courses, promotion and endorsement of products with the Hong Kong Quality Mark, and the provision of ISO 9000 quality management consultancy, intellectual property services and English Language Skills Assessment Tests. The federation categorises its members into 25 groups covering
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