Human capital key to innovation

The Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Eddy Chan, today (July 19) said human capital was the key to successful innovation and technology development. Officiating at the Showcase of Young Scientist Summer Camp at Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin, Mr Chan said that the Government had a mission to build Hong Kong into a regional hub of innovation and technology. Mr Chan said, "Apart from supporting organisations in setting up their personnel training programmes, the Government has proposed in the 2008-2009 Budget to provide 800 additional publicly funded places for postgraduate research programmes in phases from the 2009-2010 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... [read full story]