Budget Speech

Technology-based Economy

59.      Promoting the use of technology is a long-term task. We will continue on the path towards a high value-added and knowledge-based economy. We will promote the development of new technologies to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong through the provision of infrastructure, manpower training, co-operation with the Mainland and other economies and funding schemes.

60.      Last year, the SAR Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government and DuPont, a US enterprise, started working together to set up DuPont's Solar Energy Thin Film Photovoltaic Research and Industrial Platform in the Hong Kong Science Park and its manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen. This is the first major technology project under the framework of the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Circle". It has attracted other solar energy photovoltaic research institutes to apply for admission to the Science Park. DuPont has also started to collaborate with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, one of our five research and development centres, in conducting further research on photovoltaic solar energy technology.

61.      We will continue to work with Shenzhen to attract more overseas enterprises with this modality to conduct scientific research in Hong Kong. To further co-operation in various areas under the framework of the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Circle", the two governments will formulate an action plan for the next three years on top of the annual joint funding for co-operative research projects of the two places. In co-operation with the Guangdong Provincial Government, the SAR Government will continue to explore other areas of technological development to enhance the overall research capacity of the PRD region and facilitate the upgrading and restructuring of Hong Kong enterprises in the region.