State Key Laboratories and Hong Kong Branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Centres

The State Key Laboratory (SKL) scheme is one of the major national science and technology development schemes managed by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). High-quality research teams and good research equipment are prerequisites for becoming SKLs. Meanwhile, scientific research institutes approved by the MOST as Chinese National Engineering Research Centres (CNERCs) serve as major impetus in providing engineering research and consultancy support to the industries. They need to possess strong research and development (R&D) capabilities and enjoy leading positions in their areas of expertise both on the Mainland and internationally. At present, there are 16 State Key Laboratories and six Hong Kong Branches of CNERCs in Hong Kong.

Since the financial year 2011-12, the Innovation and Technology Commission, through the Innovation and Technology Fund, has been providing annual funding to SKLs in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Branches of CNERCs as an additional source of funding to enable them to map out a longer term development plan to strengthen their research capability and to build up the necessary infrastructural support. At present, the maximum annual funding for each of them is $20 million, and the funding scope covers manpower, equipment, consumables and services incurred for the purpose of conducting R&D work. Please click here for the amounts of funding provided to individual SKLs in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Branches of CNERCs for recent five financial years.