XN000022-1990-06-21 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1990

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USE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN MANUFACTURING NECESSARY

THE SECRETARY FOR TRALE AND INDUSTRY, MR JOHN CHAN, TODAY (THURSDAY) URGED MANUFACTURERS ΤΟ SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE USE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO ACHIEVE HIGHER LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY, BETTER QUALITY AND PRODUCT INNOVATION.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY (AMT) CONFERENCE 1990, MR CHAN SAID THIS WAS NECESSARY IN THE FACE OF FIERCE COMPETITION FROM ECONOMIES WITH AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF CHE PER LABOUR AND THE INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED REQUIREMENTS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR MARKETS.

MR CHAN SAID THE DECISION TO UPGRADE A MANUFACTURING PROCESS BY INSTALLING ADVANCED EQUIPMENT WAS A DIFFICULT ONE AND THE INITIAL COSTS MIGHT SEEM DAUNTING.

"BUT IN THE LONG RUN, AN INVESTMENT OF THIS NATURE SHOULD GENERATE BETTER RETURNS," HE SAID.

WERE

WHICH

MR CHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALIVE TO THE CONSTRAINTS PREVENTING THE WIDER APPLICATION OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGY.

IN HELPING THE INDUSTRY ΤΟ OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS, THE GOVERNMENT TOGETHER WITH THE INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS HAD IN RECENT YEARS TAKEN MANY INITIATIVES TO ENABLE MANUFACTURERS TO UPGRADE THEIR OPERATIONS AND ACHIEVE HIGHER VALUE-ADDED CONTENT OF THEIR PRODUCTS.

FF

"ΤΟ ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY, HE SAID, "THE HONO KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL (HKPC) HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED A RANGE OF SERVICES AND FACILITIES TO SUPPORT AUTOMATION IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF ENGINEERING PARTS.

RADIO

"THESE INCLUDE SERVICES SUCH AS SURFACE MOUNTING, FREQUENCY AND DIGITAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS, CLOTHING TECHNOLOGY, CAD/CAM, ADVANCED ENGINEERING DESIGN, SHEET METAL PROCESSING, PRECISION MACHINING AND PHOTO-CHEMICAL MACHINING, HE SAID.

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IN

MR CHAN SAID THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY, THE HKPC HAD ESTABLISHED A CLOTHING TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION CENTRE IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE KOWLOON BAY TO DISSEMINATE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN GARMENT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS CONDUCIVE TO GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND MECHANISATION.

ON

THE THE

"SEPARATELY, A PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IS OPERATING

A SET-UP GRANT FROM CAMPUS OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC WITH GOVERNMENT AND A PRIVATE DONATION FROM AN INDUSTRIALIST.

"IT HAS

BEEN

SET UP TO ASSIST PLASTICS MANUFACTURERS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND TO MOVE TOWARDS HIGHER VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS, HE SAID.

/REGARDING QUALITY