2023 Mainland-HK Joint Funding Scheme opens for applications

The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) today (May 15) launched the 2023 Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme to solicit collaborative applied research and development (R&D) projects between Hong Kong and Mainland institutions on three specific themes:

(i) Biotechnology: Chinese medicine-based new medicines, research on medicines for treating rare diseases, regenerative medicines for treating degenerative diseases, tissue stem cells isolation and functions evaluation;

(ii) Artificial Intelligence (AI): Research on the security and privacy of AI systems, brain-inspired intelligence, smart transportation, smart healthcare (including medical robots); and

(iii) New Materials: Optoelectronic materials; third-generation semiconductor technologies, key materials for highly secured, high energy and density fuel cells, research on and application of biomedical materials.

Applications will be accepted from today until June 30.

The Scheme aims to support and encourage further R&D collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Applications must be submitted jointly by Hong Kong and Mainland institutions to the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) respectively. The R&D work under the project must be conducted in both places and have an element of collaboration between the two places. ITC and MOST will provide funding support to the Hong Kong and Mainland applicants respectively and monitor the progress of the project by their respective requirements.

Further information can be obtained on the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) website (www.itf.gov.hk/en/mhkjfs). For enquiries, please contact the ITF Secretariat (Tel: 3655 5678; email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk).