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THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1992
MR BARMA SAID THE LINKAGE INDUSTRIES, OF WHICH THE METALS AND LIGHT ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES FORM A ᏢᎪᎡᎢ . NOW FACED REQUESTS FROM MANUFACTURERS FOR HIGH QUALITY SERVICES NEVER DEMANDED BEFORE.
MANY COMPANIES, EVEN SMALL ONES, HAD FOUND IT NECESSARY TO INVEST IN ADVANCED MACHINERY AND TO ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE FAST PACE OF COMPETITION, HE SAID.
MR BARMA POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES TO HELP THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY UPGRADE.
"TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R & D) IN TECHNOLOGIES APPLICABLE TO HONG KONG'S
INDUSTRIES, AN APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEME WILL BE LAUNCHED LATER THIS YEAR.
"UNDER THE SCHEME, FINANCIAL SUPPORT ON A MATCHING BASIS WILL BE PROVIDED TO COMPANIES FOR APPLIED R & D WORK, HE SAID.
[L
ANOTHER MEASURE THAT WOULD STIMULATE DEVELOPMENT WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE.
FIRMS,
APART FROM PROVIDING ACCOMMODATION FOR TECHNOLOGY-BASED THE CENTRE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FACILITIES.
UNTIL 1994, THE
ALTHOUGH CONSTRUCTION WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED CENTRE HAD ALREADY STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME SERVICES, MR BARMA SAID.
IN THE AREA OF PRECISION CALIBRATION, THE STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAD INVESTED HEAVILY IN RECENT YEARS IN BUILDING UP ITS MECHANICAL MEASUREMENT FACILITIES TO MEET INDUSTRY'S INCREASING NEEDS FOR THE SERVICE.
MR BARMA SAID THE LABORATORY, USING THE VERY LATEST STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT, COULD PROVIDE FOR MOST OF THE REQUESTS FROM LOCAL INDUSTRIES FOR PRECISION CALIBRATION, ADDING THAT SUCH
REQUESTS WERE INCREASINGLY COMING FROM LINKAGE INDUSTRIES.
HE SAID THE GROWTH OF LINKAGE INDUSTRIES IN RECENT YEARS WAS A REFLECTION OF THE GRADUAL SHIFT OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY FROM LOW VALUE-ADDED AND LABOUR-INTENSIVE MANUFACTURING INTO THE MECHANISED AND OFTEN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION OF HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCTS.
"IT IS ALSO A RESPONSE ΤΟ THE CONSIDERABLE DEMAND FOR INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS FROM MANUFACTURERS WHO HAVE RELOCATED SOME OR ALL OF THEIR OPERATIONS TO CHINA.
"IN 1991, FOR EXAMPLE, 64.4 PER CENT OF MACHINE TOOLS AND INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY MANUFACTURED IN AND EXPORTED FROM HONG KONG WENT TO CHINA, HE ADDED.
FF
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