Chief Executive Carrie Lam today attended the launch ceremony of InnoHK, the Government’s flagship innovation and technology (I&T) initiative that aims to promote global research collaboration and put Hong Kong on the global advanced technology map.

The launch ceremony marked a new milestone in the Government’s commitment to promoting the city’s I&T.

Addressing the ceremony, Mrs Lam said: “Since my announcement of an eight-pronged approach to step up the Government’s efforts to develop innovation and technology in my inaugural Policy Address in October 2017, our city has come a long way in advancing this sector. These efforts and the $150 billion my Government has committed to I&T development within this term have certainly paid off.

“With our solid foundation in research and a good number of world-renowned experts, Hong Kong could better leverage its strengths in life and health sciences. I thus proposed, in my 2021 Policy Address delivered last October, to set up an InnoLife Healthtech Hub at the Lok Ma Chau Loop Hong Kong-Shenzhen I&T Park.

“Our existing 16 life and health-related laboratories in the InnoHK clusters and eight State Key Laboratories in life and health disciplines will form the basis of this new venture, bringing together top-notch research teams and focusing efforts on research and development (R&D) work as well as global research collaboration in the field of life and health sciences.”

She added that to follow through on this initiative, the Budget this year has earmarked another $10 billion for further promoting life and health technology development, ranging from hardware, research talent and clinical trials to data application.

The Chief Executive announced last October that in the Northern Metropolis, which will guide Hong Kong’s visionary development in the next decade or so, land will be reserved for technology-driven manufacturing under the banner of re-industrialisation.

“To lose no time in facilitating high-tech smart production in order to enrich Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem, we are developing specially designated space and facilities in our industrial estates as well as the recently opened Advanced Manufacturing Centre and a Microelectronics Centre to be completed next year.

“Suitable land is also being identified for building another advanced manufacturing centre to accommodate more set-ups of high value-added and technology-intensive manufacturing processes and production lines in Hong Kong.”

Mrs Lam, along with other officiating guests, then presided over InnoHK's launch and unveiled its logo and official website.

InnoHK was spearheaded by the Innovation & Technology Commission. After a rigorous selection and assessment process, 28 research laboratories have been admitted, involving seven local universities and research institutions as well as over 30 institutions from 11 economies, and pooling around 2,000 researchers locally and from all over the world.