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Commerce and Industry

The Innovation and Technology Commission's Hong Kong Accreditation Service operates in accordance with international standards and is active in international and regional accreditation communities. Through participation in multilateral mutual recognition arrangements, the results of tests, calibrations, certifications and inspections provided by its accredited organisations are widely recognised globally, thus facilitating cross-border business and trading.

Standards and Calibration Services

The Standards and Calibration Laboratory is the HKSAR's official custodian of physical measurement reference standards. It provides a calibration service traceable to the International System of Units with calibration certificates recognised internationally. It is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee for Weights and Measures.

The Product Standards Information Bureau operates a product standards library, provides sales of standards and offers free technical advice on standards-related matters. The bureau represents the HKSAR on regional and international standardisation bodies and acts as Hong Kong's Enquiry and Notification Point under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.

Human Resources, Vocational and Professional Education and Training

The knowledge-based economy of the 21st century requires talent and skilled manpower at all levels. A variety of post-secondary education and training programmes are available. The Vocational Training Council provides a comprehensive system of vocational and professional education and training for school-leavers and adult learners. It also administers the New Technology Training Scheme, which offers financial help to employers to train their staff to use new technologies. The Clothing Industry Training Authority runs two training centres for the clothing and footwear industries.

Creative Industries

Create Hong Kong and CreateSmart Initiative

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau's Communications and Creative Industries Branch aims to drive the development of creative industries by:

⚫ nurturing a pool of creative human capital;

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facilitating start-ups and development of creative establishments;

generating demand for innovation and creativity and expanding the local market size for creative industries;

promoting creative industries on the Mainland and overseas to help explore outside markets;

fostering a creative atmosphere within the community;

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