The Hong Kong-Denmark collaboration agreement on science and technology has identified biotechnology and medical life science, nanotechnology and advanced materials, solar energy and energy efficiency as areas where collaboration between the two jurisdictions will reap good results.

Speaking at the Hong Kong Denmark Joint Conference on Nanomedicine & Synthetic Biology today, Permanent Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development (Communications & Technology) Duncan Pescod said the conference marked a step towards closer collaboration on science and technology as a direct result of the collaboration agreement signed in May 2009.

The conference is part of a three-day exchange programme jointly organised by the Innovation & Technology Commission and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology & Innovation.

Under the programme, a business-matching event will be held tomorrow to bring together biotech companies from Hong Kong and Denmark to explore opportunities for business and technology co-operation.

HK achievement

Mr Pescod said Hong Kong's academic research and education on biological science and medicine has a good reputation and ranked amongst the best in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Government has formed a $5 billion Innovation & Technology Fund, which has supported more than 200 biotechnology and nanotechnology projects, with a funding commitment of $760 million.

In 2009-2010, the Research Grants Council awarded more than $166 million to 171 biology and medicine-related research projects.