XN000022-1992-05-27 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1992

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ALL THESE ELEMENTS OF SUPPORT RELY FOR THEIR EFFECTIVENESS ON A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF REVIEW. IN THE PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT CRITICALLY EXAMINES THE POLICIES AND SERVICES IN OTHER PROGRAMME AREAS SUCH AS EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, PLANNING, AND ECONOMIC SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY. THROUGH ITS REGULAR TECHNO-ECONOMIC STUDIES ON EACH OF THE FOUR MAJOR MANUFACTURING SECTORS, THE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONS OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS TO REPORT IN DETAIL ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY, HOW IT HAS CHANGED, AND WHAT ACTIONS ARE NEEDED TO HELP IT DEVELOP FURTHER. DIRECT SERVICES TO INDUSTRY FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT'S STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY OR THROUGH SUCH ORGANISATIONS AS THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL

ARE CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWED TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY AND EXPERTISE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

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THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS SEVEN CONSULTANCY STUDIES EITHER IN PROGRESS OR DUE TO BEGIN THIS FINANCIAL YEAR. THEY INCLUDE THREE TECHNO-ECONOMIC STUDIES, A STUDY TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT ON INDUSTRIES OF THE PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON THE ENVIRONMENT, A STUDY ON WHETHER A SCIENCE PARK SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG, AND STUDIES ON INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND INDUSTRIAL DATABASES.

SUCH REVIEWS AND CONSULTANCIES ARE NOT EMPTY, THEORETICAL EXERCISES. THEY HAVE IN RECENT YEARS LED TO A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT

INITIATIVES. FOR EXAMPLE:

THE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE, DUE FOR COMPLETION IN 1994 BUT ALREADY PROVIDING SOME SERVICES, WILL PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES FOR SMALL HIGH TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES IN HONG KONG.

THE APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEME, TO BEGIN LATER THIS YEAR, WILL PROVIDE $200 MILLION OF GOVERNMENT MONEY FOR INVESTING IN R & D BY INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG.

A THIRD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IS BEING DEVELOPED IN TSEUNG KWAN 0, AND WILL BE READY IN 1993. THIS WILL ADD TO THE LAND ALREADY AVAILABLE AT THE TAI PO AND YUEN LONG INDUSTRIAL ESTATES FOR THE DIVERSIFICATION AND UPGRADING OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIES.

THESE INITIATIVES ARE COMPLIMENTED BY ACTIONS IN OTHER POLICY AREAS, SUCH AS THE CREATION OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE NEW TECHNOLOGY TRAINING SCHEME, AND THE INCREASING PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR ACADEMIC R & D WHICH HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLE OVER THE LAST TWO ACADEMIC YEARS. ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTHENING THE TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY OF OUR INDUSTRIES.

/HONG KONG