LONG BEFORE THE Cyberport development appeared on drawing boards, Hong Kong was studying the possibility of creating a 'technology corridor' in the New Territories. The anchor project would transform Southern China's industrial base into something more high-technology.
Last month, the Science Park opened, amid much fanfare, after 10 years of study and planning. But away from its 22-hectare Pak Shek Kok campus, near Tai Po, most people took little notice.
One reason is widespread scepticism and confusion. The Science Park has been labelled everything from a HK$12-billion 'white elephant' to a muddled attempt at encouraging hi-tech development and a property-oriented project that overlaps hopelessly with the Cyberport development the government has undertaken with Pacific Century CyberWorks in Pokfulam.
The people who run the Science Park remain upbeat. The first two office buildings and a car park were opened last month, and a total of 1.2 million square feet will be available by the time Phase One is completed at the end of next year. With the recent commitment from Dutch electronics giant Philips to take up most of one building for research and development (R&D), Phase One is now 70 per cent full.
ON Semiconductor, a spinoff of United States-based Motorola, has also taken up a large amount of space for R&D, and about a dozen smaller companies are committed to Phase One space.
Bernard Lam Moon-tim, deputy chief executive of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP), which oversees the project, said there had been keen interest shown by prospective tenants.