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Innovation and Technology

promote testing and certification services, and to support the industry in terms of manpower, capital, technology and land.

The Mainland is continuing to open up its testing and certification market to Hong Kong through the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. New liberalisation measures about testing and certification were introduced under the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, signed in June, and the Implementation Guide of the Agreement on Trade in Services, promulgated in September. By end-2017, the Hong Kong Accreditation Service had accredited 11 laboratories to conduct tests required by the China Compulsory Certification System.

Hong Kong Accreditation Service

The accreditation service operates according to international standards and is active in international and regional accreditation communities. As at end-2017, it had 99 mutual recognition arrangements partners in 98 economies. Through these arrangements, the results of tests, calibrations, certifications and inspections provided by its accredited organisations are recognised globally, thus facilitating cross-border business.

Standards and Calibration Laboratory

The Standards and Calibration Laboratory is the HKSAR's official custodian of physical measurement reference standards and provides a calibration service traceable to the International System of Units. It represents the HKSAR as a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee for Weights and Measures. As such, calibration certificates issued by the laboratory are recognised internationally.

Product Standards Information Bureau

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

Innovation and Technology Development

In the October Policy Address, the government announced it would promote I&T development in eight major areas, namely increasing resources for R&D, pooling technology talent, providing funding investments, providing technological research infrastructure, reviewing legislation and regulations, opening up government data, leading changes to procurement arrangements and promoting popular science education.

To promote I&T in Hong Kong expeditiously and efficiently, the Chief Executive is chairing a high-level, inter-departmental Steering Committee on Innovation and Technology to examine and steer measures under the eight major I&T areas as well as smart city initiatives. Most of the principal officials are standing members of the committee.

In 2017, top-notch I&T institutions continued to establish operations in Hong Kong. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Hong Kong Innovation Node opened its base at

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