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| Hong Kong International Airport was the world’s first airport to fully utilize RFID technology to ensure the efficient flow of passengers and cargo. |
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is a staunch supporter of the development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, according to Commissioner for Innovation and Technology Eddy Chan.
Speaking at a recent Hong Kong forum, Harnessing the Power of RFID/Electronic Product Code (EPC) Technology in Modern Logistics, Mr. Chan noted RFID technology is one of the top research areas for the Hong Kong R&D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies.
“Since its establishment, the center has kick-started and managed more than 20 research projects, amounting to more than US$12.82 million, to facilitate core RFID technology developments in various aspects,” he said.
“Our Innovation and Technology Fund has supported 22 RFID projects from 2004 to 2008, with a total amount of US$19.23 million. For the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme, RFID has always been the theme of projects that both governments solicited.”
He said that as a forerunner in the development and applications of RFID technology, Hong Kong International Airport was the world’s first airport to fully utilize RFID technology to ensure the efficient flow of passengers and cargo. In addition, the Octopus card was one of the world’s earliest RFID-enabled payment solutions.
However, Mr. Chan cautioned that Hong Kong cannot afford to be complacent with its achievements. He pointed out that considerable efforts are being made in the public and private sectors elsewhere in the world to conduct research in this new technology area and also to promote the wider application of this technology in various sectors.
Mr. Chan added that governments all around the world are increasingly reliant on innovation and technology as a means to overcome the growing economic crisis.
The February 26 forum, co-organized by the Innovation and Technology Commission and GS1 Hong Kong, aimed to share the know-how and value of deploying RFID/EPC technology for transport and logistics businesses.
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