ENG-1976 — Page 47

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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

The corporation is assisted in its business by an advisory board comprising 12 members occupying leading positions in the government and in the banking, manu- facturing and exporting communities of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council was established by statute in 1967 to promote greater productivity in industry and to encourage the more efficient use of resources. The council comprises a chairman and 20 members, all appointed by the Governor. There are 14 members representing management, labour, academic and professional interests, while the other six members represent government departments closely associated with various aspects of productivity.

The executive arm of the council is the Hong Kong Productivity Centre. It con- ducts a wide range of industrial training courses in technology and industrial manage- ment techniques; provides consultancy services and technical assistance to industry; undertakes economic research projects in industry; publishes a monthly bulletin and technical reports; organises overseas study missions; and collects and disseminates information relating to productivity.

The centre's facilities include eight lecture rooms, a low-cost automation unit, an industrial chemistry laboratory, an audio-visual unit, a technical reference library and a computer system.

In keeping with the increasing demand from industry for technological know-how to enable it to diversify into more sophisticated product lines, considerable emphasis has been placed on industrial technology in the areas of training, consultancy and technical assistance. During 1976 the centre conducted 360 training courses, provided 1,850 man-days of consultancy services and undertook 60 technical assistance projects. It also organised study missions to Japan, Europe and the United States to enable industrialists to observe the latest technical trends abroad.

Intensified efforts have been made to promote improved mechanisation. In addi- tion to the industrial and technology projects undertaken by the low cost automation unit and the industrial chemistry unit, the centre organised four industrial exhibitions during the year. They were designed to keep manufacturers abreast of the latest developments in production machinery, manufacturing equipment and industrial materials, and to facilitate contact between manufacturers and suppliers. The centre continued to place emphasis on its recruitment service, which is of special value to overseas industrialists setting up manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong.

The first Directory of Hong Kong Industries was published in 1976 with the assistance of the Census and Statistics Department, to provide detailed reference to Hong Kong's manufacturing facilities.

As a member of the Asian Productivity Organisation, Hong Kong was represented at the 1976 workshop meeting of heads of national productivity organisations, held in Singapore. Hong Kong's Productivity Centre is a full member of the International Federation of Documentation (FID) and is a participating organisation in the Asian Network of Industrial Technology Information and Extension (TECHNONET