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FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1988

'QUALITY ASSURANCE WILL ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PART ΤΟ PLAY: HERE AGAIN, RESEARCH WILL BE OF THE UTMOST ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING HOW QUALITY STANDARDS CAN BE IMPROVED, HE ADDED.

COULD PLAY,

AND INDERD WAS

MR JACOBS SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY PLAYING, AN IMPORTANT PART IN PROMOTING THE INTERACTION OF INDUSTRY AND THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

"ONE POSITIVE STEP IS ALREADY BEING TAKEN BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF AN INDUSTRIAL EXTENSION SERVICE SCHEME.

"ONE OF THE AIMS OF THE SCHEME, WHICH INVOLVES MANY VISITS ΤΟ INDUSTRIALISTS BY OFFICERS OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, IS TO PROMOTE THE SERVICES OF THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO INDUSTRY FOR CONTRACT RESEARCH, HE SAID.

MR JACOBS SAID THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD, WHICH HE CHAIRED, WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR MOBILISING TALENT WITHIN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR TO ASSIST THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY, AND IT HAD COMMISSIONED A NUMBER OF RESEARCH PROJECTS TO HELP IN THIS.

****

ONE OF THE MOST RECENT PROJECTS CONCERNS A PROGRAMME TO BE UNDERTAKEN JOINTLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR USE BY LOCAL INDUSTRY IN COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE.

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ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD, HE SAID, THE HONG KONG PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY CENTRE COMPANY WAS SET UP WITHIN THE HONG KONO POLYTECHNIC TO PROVIDE ADVICE AND SUPPORT TO THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY.

"

'ANOTHER LONGER TERM PROPOSAL OF THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD INVOLVES THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A TECHNOLOGY CENTRE, IN HONG KONG TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT ESPECIALLY GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF NEW KNOWLEDGE-BASED BUSINESSES," HE SAID.

MR JACOBS SAID HE EXPECTED INDUSTRY TO MOVE AWAY FROM LABOUR INTENSIVE METHODS TO THOSE INVOLVING HIGHER LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGY AND RELYING LESS ON LARGE NUMBERS OF RELATIVELY UNSKILLED WORKERS.

"THE KEY TO THE TRANSITION WILL BE THE -READY AVAILABILITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF HIGHLY TRAINED MANPOWER, THE QUEST FOR HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY MUST CONTINUE.

"ONLY IN THIS WAY WILL WE BE ABLE ΤΟ RETAIN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BASE AND THUS THAT OUR PRESENT PROSPERITY WILL CONTINUE," HE SAID,

ENSURE

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