XN000022-1987-03-09 — Page 2

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MONDAY, MARCH 9

1987

IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

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THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE THE INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT TO FACILITATE THE PROGRESS OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FROM THE RELATIVELY LOW VALUE-ADDED, ASSEMBLY-INTENSIVE PHASE TO THE DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING OF MORE SPECIALISED, DIFFERENTIATED AND MINIATURISED ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR E.P. HO, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ORGANISED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, MR HO SAID THE LOCAL ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY WAS NOW AT A THRESHOLD OF A NEW ERA.

+THERE ARE CHALLENGES, NO DOUBT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION. +

MR HO SAID GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE EXISTING INDUSTRY, WITH ITS DEPENDENCE ON ASSEMBLY WORK AND THE APPARENT DIFFICULTY IT NOW HAD IN RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY ON THE ONE HAND, THE REALITIES OF OUR HEAVILY EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY AND OUR EXPERIENCE AND SKILL IN DIVERSIFYING WITHIN THE RANGE OF CONSUMER- ORIENTED LIGHT INDUSTRIES ON THE OTHER, A REALISTIC AIM FOR THE LOCAL ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY MIGHT BE TO BREAK AWAY FROM ASSEMBLY- INTENSIVE WORK AND TO MOVE TOWARDS PRODUCT SPECIALISATION.

+THIS BREAK-THROUGH CALLS FOR FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS, HE SAID.

+FIRST, THE AVAILABILITY OF GOOD INDUSTRIAL AND MECHANICAL DESIGN SERVICES, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDED, TO SOME EXTENT, BY THE HONG KONG DESIGN INNOVATION COMPANY LTD. AND THE RANGE OF MECHANICAL DESIGN SERVICES OF THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL.

+SECOND, THE AVAILABILITY OF PRECISION-METAL AND PLASTICS PARTS. THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL IS BEING FUNDED TO PROVIDE AN IMPROVED METALS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE.

+THIS MEASURE, COUPLED WITH THE NEW COURGES FUN BY THE PRECISION TOOLING TRAINING CENTRE OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, WILL GO SOME WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING THE CAPABILITY OF OUR METALS FABRICATION AND LIGHT ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES IN THEIR SUPPORT OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.

+THIRD, THE MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONALLY TRACEABLE PRIMARY PHYSICAL STANDARDS BY THE GOVERNMENT'S STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY.

/+FOURTH, ENCOURAGEMENT