Science smarts: This gound of youngsters won a Student Science Project Competition award for their indoor carbon-dioxide filter.

Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Joseph Wong has praised the creativity of youngsters participating in the Student Science Project Competition.

Officiating at the award presentation ceremony today, Mr Wong said he was impressed by how observant they were of everyday life.

The 12 finalist teams presented their projects to the judging panel and an audience of 600. The finalists' projects featured innovative contents and applications of scientific theory to daily life.

"This year's competition is the eighth in the series and the response is overwhelming - 109 teams from 58 local secondary schools participated in the event," he said.

Most of the inventions were designed to improve the quality of life. Some projects showed concern for environmental conservation.

Science exchange 

The winning teams will be sponsored to join a science exchange programme in Singapore. Students of the winning teams will also join the ASTRI Junior Fellowship offered by the Applied Science & Technology Research Institute Company and Research Experience for Talented Students Programme offered by the Research & Development Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials.

"They will gain hands-on experience by working with mentors in an actual research and development environment," Mr Wong said.

Built on last year's success, the Innovation & Technology Commission will hold the Innovation Festival again this year from October to November to promote youth creativity in science and technology through exhibitions and workshops.

It will also organise an exhibition for National Science & Technology Week next May. The exhibition will showcase the science and technology achievements of Hong Kong and the Mainland and strengthen co-operation and data exchange.