The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy for Shop No. 302 on the Ground Floor, Passenger Clearance Building, 33 Shun Fai Road, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, Lantau, Hong Kong,… read more
The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) announced today (February 5) that the New Industrialisation Vetting Committee under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) has supported an application under the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme (NIAS) submitted by Jean-Marie Pharmacal Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Jacobson Group, covering the life and health technology sector. The project plans to set up smart production lines for sterilised eye drops, oral solid dose and oral liquid dose. This is the first NIAS project supported by the Vetting Committee. The total cost of the project is projected to be around $600 million, and the expected NIAS funding amount involved will be around $200 million.
At the same time, the ITC announced that the number of new smart production lines supported by the Vetting Committee under the New Industrialisation Funding Scheme (NIFS) has exceeded 100 since the launch of NIFS, involving industries such as food manufacturing and processing (including health food), textiles and clothing, construction materials, medical devices, nanofiber materials, new energy, pharmaceutical (including Chinese medicine), electronics, printing and product accessories with a total estimated project cost of around $1.3 billion, of which $930 million came from private investment.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, “The Government proactively engages in innovation and technology (I&T) industry development. By launching the NIFS and the NIAS, we aim to promote new industrialisation and secure room for high-quality development in Hong Kong. We are glad to see that enterprises are actively participating in the two funding schemes, making use of I&T to achieve smart production and enhance competitiveness. The Government will continue to assist more enterprises to set up new smart production facilities in Hong Kong and support local enterprises in technology upgrade and achieving new industrialisation, so as to foster the development of Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry and diversified economy.”
The Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address the establishment of the $10 billion NIAS, which was launched in September 2024. The NIAS provides funding support on a 1 (Government): 2 (enterprise) matching basis for enterprises engaging in industries of strategic importance (i.e. life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, advanced manufacturing and new energy technologies) and contributing no less than $200 million to set up new smart production facilities in Hong Kong. For each project, the minimum total project cost is $300 million. The enterprise has to contribute no less than $200 million, and the Government will cover a maximum of one-third of the total approved project cost or $200 million, whichever is lower. Each enterprise can receive up to $200 million in funding under the NIAS.
In addition, the Government encourages enterprises with approved projects under the NIAS to carry out research or increase their scale of research in Hong Kong by providing additional funding for them to engage research talent, as well as facilitating such enterprises in employing non-local talent required for setting up or operating the new production facilities in Hong Kong.
The NIFS aims to subsidise manufacturers on a 1 (Government): 2 (enterprise) matching basis to set up new smart production lines in Hong Kong. The funding ceiling for each project is one-third of the total project cost or $15 million, whichever is lower. Each enterprise can carry out up to three projects concurrently to receive a maximum total funding of up to $45 million under the NIFS.
The NIAS and the NIFS are open for applications throughout the year. Details are available on the website of the Innovation and Technology Fund (www.itf.gov.hk). For enquiries, please contact the Secretariat of the schemes (Tel: 3655 5678; email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk). read more
　　The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present a lecture series, the “Multi-arts of making-do”, in March. By covering topics of art, design, performances, culture, literature and more, this series of four lectures hosted by cultural researcher Dr Ian Fong investigates how multi-arts embody the spirit of making-do that opens up flexibility and possibilities in the art creative process to give new life to artifacts and everyday objects, and enriches the meanings of aesthetics. This lecture series also presents how everyday wisdom of making-do inspires multi-arts, and every ordinary person can be an artist.
　　Details of each lecture are as follows:
Lecture 1: Poetry, Prose, Short Stories, and Novels
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Date: March 3 (Monday)
Content: Through an intertextual reading of a selection of local and French literary works by renowned authors, links and connections of texts are portrayed across time and space, thus demonstrating the flexibility and imagination of the art of making-do, as well as the importance of creativity in reading a text, turning a reader into a writer.
Lecture 2: Visual Art, Film, and Musical Performances
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Date: March 10 (Monday)
Content: Drawing on visual art, film and musical performances to discuss the artistic reflection of making-do that make art more possible, this lecture thereby challenges the boundary of art and the identity of an artist.
Lecture 3: Performance Art, “Wing Chun”, and “Jeet Kune Do”
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Date: March 24 (Monday)
Content: The bodies of artists are very important to performance art. By appreciating the dexterity of artists’ body movements through works of performance art, and through the enactment of Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do, the speaker presents how the art of making-do stresses the importance of the body, and explores how bodies show the artistic possibility of making-do and its vitality.
Lecture 4: Street and Home as Gallery, Museum, Cinema, Theatre, and Concert Hall
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Date: March 31 (Monday)
Content: Any place that gives life to an artwork could be a place for art. By citing various art pieces to appreciate the art of “poverty” and of “going with the flow”, the speaker illustrates how the wisdom of living nurtures the art of making-do, and thereby illustrates the importance of everyday streets and homes to create and exhibit multi-arts.
　　Dr Fong received his PhD degree in comparative literature at the University of Hong Kong. He is currently teaching literary and cultural studies in various tertiary institutions. His research interests lie in urban studies, film and literary studies, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, as well as Nietzsche studies.
　　All lectures will be conducted in Cantonese and will start at 7.30pm at AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Free-seating tickets priced at $70 for each lecture and $224 for all four lectures are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit
www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/multi_arts/programs_1820.html. read more
The Transport Department (TD) today (February 5) received notification from the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) that, due to an equipment fault on an engineer’s train near Tai Wo Station, the East Rail Line train service frequencies between Admiralty and Fo Tan, Fo Tan and Tai Po Market, Tai Po Market and Lo Wu, and Sheung Shui and Lok Ma Chau have been adjusted.
The TD has requested the MTRCL to make all-out efforts to follow up and complete the necessary maintenance, with a view to resuming normal service as soon as possible. Crowd management measures are now in place in individual stations on East Rail Line and longer waiting times are expected. The TD urged members of the public to consider other transport modes and plan their journeys early with more time for travel.
The TD’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre has been closely monitoring the traffic conditions and public transport services of various districts and affected stations. In addition, the TD has been proactively coordinating with franchised bus operators to strengthen their services to cope with the passenger demand, including:
The Labour Department has urged contractors, employers and employees to be more vigilant, check their workplaces and take adequate safety precautions before resuming work after the Chinese New Year holidays.
A spokesperson for the department said today (February 5) that both management and employees should pay more attention to work safety as their safety alertness might have diminished and workplace conditions might have changed after long holidays.
The spokesperson said, “If the work involves processes, machinery or equipment with potential hazards, it is vital to check, prepare and implement necessary safety measures in advance before the commencement of work.
“All scaffolding, working platforms, lifting appliances, temporary power supplies, gas welding and flame cutting operations, chemical processes, confined spaces, sewage works and excavations should be inspected by competent persons to ensure that they are in safe condition before putting them into use again or resuming operation.
“Employees should also be fully advised and instructed to follow safety precautions when working at height or engaging in lifting operations, tunnelling works, electrical work and other hazardous work,” the spokesperson added.
To prevent work accidents, the spokesperson urged contractors and employers to step up monitoring to ensure workplace safety after the holidays.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.
Meanwhile, employees should co-operate by following safety instructions and by using safety equipment.
For enquiries on occupational safety and health, please contact the department’s occupational safety officers at 2559 2297. read more