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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1990.
CONSULTANCY STUDY ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
THE A
THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, WHICH ADVISES GOVERNMENT ON SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES, HAS COMMISSIONED CONSULTANT TO CARRY OUT A STUDY ON THE POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN HONG KONG.
THE $1.7 MILLION CONSULTANCY STUDY IS ΤΟ BE UNDERTAKEN BY BIOTECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL (BTI), WHICH IS A PROGRAMME AT THE UNITED STATES' UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND WHICH HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENTS ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
WORLDWIDE.
THE TERM "BIOTECHNOLOGY" DESCRIBES THOSE TECHNIQUES THAT USE LIVING ORGANISMS, OR SUBSTANCES FROM THOSE ORGANISMS, TO MAKE OR MODIFY A PRODUCT.
APPLICATIONS MAY
BE IN HUMAN HEALTH CARE, LIVESTOCK ENHANCEMENT, CROP IMPROVEMENT, FEED AND FOOD PRODUCTION, INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL PRODUCTION AND WASTE TREATMENT.
THE CONTRACT FOR THE CONSULTANCY
STUDY WAS SIGNED YESTERDAY
(WEDNESDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR T.H. BARMA.
PROFESSOR ARTHUR LI, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY'S SUB-COMMITTEE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY, SAID THE CONCEPT OF A BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG WAS NEW.
"A MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY COULD BE ATTRACTIVE FOR HONG KONG BECAUSE OF ITS ABILITY TO GENERATE A LINE OF PRODUCTS HAVING HIGH ADDED VALUE," HE EXPLAINED.
"IT WOULD TIE IN WITH THE TREND IN HONG KONG AWAY FROM LABOUR-INTENSIVE TO KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY-INTENSIVE AREAS."
PROF LI SAID THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS ΤΟ EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL AND SCOPE FOR EXPLOITING BIOTECHNOLOGY IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE, RESOURCES ND TECHNICAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO UNDERPIN ITS DEVELOPMENT.
"THE STUDY WILL ALSO LOOK AT POSSIBLE AREAS OF COLLABORATION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND STATES, HE SAID.
COMMERCIAL
UNITED
THE
FROM HONG KONG, BE GIVEN ΤΟ THE CAN OFFER THE BEST
"INFORMATION FOR THE STUDY WILL BE GATHERED USA, CHINA AND THE NEARBY ECONOMIES. EMPHASIS WILL MARKETING ASPECT OF THE PRODUCTS THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION IN HONG KONG," HE ADDED.
THE STUDY WILL START SHORTLY AND IS EXPECTED
TO BE COMPLETED IN FIVE MONTHS' TIME. THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL WILL ASSIST BTI IN THE HONG KONG PART OF THE STUDY.
THE STUDY IS FINANCED BY A DONATION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB. THE JOCKEY CLUB HAS ALSO DONATED $300 MILLION TO THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF TWO BIOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
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