A spokesman for the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) today (May 28) urged members of the public to stay alert to fraudulent WhatsApp messages purported to be sent by the Student Finance Offic… read more
The Innovation and Technology Commission today (May 28) held the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme Signing Ceremony with representatives of 24 research teams from universities invited to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Witnessed by Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Ms Lu Xinning; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; the Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Dr Wang Weiming; the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Eddie Mak; and presidents and vice-presidents of universities concerned, the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Ivan Lee, signed the MOU with representatives of the 24 research teams at the ceremony to confirm the first batch of projects participating in the RAISe+ Scheme. The total funding amounts to over $1 billion and covers innovation and technology (I&T) fields in health and medical sciences, new materials and new energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, electrical and electronic engineering, engineering, advanced manufacturing, Chinese medicine, and environmental, agricultural and marine biotechnology (see Annex). The signing ceremony marks a new milestone for Hong Kong’s I&T development. The Innovation and Technology Commission expressed its hope that the Scheme can incentivise collaboration among industry, academic and research sectors to further promote the “1 to N” transformation of research and development (R&D) outcomes and the industry development, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong’s high-quality economic development and accelerating the development of Hong Kong’s new quality productive forces.
　
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Sun expressed his gratitude towards the positive responses from universities to the Scheme and congratulated the 24 teams being recommended by the Steering Committee of the RAISe+ Scheme. He looked forward to witnessing the potential impact of those projects on Hong Kong’s I&T system and the possible emergence of unicorn companies.
Professor Sun further added that in addition to launching the RAISe+ Scheme to strengthen the midstream sector, a lot of efforts were made to promote the development of downstream industries, with a focus on life and health technology, AI and data science, as well as new energy and advanced manufacturing industries. “We have successfully negotiated with more than 100 tech enterprises with strategic importance to set operations or expend their presence in Hong Kong in just two years. This echoed our development direction to enhance our I&T ecosystem with a virtuous cycle of interactions between difference sectors,” he said.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the RAISe+ Scheme, Mr Duncan Chiu, also addressed during the ceremony that the RAISe+ Scheme plays a pivotal role in establishing a vibrant and self-reinforcing I&T ecosystem. The Scheme was introduced at the perfect timing, as Hong Kong was eagerly in need of this critical grant to promote the successful commercialisation of R&D outcomes to unleash the maximum potential of the I&T community.
After the signing of the MOU, the ITC will proceed to finalise the details of the projects, including the specific funding amount, with the research teams.
With a funding allocation of $10 billion, the RAISe+ Scheme was launched in 2023 and aims to fund at least 100 research teams from universities funded by the University Grants Committee, which have good potential to become successful start-ups on a matching basis. Funding support from $10 million to $100 million will be provided to each approved project. Assessment criteria include the I&T component of the project, commercial viability of project outcomes, technical and management capability of the team, relevance of the project with government policies or the overall interest of the community, and financial considerations of the project.
Details of the scheme are available on its dedicated website (www.itf.gov.hk/en/raiseplus). For enquiries, please contact the Secretariat of the scheme (Tel: 3655 5678; email: raiseplus@itc.gov.hk).
The exhibition entitled “Harmony of Rites and Music: Exploring the Qilu Culture through Shandong Relics” opened today (May 28). It is advised by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Shandong Provincial People’s Government and the Development Bureau (DEVB), and jointly presented by the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office of the DEVB and the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. The exhibition displays fine artefacts from Shandong and Hong Kong, enabling the public to learn about the unique Qilu culture and the pluralistic integration of Chinese civilisation.
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, and the Standing Committee Member and Secretary-General of the Shandong Provincial Committee, Mr Fan Bo, officiated at the opening ceremony. The Secretary of the Shandong Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial People’s Congress, Mr Lin Wu, and the Director-General of Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Ms Wang Lei, also attended the ceremony.
