A renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Industry Canada and the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (CITB) of the Government of Hong Kong hopes to foster enhanced cooperation in the area of information and communications technologies (ICT).
The MOU will include specific areas where Industry Canada would like to collaborate and exchange information with the CITB, according to Dr. Veena Rawat, president of the Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC).
Signed on behalf of Michael Binder, Industry Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister for Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications, it contains new areas of common interest including software applications including e-government and IT security, she said.
"In terms of the ICT infrastructure and its related policy we included areas such as e-commerce, current and future issues in telecom policy, broadband networks and applications," said Rawat. "We have renewed until December 2012 and have made amendments to reflect these areas of common interest."
The use of ICT has broken down geographical barriers, enabling people from different parts of the world to work together, said Frankie Fong, senior systems manager with CITB's Office of the Government CIO.
"In this globally connected world, the establishment of international cooperation is key to ensure Hong Kong's success as a leading digital city," he said via email.
Hong Kong has been fostering ties in ICT in cooperation with other countries.
The aim is to establish mutually beneficial relationships among relevant government agencies and industry organizations, according to Fong.
"Besides Canada and other countries we are in forces with on ICT include Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom."
With respect to benefits that such an agreement provides to both parties, Rawat said there are three categories:B information exchange at the policy level, business development, and research and development.
Fong conceded with Rawat on the benefits provided and added that these cooperative arrangements have raised the profile of Hong Kong in partner countries as well as internationally.
"Involving the government of the two sides enables the local industry to access the market in these partner countries more effectively and efficiently than it could achieve by its own efforts."
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