XN000022-1991-06-26 — Page 25

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1991

SAID

HAD AGREED NEW

AS REGARDS THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S., MR CHAU

KONG AFTER INITIAL CONTACTS IN HONG KONG LAST WEEK, HONG WITH THE U.S. TO START NEGOTIATIONS NEXT WEEK IN WASHINGTON FOR A OR EXTENDED TEXTILES AGREEMENT.

BUILD ON

IT.

FOR

"OUR AIM IS TO PRESERVE WHAT WE HAVE GOT AND TO "I WILL NOT BE EASY. BUT WE WILL BE TOUGH AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST

ONG KONG," HE SAID.

GOVT STUDYING WAYS TO ENCOURAGE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INDUSTRY

THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR T. H. BARMA, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CALLED ON LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS TO DEVELOP A FAR GREATER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CAPABILITY IF HONG KONG MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES ARE ΤΟ REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE WORLD MARKET.

SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY MARKING THE DONATION OF A DIRECT INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE BY CHEN HSONG HOLDINGS LIMITED TO THE CITY POLYTECHNIC OF HONG KONG, MR BARMA SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS ACTIVELY STUDYING WAYS TO ENCOURAGE MORE LOCAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

"BUT MUCH STILL DEPENDS ON BOTH MANUFACTURERS AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS RECOGNISING THE ADVANTAGES OF WORKING WITH ONK ANOTHER," MR BARMA SAID.

HE NOTED THAT CONTACTS BETWEEN ACADEMICS AND INDUSTRIALISTS HAD BEEN STEADILY INCREASING IN RECENT YEARS IN HONG KONG, ADDING THAT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND THE TERTIARY SECTOR WAS IN THE INTERESTS OF BOTH INDUSTRIALISTS AND ACADEMICS.

"ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

RECEIVE PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF RESEARCH FUNDING OR THE DONATION OF EQUIPMENT FROM MANUFACTURERS.

"THEY ALSO HAVE THE SATISFACTION OF ENGAGING IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH, NORMALLY DIRECTED AT SOLVING AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM FACED BY A MANUFACTURER, THE RESULTS OF WHICH ARE LIKELY TO BE QUICKLY INCORPORATED INTO HIS MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR THE PRODUCT HE MAKES.

"MANUFACTURERS, FOR THEIR PART, ENJOY BOTH FLEXIBILITY AND THE COST SAVINGS OF BEING ABLE TO CONTRACT OUT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTEAD OF CONDUCTING IT THEMSELVES," MR BARMA SAID.

MR BARMA CITED THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY AS ONE AREA WHICH DESERVED A HIGH PRIORITY FOR CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

"WHILE THE INDUSTRY PRODUCES EXCELLENT PRODUCTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE TOY SECTOR, OUR COMPETITORS ARE CATCHING UP.

"AT THE SAME TIME, PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY IS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY, AND OUR PLASTICS MANUFACTURERS MUST BE CONSTANTLY READY TO RESPOND THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, HE ADDED.

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