ITIB and UNIDO Sign Joint Statement to Boost Industrial Development and Innovation Collaboration

ITIB and UNIDO sign joint statement on collaboration to advance industrial development, innovation and digital transformation

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Dr Gerd Müller, at the Central Government Offices today (April 14), to exchange views on strengthening co-operation of both sides in industrial development, and to witness the signing of a joint statement on collaboration to advance industrial development, innovation and digital transformation by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and UNIDO. The Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Li Yongsheng, also attended.

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, and the Deputy to the Director General of UNIDO and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Co-operation and Sustainable Industrial Development, Mr Zou Ciyong, signed the joint statement. Hong Kong has competitive advantages in digital transformation and AI innovation in industry and manufacturing. Both the HKSAR Government and UNIDO actively promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The signing of the joint statement by the two parties aims to establish a co-operative framework to strengthen collaboration, information sharing and exchange of best practices to advance industrial innovation, technology transfers and capacity development, including exploring the joint development of a centre of excellence on global advanced manufacturing and AI in Hong Kong.

Mr Lee welcomed Dr Müller's delegation to visit Hong Kong. He said that the National 15th Five-Year Plan clearly supports Hong Kong to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of connecting the Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle and is accelerating its development into an international I&T centre. With the signing of the joint statement between the HKSAR Government and UNIDO, both sides will strengthen collaboration to jointly promote development including industrial innovation and technology transfers, and seize opportunities in the new round of the technological revolution to accelerate high-quality industrial development and transformation, and further leverage the city's role as a "super connector" and a "super value-adder" to attract enterprises from the Chinese Mainland and overseas to expand businesses in Hong Kong, promote new industrialisation, and cultivate and strengthen new quality productive forces.

Professor Sun said that Hong Kong enjoys world-acclaimed academic and research excellence, a strong talent pool, free flow of information and capital, rule of law, and an international environment. Hong Kong looks forward to closer collaboration with UNIDO under the joint statement to share best practices on advanced manufacturing, AI applications and digital transformation; encourage multi-stakeholder dialogue on technology trends and experiences; as well as explore avenues of co-operation in innovation, knowledge transfer and skills development.

While in Hong Kong, Dr Müller's delegation also attended the opening ceremony of the InnoEX, Hong Kong's signature I&T exhibition held during the Business of I&T Week. The delegation also visited the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed a joint statement on collaboration to advance industrial development, innovation and digital transformation today (April 14). Photo shows the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (third right); the Director General of UNIDO, Dr Gerd Müller (third left); the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong (second right); the Deputy to the Director General of UNIDO and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Co-operation and Sustainable Industrial Development, Mr Zou Ciyong (second left); the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Li Yongsheng (first right), and the Chief of Cabinet of UNIDO, Mr Manuel Mattiat (first left), at the signing ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (back row, right) and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Dr Gerd Müller (back row, left), jointly witnessed the signing of a joint statement on collaboration to advance industrial development, innovation and digital transformation by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the UNIDO today (April 14). Photo shows the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong (front row, right), and the Deputy to the Director General of UNIDO and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Co-operation and Sustainable Industrial Development, Mr Zou Ciyong (front row, left), signing the joint statement. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), met with the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Dr Gerd Müller (left), today (April 14). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications invited for flag days in 2027-28

Charitable organisations wishing to hold flag days between April 2027 and March 2028 are invited to apply to the Social Welfare Department (SWD) from today (April 15) to May 14.

To enable more organisations to solicit donations through flag sales, 27 flag days in 2027-28 will be assigned as regional flag days so that three organisations can sell flags concurrently on those days, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. There will be 28 territory-wide flag days to be held in the year.

An SWD spokesman said today that applicant organisations must be bona fide non-profit-making organisations exempt from tax under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) and, after the recognition of tax exemption, have organised charitable activities in each of the past three years. Applicant organisations should refer to the eligibility criteria as detailed in the Explanatory Notes for Application for Flag Days in 2027-28.

"Flag day applications will be considered by the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee according to factors including the organisation's integrity and management capability; the nature, value and standard of its existing services; its financial need; and its ability to organise a flag day, etc", the spokesman said.

The application form and the Explanatory Notes for Application for Flag Days in 2027-28 can be downloaded from the SWD’s website at www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays/index.html or obtained from the Lotteries Fund Projects Section of the SWD at Rooms 3601-02, 36/F, Dah Sing Financial Centre, 248 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, from today to 6pm on May 14. Applications for flag days in 2027-28 can also be submitted online. Please refer to the SWD's website for application details.

The completed application form together with the required documents should reach the department at the above address by 6pm on May 14. Late applications will not be considered.

"Applicant organisations will be informed of the result around October this year," the spokesman added.

Enquiries can be made by telephone to 2832 4318 or 28324301; by fax to 2838 0441; or by email to flagday@swd.gov.hk.

Source: AI-found images