Chief Executive Donald Tsang Opens InnoCentre

Hong Kong (November 13, 2006) — The Honourable Donald Tsang, GBM, Chief Executive of the HKSAR of the PRC and Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology Mr. Joseph W. P. Wong, GBS, JP today joined Mr. Victor Lo, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and Chairman of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Mr. Freeman Lau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HKDC, Mr. Carlos Genardini, CEO of HKSTP to officially open InnoCentre.

InnoCentre, formerly HKSTP's Tech Centre in Kowloon Tong, was renamed on 1 January 2006 to serve Hong Kong’s need for high quality design related innovation, acting as a bridge between design professionals and industry, and thereby strengthening Hong Kong as a design hub for the region.

Inspired by the DesignSmart Initiative of the Hong Kong Government, and supported within the commission of this initiative, InnoCentre provides office space for creative professions and design-related firms and features exhibition halls, training and meeting facilities, along with design showrooms and a piazza. InnoCentre also has a Design Incubation Programme, aimed at providing critical, early-stage support to design-related start-up companies.

“We live in an exciting and fiercely competitive international environment. It’s a world in which ideas have no boundaries and the ordinary and unremarkable are quickly forgotten. To succeed, ideas must stand up - and stand out,” said Victor Lo.

“By bringing together our brightest established design firms with innovative design-led start-ups, and adding the resources they need to accelerate their growth, InnoCentre will become a new innovation cluster,” Victor Lo continued.

Research released by Design Council, UK, in 2005 revealed that companies which invested in design performed up to three times better than the FTSE 100 Index¹. It demonstrates that design can support and contribute to the growth of an economy. To support and accelerate the use of design for Hong Kong’s industries, InnoCentre offers value based on five building blocks:

First, a tenancy programme provides state-of-the-art facilities and a clustering environment for innovative firms from around the world. Support and services are on hand from the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Design Centre, Hong Kong Productivity Council and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Second, the Design Incubation Programme provides active support for design related start-ups, and was initiated at the end of 2005. This programme is run by HKSTP with cooperation from the Hong Kong Design Centre and funding support under the DesignSmart Initiative.

The programme supports design start-up companies working in a variety of fields, including product design, visual and media arts, branding and packaging, jewelry, fashion, and interior design. It provides office premises at reduced rental rates, along with professional support services such as legal, marketing and business matching, with a total subsidy up to HK$500,000 for a period of two years.

The third building block consists of design-related activities. InnoCentre serves as the base for a wide variety of programmes aimed at furthering the contribution of design to Hong Kong’s economic development, including the Business of Design Week, which will take place from 27 November to 2 December, the Design for Asia Awards programme, the Design Technology Conference as well as an ongoing programme of seminars for tenants and incubatees.

Fourth, InnoCentre is a resource centre for the design industry community. InnoCentre’s ‘living room’ is an environment where people can relax, exchange and develop ideas and absorb knowledge from a rich source of resource materials.

Finally, InnoCentre provides shared facilities for tenants, incubatees and partners. Every InnoCentre member has access to the library facilities, design tools and multimedia labs and studio facilities provided by our neighbouring universities and organisations.

According to Victor Lo, the unique opportunity provided by InnoCentre is the result of focused collaboration:

“InnoCentre combines the unique design community expertise and ties of Hong Kong Design Centre with the facilities and proven creative enterprise incubation expertise of HKSTP under the Government’s DesignSmart initiative,” he said. “By working together, we bring the best of Hong Kong’s capabilities to bear for the wider economy, not only in Hong Kong but also serving the Greater Pearl River Delta and beyond.”

At the opening ceremony, guests toured three exhibitions showcasing the vibrant talent of Hong Kong’s design community. The Young Design Talent Show features the work of award-winning design entrepreneurs from local and overseas and design works from local design institutions. The HKDA Members’ Show 06 showcases the work of Hong Kong’s local design talents in a variety of disciplines including graphic, product, environmental, interior, and new media design. Finally, the Better Living - Product Design Contribution exhibit shows how product design can contribute to improved lifestyles, from concept stage to finished products.

The three exhibitions will be open to public from 14 November 2006 to 31 December 2006.

For more information on InnoCentre, please visit www.innocentre.org.hk

- end -

About Hong Kong Design Centre

The Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) was formed in 2001 to drive Hong Kong to become a highly competitive, internationally recognised source of innovative products and design talents. We serve as a vital link between business and design professions in Hong Kong. Our goals are to establish Hong Kong as the design hub of Asia, to become the innovation centre for Greater China, to be the design information centre and to link design centres and organisations worldwide.

The Hong Kong Design Centre is a non-profit organisation founded by the Hong Kong Federation of Design Associations Limited, with support from the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Our founding members include Hong Kong Designers Association (HKDA), Interior Design Association Hong Kong (HKIDA), Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association (HKFDA), and The Chartered Society of Designers, Hong Kong (CSDHK).

More information about HKDC is available at www.hkdesigncentre.org.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

HKSTP provides innovative and technology driven infrastructure and support facilities which includes market focused clustered laboratory services enabling Hong Kong industries and services to be more competitive; full-service incubation programme for technology start-ups; and foster partnerships and collaboration between industry and universities/applied research institutes through consulting, training and research programmes. HKSTP offers advanced facilities and support services for high technology companies that include an IC Design/Development Support Centre and a Photonics Development Support Centre.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org

¹UK Design Index
http://www.design-council.org.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=77&Session/@id=D_qRUycLCnTFk0urAIzgiN&Document/@id=10475