CS and S for IT visit Tai Po District

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, joined by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, this afternoon (December 7) visited the first recycling mill in Hong Kong, and met secondary school students in the District. They also had a meeting with members of Tai Po District Council (TPDC) to exchange views on various issues.
      
     Accompanied by the Acting District Officer (Tai Po), Ms Iris Lee, and the Chairman of the TPDC, Mr Cheung Hok-ming, Mr Cheung and Mr Yang began with the visit to a recycling mill in the Precision Manufacturing Centre of the Tai Po Industrial Estate. They toured the production lines to observe how the textile upcycling system developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel was applied at the production level. The recycling mill uses innovative technologies to provide a solution for textile waste recycling and adds value to the local textile industry. The production lines make use of the latest technologies to first sanitise used textile, then automatically separate and upcycle it into yarn which can be used for fabric and garment production.
      
     Mr Cheung was pleased to note that this research and development achievement was  highly recognised by the international community and won a gold award in this year's "International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva". He stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government strived to promote re-industrialisation, develop high-end manufacturing industries which leverage new technologies and smart production but require limited land space, and proactively inject resources for the development of innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Cheung and Mr Yang then visited the Valtorta College and met students from a number of secondary schools that had participated in a programme for promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Tai Po secondary schools. Mr Cheung and Mr Yang received a briefing from students on robotic projects that they created for the programme and listened to their views on I&T development in Hong Kong. Funded by the Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council, the education programme aims to instill creative and logical thinking in students, with a view to nurturing future I&T talent for Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Cheung applauded the innovative mind and potential shown by the secondary students and encouraged them to keep up their good work. He emphasized that the HKSAR Government spared no effort in promoting STEM education and that the Policy Address had announced a number of new measures including the launch of the Life-wide Learning Grant to support STEM education in schools.
      
     Before the visit was concluded, Mr Cheung and Mr Yang met members of TPDC to listen to their views on I&T development in Hong Kong and other development issues of concern to the local community.