XN000022-1992-10-16 — Page 26

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992

GOVT'S INITIATIVES TO TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMET OUTLINED

TODAY

THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF INDUSTRY, MR RICKY FUNG, (FRIDAY) OUTLINED SOME OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RECENT INITIATIVES TO HELP TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL SPEECH DAY OF THE CMA PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL, MR FUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY SET UP AN INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE WHICH, WHEN OPERATIONAL IN 1994,

WOULD PROVIDE SUITABLE ACOMMODATION AND SERVICES TO STIMULATE THE GROWTH OF NEW INNOVATIVE AND TECHNOLOGY-BASED FIRMS.

"IT WILL ASSIST THESE 'START-UP' COMPANIES WITH PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, AND IT WILL FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGIES RELEVANT TO HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH,

|| HE SAID.

AS A FURTHER INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY IN HONG KONG, HE SAID, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAD COMMISSIONED A CONSULTANCY STUDY TO EXAMINE THE CASE FOR DEVELOPING SCIENCE PARK IN HONG KONG.

"THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT IS ALSO CO-ORGANISING POLYTECHNIC OF HONG KONG A REGIONAL CONFERENCE DECEMBER, HE SAID.

**

WITH THE CITY

ON SCIENCE PARKS IN

MR FUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOCAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R & D) CAPABILITY AS CRUCIAL IF TECHNOLOGIES WERE GOING TO BE USEFULLY APPLIED IN HONG KONG'S OWN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT AND CIRCUMSTANCES.

HE SAID AN APPLIED R & D SCHEME WOULD BE INTRODUCED SHORTLY UNDER WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE $200 MILLION TO COMPANIES IN THE FORM OF MATCHING INVESTMENTS IN R & D PROJECTS.

"THE OBJECT IS TO ENCOURAGE

INVESTMENT IN APPLIED R & D.

HIGHER LEVEL OF PRIVATE SECTOR

"WE ALSO HOPE ΤΟ IMPROVE THE R & D CAPABILITIES OF OUR UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS AND HAVE INCREASED FUNDING FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES TO OVER $400 MILLION FOR THE COMING THREE YEARS,

**

HE SAID.

NOTING THAT THE INCREASING SOPHISTICATION OF MANUFACTURING HAD HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL, MR FUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT EACH YEAR SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TO PROVIDE MANPOWER TRAINING THROUGH THE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS.

"THE NUMBER OF FIRST YEAR FIRST DEGREE PLACES IN OUR TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WILL INCREASE FROM THE CURRENT 10,000 ΤΟ 14,500 BY 1995, THUS CATERING FOR NEARLY 25 PER CENT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE 17-20 AGE GROUP, HE SAID.

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