Congratulatory Message by

Miss Janet Wong, JP

The study mission organised by the Hong Kong Linux Industry Association is an excellent opportunity to enhance collaboration between Hong Kong and Korea in innovation and technology.

Indeed “Innovation and technology” is the vital spark of all change, improvement and progress. In this knowledge-based era, the Government firmly believes that “innovation and technology” is an essential component in any economy’s long-term development. It is the principal means to enhance productivity, add value and further improve our competitiveness. “Innovation and technology” has been identified as one of the six new economic areas in which Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages and will be explored further to realise its full potential. The Government will continue to provide the best software and hardware.

Regarding software, the Innovation and Technology Commission has set up the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) in 1999. The ITF operates a number of programmes aiming at fostering more innovation and technology activities, facilitating greater university-industry collaboration, encouraging small enterprises to pursue techno-preneurship and promoting an innovative culture in the society. To date, the ITF has supported nearly over 2 000 applied R&D projects with a total funding of some HK$5.8 billion.

Regarding hardware, the Government has decided to expand the Hong Kong Science Park by developing its Phase Three at a total cost of HK$4.9 billion. The planning of construction work is underway and the project will complete in phases between late 2013 and 2016. With this, we hope to attract more high-tech companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong.

We sincerely hope the government, industry, academia and R&D organisations could work together to further promote the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong.

I wish the Study Mission every success.