XN000022-1990-08-14 — Page 6

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TESDAY AUGUST 14, 1990

COULD LIMIT THE

FOURTHLY, POOR ACCESS TO OVERSEAS TECHNOLOGY CHOICE OF USEFUL TECHNOLOGY. THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE PARTICULARLY SERIOUS IN CASES WHERE INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY HAD YET ΤΟ BE FULLY DEVELOPED.

FINALLY, THE DEARTH OF INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT FACILITIES OR EXCESSIVE SPREAD OF RESOURCES OVER тоо MANY AREAS COULD MAKE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY LESS EFFECTIVE AND COSTLY.

"THE GOVERNMENT IS ALIVE TO THESE OBSTACLES.

"IN HELPING INDUSTRY TO OVERCOME THEM, THE GOVERNMENT RECENT YEARS, TAKEN MANY INITIATIVES, " MR WONG SAID.

HAS, IN

OF

OF

THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT RAN A CONTINUING PROGRAMME TECHNO-ECONOMIC STUDIES TO IDENTIFY THE TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS ENHANCING THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR'S GROWTH AND COMPETITIVE STRENGTH.

FOR

THE

THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THESE STUDIES WAS PUBLICISED MANUFACTURERS' REFERENCE AND WAS ALSO CAREFULLY ANALYSED WITHIN GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FORMULATING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES.

ENGINEERS, GOVERNMENT

TO ENSURE THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS JOINING THE WORKFORCE, THE SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF RESOURCES EACH YEAR TO PROVIDE MANPOWER TRAINING THROUGH THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS.

THE GOVERNMENT WAS SPENDING AN ESTIMATED $1,450 MILLION IN THIS AREA IN 1990-91, MR WONG SAID.

APART FROM ENGAGING THEMSELVES IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL AND THE FUTURE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION AND DISSEMINATION.

THEIR WORK WAS MONITORED BY THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD ΤΟ ENSURE THAT RESOURCES WOULD BE BEST DEPLOYED то PROVIDE TIMELY AND USEFUL SERVICES TO MANUFACTURERS.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SOUGHT TO ATTRACT INWARD INVESTMENT THAT ENRICHED HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL BASE WITH NEW OR IMPROVED DESIGNS, PRODUCTS AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES.

MR WONG SAID HONG KONG WAS GENERALLY PERCEIVED TO BE TRAILING THE OTHER ASIAN NEWLY INDUSTRIALISED ECONOMIES (NIES) IN TERMS OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT.

ALTHOUGH THERE WAS WIDER APPLICATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING, THERE WAS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL INVENTION.

IN

"THE QUESTION, THEREFORE, REMAINS WHETHER IT WOULD BE TOO LATE FOR HONG KONG TO JOIN THE RACE OF TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT, HE SAID.

*

/"HAVING THE