Human capital is the key to successful innovation and technology development, and the Government has a mission to build Hong Kong into a regional innovation and technology hub, Commissioner for Innovation & Technology Eddy Chan says.

Officiating at a summer camp for students at Science Park in Sha Tin, Mr Chan said the Government has done more than supporting organisations in setting up their personnel training programmes. In the 2008-09 Budget, it has proposed to provide 800 additional publicly funded places for postgraduate research programmes in phases from the 2009-10 academic year - which will cost nearly $300 million a year.

Another budget proposal makes provision for a one-off grant of $18 billion to establish a research-endowment fund to support research projects at tertiary institutions.

Mr Chan said excellent technology infrastructure is provided to foster the growth of innovation and technology enterprises. The first two phases of the Science Park have been launched with over 100 local and overseas technology firms now based in it. These companies carry out applied research and development activities and exploit new products and designs in an excellent environment with advanced technological and support facilities.

The Science Park has boosted Hong Kong's position as a regional hub of innovation and technology, and provided many young scientists and students with job and development opportunities, he added.

A total of 100 students from Primary Four to Six took part in the three-day summer camp to learn from experts and scholars the application of environmental technology and create models of environment-friendly holiday resorts with the help of computers.