The nurturing of talents is a key element in the Government's policy to promote creative economy in Hong Kong, and this formed the focus of a study visit to France by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau.
France is the partner country of Hong Kong's 2009 Business of Design Week, which is regarded as one of the most significant annual events on the international design calendar. During the 4-day visiting programme in Paris and Lille, Mrs Lau has visited a number of corporations renowned for their successful application of design and innovative technology in branding, market development and services improvement, professional companies in the development of 3D products and technology, and institutions devoted to creative industry education.
These included visits to the transport infrastructure supplier ALSTOM and automaker Renault, to hear about their experience in re-branding their products by raising the level of cooperation between their product design and technical research teams as well as their strategy in bringing in and grooming designers from different cultural background.
While in Lille, she was briefed by senior representative of the metropolitan government on how the city had transformed from a traditional heavy industrial city to a creative regional metropolitan. She visited Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Comtemporains, SUPINFOCOM - a digital media creation entity supported by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Valenciennes, and Decathlon - a sports equipments producer. She also took the chance to visit the architects CAAU (Coldefy & Associes Architectes Urbanistes), the architects of the Institute of Design now being built in Tseung Kwan O.
During the visit, Mrs Lau also met the Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment, Mrs Christine Lagarde, the Minister of State responsible for foreign trade, Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac, and the Chinese Ambassador to France, Mr Kong Quan. Mrs Lau will return to Hong Kong on March 8.
Saturday, March 7, 2009