HONG KONG, Dec. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will set up four research and development centers, which will also subsume research and development (R&D) works in five technology areas under the Applied Science & Technology Research Institute development plan.

    According to a government press release Friday, Hong Kong Commissioner for Innovation Technology Anthony Wong said the proposal, endorsed by the Steering Committee on Innovation & Technology Thursday, follows a public consultation exercise.

    Wong said under the new strategy, R&D centers for automotive parts and accessory systems, logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies, textile and clothing, and nanotechnology and advanced materials will be set up.

    The institute will subsume R&D under the technology areas of communications technologies, consumer electronics, integrated circuit design, opto-electronics and Chinese medicine as part of its development plan.

    The government plans to invite proposals to host the R&D centers in January to February next year and to set up the centers in the second half of 2005. Enditem