SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1984
AUTOMATION IMPORTANT FOR INDUSTRY *****
MANUFACTURERS IN HONG KONG MUST ADOPT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION TO MAINTAIN THEIR COMPETITIVE EDGE, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR JOHN YAXLEY, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
MR YAXLEY WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A SYMPOSIUM ON INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ORGANISED BY THE SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS AND THE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS.
+ IN THE WAKE OF INCREASING COMPETITION IN WORLD MARKET OVER BOTH PRICE AND PERFORMANCE, MANUFACTURERS EVERYWHERE ARE FORCED TO REDUCE COST AND IMPROVE QUALITY AND SERVICES.
+THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURE.
+THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN HONG KONG WHERE OUR ECONOMY IS PRIMARILY EXPORT-ORIENTED, HE SAID.
AT PRESENT. MANUFACTURING PROVIDES 40 PER CENT OF ALL EMPLOYMENT AND ACCOUNTS FOR 22 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
LAST YEAR, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS TOTALLED HK$104 BILLION, OR 50 PER CENT OF GDP.
HOWEVER, MR YAXLEY SAID, THE ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATION WERE YET TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HONG KONG'S OVERALL INDUSTRY.
CITING ELECTRONICS AS AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID ONLY A FEW AUTOMATIC ELECTRONIC COMPONENT INSERTION MACHINES, COMPUTER-ASSISTED TESTING SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS AND COMPONENTS AND COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN SYSTEMS FOR DESIGN OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS AND LARGE SCALE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS HAD BEEN INSTALLED.
HE ATTRIBUTED THIS SLOW AND LIMITED DEVELOPMENT TO THE HIGH COST OF AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT; THE LACK OF EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL SUPPORTING STAFF, AND INSUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING AMONG MANUFACTUREKS ABOUT THE WORKINGS AND BENEFITS OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION.
TO OVERCOME THE SHORTAGE OF EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL STAFF MR YAXLEY SAID THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, THE TWO POLYTECHNICS AND THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL WERE STRENGTHENING THE IR ENGINEERING COURSES TO MEET INDUSTRIAL NEEDS.
TRAINING IN SPECIFIC AREAS IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT- SUBSIDISED HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE.
/+TO ASSIST
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