The Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) announced in a statement yesterday that it has launched a certification programme for local tech companies, with the aim of boosting the development of the city’s high-tech industry.
According to the statement, the programme aims to help highly-qualified companies engaging in technological innovation expand their businesses through the bureau’s granting of official certification to them.
Local tech companies meeting the criteria can apply to obtain the certification from the bureau.
The statement said that in compliance with the Macau government’s ongoing “1+4” drive to appropriately diversify the city’s economy as well as its policy of improving the system for supporting the development of the local technological industry, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau has now launched the certification programme, with the aim of encouraging local businesses to engage in technological innovation and attracting technology companies outside Macau to embark on businesses here.
According to the statement, the new programme aims to identify highly-qualified local tech companies through an evaluation system, providing them with different levels of official certification in order to encourage them to expand their businesses.
According to the statement, an evaluation committee set up by the bureau will assess applications submitted by companies based on various factors, such as their business activities, the size of their business, their research and development, and the level of innovation in their business activities.
The programme covers locally-registered companies which have engaged in technological innovation as their main business activities in Macau for at least one year, the statement said.
According to the statement, the bureau will award three levels of certification to technology companies depending on the scores given by the evaluation committee.
The three levels of certification, from the lowest to highest level, are “Potential Technology Company”, “Growing Technology Company”, and “Leading Technology Company”.
The awarded certification will be valid for three years. According to the programme’s website, upon expiration companies will have to reapply for them to be awarded certification again.
According to the statement, potential beneficiaries will have to submit their applications from May 2 to 31 through the bureau’s online system.
The programme’s website underlines that the certification aims to help boost the confidence of market customers, highly qualified professionals and capital in the respective technology companies, which will then help the companies expand the market and attract highly qualified professionals and investments.
The website also says that in the near future the Macau government will roll out special measures to support the development of companies that have been awarded the certification.
Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) officials brief representatives from local tech companies, universities and community associations about the government’s new certification programme for local firms engaging in technological innovation, at the bureau’s headquarters in Nam Van yesterday. – Photo: DSEDT
