HKSAR Government and Chinese Academy of Sciences sign MoU on establishing affiliated institution in Hong Kong
8.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Professor Bai Chunli, today (November 8) signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing Affiliated Institution by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hong Kong (MoU) on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the CAS respectively. Also present at the ceremony were the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Head of the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, Mrs Betty Fung; and the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ms Annie Choi. The MoU confirms that the CAS will establish an affiliated institution in Hong Kong with a view to facilitating its Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health and Institute of Automation to respectively establish their presence in the research clusters on healthcare technologies and on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies to be set up by the HKSAR Government at the Hong Kong Science Park. The institution will also promote transfer and translation of scientific research results, co-ordinate collaboration between the CAS and local universities, and undertake technological education and promotion activities. In her speech at the MoU signing ceremony, Mrs Lam said that the MoU signing heralded an important new page in the technological collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The establishment of the affiliated institution of the CAS in Hong Kong will take forward the development of Hong Kong's technological innovation, bringing new opportunities for the innovation and technology (I&T) sectors in the two places. It also serves as a significant landmark in the building of an international I&T hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "Welcoming the two CAS research institutes' participation in the two research clusters, the HKSAR Government will continue its publicity and promotion efforts to encourage more top-notch research centres to join the research clusters," Mrs Lam said. At the ceremony, Mrs Lam also announced the setting up of the Joint Laboratory Funding Scheme by the University Grants Committee with the provision of one-off grants up to $30 million for the academic year 2018/19 as a research subsidy to joint laboratories approved by the CAS. The affiliated institution of the CAS in Hong Kong will also serve as the Secretariat of the Greater Bay Area Academician Alliance to be set up in Hong Kong and provide support for its daily operation. The Alliance will help encourage academicians of the CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) based in the Greater Bay Area to actively participate in developing the Area, as well as bringing prominent scientific talent to contribute to the country's technological advancement. Prior to the ceremony, Mrs Lam met with Professor Bai at Government House. A dinner was hosted in honour of Professor Bai after the ceremony. Guests included vice-chancellors of universities, academicians of the CAS and the CAE, and representatives of local research and development institutions. Ends/Thursday, November 8, 2018 Issued at HKT 19:08 NNNN