IIE-HK & HKPC Launch Programme to Promote RFID Technology

To enhance the competitiveness of local engineers through the utilization of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the Institute of Industrial Engineers (Hong Kong) (IIE-HK) today (19 May 2005) launched a programme on ‘Capability Building of Manufacturing & Industrial Engineers on the Application of RFID Technology on Supply Chain Management’. The CEPA Business Development Centre of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is the implementation organization of the Programme.

With funding support from the Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme (PSDAS) of the HKSAR Government, the Programme is co-organized by the Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Section of The Institution of Electrical Engineers Hong Kong (IEEHK) and the Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Division of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), with 12 trade associations as supporting organizations.

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony included Ms Betty Fung, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer (Planning & Strategy), HKSAR Government; Dr Benjamin Yen, President, IIE-HK; Mr Edmund Sung, Director (Business Productivity), HKPC and Mr John Chiu, Chairman, Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Benjamin Yen said, “The collaboration between industrialists in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) has resulted in a world-class production base serving the global supply chain. The implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) has brought about even greater economic integration between Hong Kong and the PRD, facilitating the flow of people, goods and capital as well as generating more business opportunities.”

“To capitalise on these changes and remain competitive in the global supply chain, manufacturers in Hong Kong and the PRD must enhance their capabilities in logistics management, which include the export of goods to overseas markets and distribution across the border,” he said.

According to Mr Edmund Sung, Director (Business Productivity), HKPC, RFID, as an advanced wireless technology, could have a significant impact on the entire supply chain. “It can be deployed across the supply chain, from materials sourcing, manufacturing, storage, picking and packaging, through to logistics, cross-border transportation and shipment, and all the way to inventory control and retailing. By enabling automatic reading of the identity of goods, RFID technology can help enterprises improve productivity on the overall supply chain. It can speed up the flow of goods, manage inventory, enhance management efficiency, improve customer services, and facilitate trading activities,” he said.

“To drive the technology development of Hong Kong’s manufacturing and logistics industries, HKPC is actively engaged in the promotion of RFID as a key to enhancing the competitiveness of local trade and industry through a wide range of support initiatives. These include the establishment of the HKPC Logistics Core Team to provide consultancy service in RFID and wireless technologies, the introduction of the RFID pilot portal service to help SMEs adopt the technology, as well as the organization of technology seminars and training workshops,” Mr Sung continued.

“Through this Programme, we hope to enhance the capabilities of local engineers in supply chain management by equipping them with the essential knowledge on RFID technology,” he said.

Focusing on the manufacturing and industrial sectors in the PRD, the Programme comprises a series of experience sharing seminars and technical training workshops which will be held in the coming months.

As the first event under this Programme, a seminar on the application of RFID technology on supply chain management was held immediately after the launch ceremony, which was attended by over 100 local engineers from the manufacturing sectors.

Speakers at the seminar included Dr Zhang Zhi-wen, Department of High and New Technology Development and Industrialization, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China; Dr Min Hao, Shanghai Fudan University, Auto-ID Lab, PRC; Mr K K Suen, Chief Architect and Head of Industry Services Division, GS1 Hong Kong; Ms Aileen Ng, Business Development Manager, Autotoll Limited; Mr Hongzhou Hu, Field Application Engineer, Texas Instruments Semiconductor Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., PRC; and Mr Jonson Yue, Senior Marketing Manager, Customer Solutions Group, Hewlett-Packard HK SAR Ltd.

Sponsors of the Programme include the Autotoll Limited, Leo Paper Group and Texas Instruments Semiconductor Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Betty Lee
General Manager
Corporate Communications & Events
Tel: (852) 2788 5036
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
E-mail: emilyc@hkpc.org

HKPC
19 May 2005