“Q-MARK 45th Anniversary Licence Presentation Ceremony cum

STEM Mark Certification Framework Launch” held successfully

 

 This year celebrates the 45th anniversary of Q-Mark's introduction. On this significant occasion, the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council hosted the “Q-Mark 45th Anniversary Licence Presentation Ceremony cum STEM Mark Certification Framework Launch” last Friday (16 June) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.  The occasion, where the STEM Mark Certification Program and its recent progress were announced, was officiated by the Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki as the Guest of Honour. 

Since its establishment, Q-Mark has been keeping up with the times and has launched various certification programs in response to consumers' needs, which are available for application by enterprises, manufacturers, and retailers. This year, a total of 240 enterprises were awarded the Q-Mark Licenses under various Q-Mark certification schemes, including 95 for the Hong Kong Q-Mark Product Scheme (Red Mark), 62 for the Hong Kong Q-Mark Service Scheme (Gold Mark), 68 for the Hong Kong Q-Mark Service (Cyan) Scheme (Cyan Mark), and 15 for the Hong Kong Green Mark Certification Scheme (Green Mark).

 On the occasion of Q-Mark's 45th anniversary, the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council announced the launch of the STEM Mark Certification Program to further expand its quality certification services, in response to the need of nurturing local talents for the I&T industry. The STEM Mark Certification Program is based on a 1.5-year research project with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University commissioned by FHKI and the report was just released last month. The Program will be officially launched in January 2024, but its 6-month pilot program has begun upon the announcement at the ceremony, and businesses are encouraged to actively participate.

 Guest of Honour, the Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, said he was pleased to see FHKI’s launch of STEM Mark, a product certification program designed for STEM products. He pointed out that, with the increasing demand for STEM products worldwide, STEM Mark can provide the needed quality assurance. “I look forward to STEM Mark, like the well-known Q-Mark that instills consumer confidence, strengthening the branding of Hong Kong products and showcasing the good stories of Hong Kong to the world,” he added.

FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council Anthony Lam urged the industry to actively participate in the STEM Mark pilot program. He emphasized that some member companies have already shown significant interest, characterising their support as meaningful and capable of enhancing the quality of STEM education in Hong Kong.  He highlighted, “Just like Q-Mark, obtaining the STEM Mark for a product provides a definite assurance of quality. Being able to distinguish between good and bad STEM products not only helps consumers in choosing products, but also greatly benefits manufacturers of high-quality products by giving them a boost and making the promotion of their products much more effective.”

On the occasion, Prof Winco Yung from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who led the research project, provided an update on the STEM Mark pilot scheme, “The Program has been designed to certify high-quality STEM products that meet specific requirements, including safety, durability, and STEM literacy.  In order to receive the certification, manufacturers must also provide relevant test reports and certificates of conformity.  I am delighted to have participated with the team in designing this certification framework, hoping that it can assist manufacturers in designing and developing products, thus further enhancing the quality of STEM products in Hong Kong.”

 A total of 21 companies attended and received the Q-Mark Certification at this year's Licence Presentation Ceremony.  FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman Clara Chan congratulated all the companies present at the ceremony and mentioned that among the companies certified with the Q-Mark this year, some have received this honour for many consecutive years.  She found this very inspiring and paid tribute to these companies, saying, “Building and maintaining an excellent brand requires years of effort by businesses.  It is thanks to your hard work and dedication that Hong Kong brands enjoy a renowned reputation and are hailed as a guarantee of quality.”

In the past 45 years, Q-Mark has consistently responded to the changing needs of society by developing a variety of certification programs that include Red Mark, Gold Mark, Cyan Mark, and Green Mark. This year, the introduction of the STEM Mark Certification Program is a timely response to the evolving demands and challenges in the global talent market. Going forward, Q-Mark will continue to uphold its mission of improving product and service quality, keeping up with changing societal needs, and expanding its certification programs accordingly to meet the emerging needs of consumers.

About the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council

 The Hong Kong Q-Mark Council was established by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries in 1978 to pioneer quality and best practice in Hong Kong.  Its main objective is to enhance the product, service and environmental standards of companies through its Q-Mark schemes.  The schemes offer consumers confidence when making purchases.  Since all products and services with displayed Q-Mark labels are audited by the Council on a regular basis, the stringent quality and environmental requirements of the Q-Mark schemes are ensured.

 

Picture 1: The Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki (centre); Anthony Lam, FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council (right) and Clara Chan, FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman (left) kicked-off the ceremony and dinner.

 

Picture 2: The Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki served as the Guest of Honour and spoke in the ceremony.

 

Picture 3: Anthony Lam, FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Hong Kong Q-Mark Council, announced the launch of the pilot program for “STEM Mark” certification.

 

Picture 4: Prof Winco KC Yung from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University introduced the framework on which the STEM Mark Certification Program is based.

 

Picture 5: Clara Chan, FHKI Executive Deputy Chairman, paid tribute to enterprises certified with Q-Mark for many years.

 

Picture 6: A total of 240 companies have been awarded the Q-Mark License this year. A group of company representatives took the picture with the Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki.

*Please visit here for higher resolution photos.

 

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