XN000022-1988-11-17 — Page 4

3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17,

INDUSTRIALISTS URGED TO INVEST IN AUTOMATION

*

1988

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY,

MR PIERS

TODAY JACOBS,

(THURSDAY)

IN ORDER ΤΟ

IN SECTOR

THE

CALLED UPON INDUSTRIALISTS TO INVEST MORE IN AUTOMATION

MANUFACTURING THE STRENGTHEN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF

LONGER TERM.

HE WAS

OFFICIATING

AT

THE

OPENING

OF THE

AUTOMATION

'88

CONFERENCE JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS, THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL AND THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.

WERE MR JACOBS SAID THAT HONG KONG'S COMPETITORS IN THE REGION

STEADILY IMPROVING GEARING UP THEIR PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES AND WERE

HONG

MARKETS KONG'S OVERSEAS THEIR TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE, WHILE

MORE RELIABLE AND BETTER DESIGNED WERE DEMANDING BETTER QUALITY, PRODUCTS.

ARE FACING

"AT HOME, MANUFACTURERS LIMITED RESOURCES FROM OTHER SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.

COMPETITION GROWING

FOR

INDUSTRIALISTS

HAVE SURVIVE

AND "THESE ARE ALL FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO DEAL WITH THEM SQUARELY IF THEY WISH TO IN MANUFACTURING," HE ADDED.

BE AN OBSTACLE CHARACTERISED HONG

TECHNOLOGIES

WERB

TURNING TO THE ARGUMENT THAT AUTOMATION COULD

OF RESPONSE WHICH TO THE FLEXIBILITY AND SPEED KONG'S INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, MR JACOBS SAID THAT CHANGING TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE NEED FOR FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING.

WHICH

SYSTEMS

SACRIFICING

A

OF

WILL ENABLE THERE

MANY ARE "NOWADAYS, MANUFACTURER TO INCREASE CAPACITY, RAISE PRODUCTIVITY, REDUCE WASTAGE,

THAT NIMBLENESS AND ACHIEVE BETTER QUALITY, WITHOUT

OURS, HE RESPONSE THAT IS SO ESSENTIAL IN A DYNAMIC ECONOMY SUCH AS SAID.

SUPPORT UPON GREATER

AND VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL GOVERNMENT HE SAID THAT THE ORGANISATIONS WOULD ALSO ASSIST MANUFACTURERS TO EMBARK MECHANISATION.

DEVELOPED

THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL HAS LOW-COST AUTOMATION SYSTEMS DESIGNED FOR USE BY SMALL AND MANUFACTURERS.

A

RANGE MEDIUM-SIZE

OF

OPERATE THE THE TERTIARY

THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL TRAINS WORKERS TO

MACHINES, WHILE NEW GENERATION OF COMPUTER-CONTROLLED

AND ENGINEERS EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ARE EDUCATING THE THE FUTURE.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, SUCH AS THE INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERS, ARE ALSO HELPING TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE JACOBS SAID.

MANAGERS

OF

INDUSTRIAL

OF AUTOMATION, MR

14