TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Industrial Support Agencies
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 1999, the HKPC continued to promote productivity excellence with a focus on information and media productivity, product and process innovation, and business and service leadership. The Institute of Information and Media Industries provided streamlined and integrated IT services, in particular e-Commerce. The Product Development and Innovation Institute promoted Hong Kong's capability in innovation and invention, covering also intellectual property rights services. The Best Management Practices Institute helped local businesses make use of the latest management tools to improve their competitiveness in the world market. The HKPC actively assisted the small and medium sized enterprises to tackle the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer problem through its Y2K Centre, a Y2K hotline and an “888 Bug- buster" programme to provide affordable solutions to SMEs.
Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre Corporation
The Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre Corporation (Tech Centre) is a statutory body set up by the Government in 1993. It aims to promote technological innovation and development, as well as the application of new technologies in Hong Kong industry. It has developed the Technology-based Business Incubation Programme to nurture technology start-ups and the Technology Transfer Programme to foster technology culture and business-matchmaking.
Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation
The Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation (HKIEC) develops and manages industrial estates at Tai Po, Yuen Long and Tseung Kwan O, providing 214 hectares of land in total. A fourth estate is being planned in Tuen Mun. Sites in the estates are offered at cost to both manufacturing and service industries with new or improved technology and processes which cannot operate in multi-storey factory or commercial buildings. To ensure that its public mission and services remain relevant and competitive, a consultancy study is currently being undertaken to review the role and operation of the HKIEC.
Science Park
The Provisional Hong Kong Science Park Company Limited is now actively planning for the development of a 22-hectare Science Park at Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po. The missions of the Science Park are to stimulate the growth of locally owned technologically advanced businesses, to attract to Hong Kong new technology-based firms and activities and to provide synergy for ventures in technology-based activities. Phase 1 of the Science Park would comprise eight hectares in total and is targeted to open by the end of 2001.
External Commercial Relations
The HKSAR has full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations. The Basic Law provides that the HKSAR shall be a separate customs territory and
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