Quality Alchemist (品質煉金術師): HKSTP TecONE Briefing on “Postdoctoral Hub” Programme and various Funding Programmes by ITC

2018年9月5日星期三

HKSTP TecONE Briefing on “Postdoctoral Hub” Programme and various Funding Programmes by ITC

HKSTP TecONE Briefing Session named “Postdoctoral Hub Programme and various Funding Programmes by ITC” was organized by Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) under TecONE platfrom on 5^th Sep 2018. On 22^nd Aug 2018, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) announced that the “Postdoctoral Hub” Programme (PH-SPC) under the Technology Talent Scheme was open for application. Incubatees and Innovation & Technology (I&T) tenants of HKSTP are eligible for application.

The first speaker was Ms. Linda Ng (ITC) and her topic named “Postdoctoral Hub Programme (PH-SPC) for Incubatees & I&T Tenants of HKSTP and Cyberport”. Firstly, she briefed the objective of PH-SPC was to nurture and bring together more technology talent and encourage them to pursue a career in innovation and scientific research. The programme provides companies in HKSTP & Cyberport with funding support for the recruitment of postdoctoral talent to conduct research and development (R&D) work.

Companies (incubate & I&T tenants of the HKSTP and Cyberport) proposed engagement period is within the incubation or tenancy period with core business activities to be technology intensive and innovation-based. Companies need to assign to the postdoctoral talent technology R&D duties with appropriate guidance. The Postdoctoral Talent should possess a doctoral degree in STEM related discipline which granted by local university or within ranking 100 of QS, Shanghai JT University or THE.

Postdoctoral talent should not be employed by the application company within the past three months preceding the date of application and the postdoctoral talent selection process is fair and without prejudice to any candidates. Moreover, they are not a proprietor, partner or shareholder of the application company. The details of funding support was showed as following diagram. The max. monthly allowance was HK$3,2000 per postdoctoral talent.

PH-SPC is open all year round and application should be using the Innovation and Technology Commission Funding Administrative System (ITCFAS) at the ITF website (http://itcfas.itf.gov.hk). Applicants are also required to provide:

i) Incubation / tenancy contract;

ii) Business Registration Certificate;

iii) Qualification document of the postdoctoral talent;

iv) Recruitment advertisement for the postdoctoral talent; and

v) Declaration that the postdoctoral talent will be allocated with a dedicated workstation or a fixed seat inside an office room (for tenants of HDIH/BSC/ICT Co-working Center/Smart-Space)

The procedure flow chart was demonstrated as following diagram.

Then Ms. Linda Ng (ITC) presented her another topic named “Internship Programme (IP-SPC) for Incubatees & I&T Tenants of HKSTP and Cyberport”. It is very similar to PH-SPC except the qualification requirement of talent. Funding Support was different and the max. monthly allowance is HK$16,000 for Bachelor degree and HK$19,000 for Master or higher degree. The monthly allowance (plus employer’s contribution to the MPF) will be provided to the applicant company on a reimbursement basis after acceptance of the progress report by ITC (i.e. on a half-yearly basis in general).

It is very similar to PH-SPC except the qualification requirement of talent. Funding Support was different and the max. monthly allowance is HK$16,000 for Bachelor degree and HK$19,000 for Master or higher degree. The monthly allowance (plus employer’s contribution to the MPF) will be provided to the applicant company on a reimbursement basis after acceptance of the progress report by ITC (i.e. on a half-yearly basis in general).

The second speaker was Ms. Susan Tsang (ITC) and her topic entitled “Public Sector Trial Scheme (PSTS-SPC)”. PSTS provides funding support for production of prototypes/samples and conducting of trial schemes in the public sector to facilitate and promote the realization and commercialization of R&D results under ITF projects.

In order to strengthen the local startup ecosystem, the funding scope has been extended to cover production of prototypes/samples and/or conducting of trials in the public sector by incubates and graduate tenants of HKSTP and Cyberport since Dec 2016. The Funding Support was upto max. $1,000,000 for each application.

The application is open all year round and some requirements should be fulfilled. The most important one is seeking cooperation with the public sector organizations.

Within two months after completion of the trial project, the applicant should submit the following electronically to ITC for fund disbursement including:

i) Application for reimbursement for actual expenditure

ii) Evaluation report

iii) An audited account for the project from an independent auditor

The procedure flow chart is showed as following diagram.

The criteria to be considered was showed below.

Ms. Susan Tsang (ITC) then presented another topic was “Technology Voucher Programme”. TVP launched in Nov 2016. The eligibility has been relaxed to cover all local non-listed enterprises, irrespective of size and duration of operation with effective from 28^th Feb 2018.

The funding could cover:

i) Technology Consultancy (optional)

ii) Customized equipment/hardware, software and technological services or solutions

iii) Off-the-shelf/readily available equipment/hardware, software and technology services or solutions (essential part of project <=50%)

iv) Auditing fee (if approved funding >$50,000; max fee is $3,000)

The funding scope and amount was showed in the following diagram.

The following diagrams showed typical technology services / solution that TVP covered.

The procurement procedures were discussed and it had been relaxed.

Q&A Session:

Some incubatees asked if internship talent had doctorate degree, could they transfer to PH-SCP. Speaker said they were discussing internally but no policy at this moment. Therefore, they needed to follow 3 month separated period before re-submitted application. Moreover, it must related to R&D job. However, there were no definition in the scheme and it should be vetting case by case.

Then our colleague Mr. Wesley Wong (Senior Manager, Partnership Programmes) introduced his team members and they all supported incubatees and tenants in HKSTP for applying different funding scheme of ITF.