A total of 60 sets (about 200 items) of fine artefacts from Shandong are being displayed for the first time in Hong Kong. Highlight exhibits include the “eggshell black pottery high stem cup with perforations” that represents the pinnacle of Chinese prehistoric pottery craftsmanship; the “white pottery tripod ‘he’ wine vessel” solely used by nobles in the Neolithic period; the “red pottery ‘gui’ with bag-shaped legs”, a representative object of prehistoric Shandong culture; the ritual bronze yue-axe inscribed with “Ya chou” of Shang dynasty; the stacked bronze tableware from Qi State during the Warring States period; the chime bells inscribed with “You” and the stringed crystal and agate ornaments from the Spring and Autumn period; and a delicate bronze ding inscribed with “Lu Ji” from Western Zhou period. Other exhibits include jade and stoneware, pottery ware, bronze ware and musical instruments, illustrating the development of Qilu culture from the Neolithic period to Ming dynasty.
Also on display are significant artefacts unearthed in Hong Kong, including yazhang-tablet, stone yue-axe, stringed stone ornament set, quartz rings, perforated pottery basin with incised wave pattern, white pottery basin with perforated ring-foot and bird-shaped pottery jar with handle. Through the comparison of artefacts of both places, the pluralistic integration of Chinese civilisation is demonstrated.
The exhibition is being held at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, until October 6. Admission is free. For details, please visit the website of the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of the DEVB (www.amo.gov.hk/en/news/index_id_150.html?year=2024) or call 2208 4488.
A short video about the preparation for the exhibition can be viewed at the AMO website.
The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority: The Communications Authority (CA) has approved an application by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), a domestic free television programme service (free TV) … read more
The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, and her delegation began the visit to Hangzhou yesterday (May 27) to meet with Mainland government officials to exchange views in areas such as public housing policies, people-oriented designs, innovative construction technologies, and smart property management. Officials of the Housing Bureau (HB) and the Housing Department (HD) also joined the visit.
Ms Ho and the delegation arrived in Hangzhou yesterday evening. They visited a major cultural landmark there, the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture, to learn about its unique architectural structure and how the application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) facilitated its construction. They were also briefed on a variety of Chinese classics and Chinese cultural relics.
Ms Ho today (May 28) met with Chief Economist of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) Mr Cao Jinbiao, who came all the way from Beijing to Hangzhou. She attended the inaugural Mainland and Hong Kong Housing Forum with officials of the MOHURD and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Zhejiang Province afterwards. Ms Ho mentioned that at a meeting with the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr Ni Hong, in Beijing last year, both sides discussed meeting and visiting each other as well as different Mainland cities with a view to improving the housing and living standard of citizens. There has been close liaison since then for arranging this visit to Hangzhou for in-depth exchanges and experience sharing among Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong on topics including smart construction, smart property management, community building, and housing policies.
Ms Ho said that the current-term Government has been sparing no effort in increasing the supply of public housing to provide accommodation to grassroots who are inadequately housed or cannot afford private rental housing. In addition to traditional public rental housing, the construction work of a number of Government-led Light Public Housing (LPH) projects has already commenced at full speed. Intake for the first batch of about 2 100 units is tentatively scheduled for the first quarter next year, with a target to completing about 30 000 LPH units by 2027-28, so as to improve the living conditions and quality of family life for those currently living in inadequate accommodation at the soonest.
On promoting innovative construction technologies, green building and property management, Ms Ho and officials of the HD exchanged views with MOHURD officials on continuous enhancement of applications of technologies like Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP). They also discussed how to adopt more widely various construction robots in public housing projects to further enhance construction efficiency, safety and quality.
Ms Ho also shared with relevant government officials the HB’s effort in improving the well-being of citizens as well as enhancing the quality of housing supply apart from construction speed, efficiency and quantity. She said that the HD team has been collecting views from its residents, stakeholders and professionals in formulating the “Well-being design” guide for improving the planning and design of new public housing projects. The HD is also working to enhance the sense of well-being among residents through improving open space design of existing housing estates and carrying out minor improvement works. The two parties also exchanged views on property management in Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially on enhancing management efficiency by utilising technologies. Ms Ho shared the HD’s effort and experience in continuously enhancing the management efficiency and service quality of nearly 200 public housing estates.
Ms Ho will continue the visit to Hangzhou tomorrow (May 29). She will visit various projects to learn about the development of subsidised rental housing, smart property management and liveable housing design there. The delegation will depart for Beijing afterwards to visit the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited and the China State Construction International Holdings Limited. Their respective group companies are participating in the constructions of the Light Public Housing.
