XN000022-1988-04-14 — Page 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1988

"AGAINST THIS

BACKGROUND,

THE GOVERNMENT, IN INDUSTRY AND THE

CLOSE

KONG

AND

CONSULTATION WITH THE ELECTRONICS

HONG PRODUCTIVITY • COUNCIL (HKPC), HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PLANNING IMPLEMENTING A SERIES OF MEASURES THAT WOULD ENABLE THE INDUSTRY то OVERCOME OBSTACLES TO GROWTH,

■ HE SAID.

·

HE NOTED THAT THE HKPC WAS BEING FUNDED то OPEN UP TWO NEW LABORATORIES THE SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY AND THE RADIO FREQUENCY AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS LABORATORY BY THE END OF THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF BUREAU, CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING

SERVICES FOR THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY, WHICH KEPT A LARGE VARIETY OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC STANDARDS THAT WERE TRACEABLE WORLDWIDE, PROVIDED CALIBRATION SERVICES TO ENABLE MANUFACTURERS TO ACHIEVE THE DEGREE OF PRECISION THEY NEEDED IN MOVING UPMARKET.

IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION AND MANPOWER TRAINING, HE SAID COMPUTER TRAINING HAD BEEN INTRODUCED INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHILE ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING COURSES NOW AVAILABLE AT THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS HAD BEEN BROUGHT MORE CLOSELY INTO LINE WITH DEMAND.

"THUS, IN THE FIELD OF MANPOWER TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT, MUCH IS ALREADY BEING DONE TO PREPARE THE GROUND FOR THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FOR FRESH INVESTMENT, IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY MOVE FORWARD FROM THE RELATIVELY LOW END OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS ITS MIDDLE AND UPPER REACHES," HE SAID.

IN THE MANUFACTURING WAS AWARE, WITH THE THAT INVESTMENT

AS TO THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR, MR YEUNG SAID THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT EXCEPTION OF THE LARGE MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS, IN AUTOMATION SYSTEMS WAS SOMEWHAT PATCHWORK.

HOWEVER THERE WAS AMPLE EVIDENCE TO

+

SHOW THAT MANUFACTURERS WOULD INVEST HEAVILY IN THE EXPANSION OF PRODUCTION CAPACITY WHEN EXPORT PROSPECTS WERE FAVOURABLE.

TO FIND SOFTWARE THAT MET SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, MR YEUNG SUGGESTED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD SEEK EXPERT ADVICE, WHICH WAS AVAILABLE FROM BOTH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE HKPC'S AUTOMATION UNIT AND CAD/CAM WORKSHOP.

LAST YEAR, THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 22 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS AT A VALUE OF $42 BILLION.

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