Government Supports Developing Radio Frequency Identification Technology
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Rita Lau (center), Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Eddy Chan (second from right) and other officiating guests at the opening of the Hong Kong Radio Frequency Identification Centre
Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Rita Lau, said that with the clear objective of making Hong Kong a regional hub of innovation and technology, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government had been working consistently to promote the development of technology in areas where Hong Kong had a competitive edge.
Officiating at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Radio Frequency Identification Centre (Supply Chain Innovation Centre) at Hong Kong Science Park, Mrs. Lau said one area was radio frequency identification (RFID).
"RFID technology can be applied throughout the business process from material sourcing to after-sale services," Mrs. Lau said. "Indeed, there are so many innovative ways to apply this technology to various aspects of our life such as health care, transportation, food safety and shipping."
Mrs. Lau commented that the Hong Kong government had been a staunch supporter of the development of RFID technology.
From 2004 to 2007, the government's Innovation and Technology Fund provided financial support for a total of 17 RFID-related projects amounting to some US$13.84 million, covering areas such as improvement in RFID tagging and embedding technology, application of RFID technology in food safety, enhancement of privacy protection and communication security, and development of a real-time manufacturing shop-floor information infrastructure.
Citing successful examples of RFID applications in Hong Kong, Mrs. Lau noted that the Hong Kong International Airport was the world's first airport to fully utilize the technology to ensure the efficient flow of passengers and cargo.
The Octopus card, one of the world's earliest RFID-enabled payment solutions, won the Chairman's Award of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance's Global IT Excellence Award in 2006.
Noting that RFID could also be used for specific operational needs, Mrs. Lau said that a tenant at the Science Park had successfully worked out a mobile RFID solution for jewelry management systems. Its high performance RFID reader can capture more than 100 tags simultaneously, facilitating stock-taking and management.
Mrs. Lau said that the recently opened Hong Kong RFID Centre was yet another initiative to promote the development of RFID.
Occupying an area of 4,500 square feet, the Hong Kong RFID Centre is the largest of its type in the Asia Pacific Region. It aims to encourage the business, industry and technology sectors to showcase their capabilities and explore further opportunities for development. It also demonstrates to the public the many possible applications of the technology, to enhance their awareness and understanding of the next generation of RFID technology and its significance to the future economic and social development of Hong Kong.
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