Hong Kong and Shenzhen Governments to
Support Joint R&D Projects

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

February 5, 2009 - The Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments will jointly provide funding for eight applied research and development (R&D) projects under the category of Hong Kong-Shenzhen co-funded projects of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Co-operation Funding Scheme.

“To further enhance Hong Kong’s technology collaboration with Guangdong and Shenzhen, a category of co-funded projects was introduced in 2007, under which projects are to be funded jointly by the Guangdong and Hong Kong authorities or the Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities,” said a spokesman for the Innovation and Technology Commission today.

“Through closer co-operation and exchanges between the two sides under this category, we hope to enhance the innovative and technological upgrading of Hong Kong and the Guangdong area more effectively.”

A total of 19 applications seeking joint funding from Shenzhen and Hong Kong were received when applications closed on October 15 last year. These applications have been vetted jointly by the Hong Kong and Shenzhen sides.

The amount requested from the Hong Kong side for the eight supported projects is about HK$36.7 million (US$4.7 million). These projects involve electric vehicles, core technologies for batteries, technologies for RFID applications, rapid bioassay technologies, and energy-saving and environmental technologies.

“These technology areas are relevant to the needs of industry in the Pearl River Delta region,” said the spokesman. “The project applicants from the Hong Kong and Shenzhen sides will leverage their respective strengths and undertake the projects together.”

The funding scheme, launched in 2004 by the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Innovation and Technology, serves to enhance the collaboration between R&D institutions and industry in the two places, and to upgrade the technology level of industry in the Pearl River Delta region.

Apart from the category of co-funded projects, there are two other categories under the funding scheme. One is for projects to be funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund of Hong Kong, with Hong Kong institutions as principal applicants and in which Guangdong/Shenzhen institutions are encouraged to participate. Applications should be submitted to the Hong Kong side. The technology areas to be supported under this category are:

(1) logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies;
(2) automotive parts and accessory systems;
(3) textiles and clothing;
(4) nanotechnology for energy savings;
(5) green nanotechnology;
(6) nanotechnology in medical and healthcare applications;
(7) nanotechnology in electronic and electrical appliances;
(8) information security;
(9) aircraft parts and appliances;
(10) critical precision manufacturing equipment;
(11) development of high performance silicon driver intellectual properties for display panel (TFT-LCD and OLED) applications, and
(12) modernization of Chinese medicine, medical biotechnology and medical device. Under the 2008 round of the funding scheme, 54 applications were received under this category and their assessments are under way.

The other category is for projects funded by the Guangdong provincial government/Shenzhen municipal government. This category is for projects with Guangdong/Shenzhen institutions as principal applicants and in which Hong Kong institutions are encouraged to participate. Applications should be submitted to the Guangdong provincial government/Shenzhen municipal government.

Details and more information of the scheme can be found on the ITF website [www.itf.gov.hk].