HKPC Seals Partnership with Leading International R&D Institutions

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) fully supports the Chief Executive's policy proposal to make the city an international innovation and technology hub, through initiatives such as building technology collaboration platforms in Hong Kong with overseas scientific research institutions. Recently, HKPC has set up strategic partnerships with various leading research institutes and makerspace from Germany and Australia for technology and business collaboration.

These partnerships will give Hong Kong industries greater access to smart logistics, data analytics and cyber security, innovation and environmental technologies - all conducive to the development of "Industry 4.0" (i4.0); and for seizing new business opportunities arising from The Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development.

The latest collaborative agreement was signed on 17 October 2017 with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) in Germany. Under the agreement, all parties will work towards facilitating the development and transfer of knowledge and know-how on i4.0 and its application in smart logistics between Hong Kong and German companies.

Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, who witnessed the agreement signing at Dortmund, Germany, said, "Smart logistics plays a critical role in the digitalized supply chain under i4.0. This collaboration aims to foster technological, human resources and business advancement of enterprises in Germany and Hong Kong on the smart logistics front."

Since 2014, HKPC has collaborated with Fraunhofer IPT to develop an i4.0 migration model and provide i4.0 training and consultancy services for local companies.

In addition to the partnerships with German institutions, HKPC has forged close ties with organizations from Australia this year, having signed collaborative agreements with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the Space Tank Studio on 20 September, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) on 16 October.

The collaboration with CSIRO aims at fostering joint R&D projects and technology transfer in areas such as data analytics, cyber security and blockchain applications, and exploring a potential "Technology Localisation Partnership". In support of the growth of the startup ecosystem in Hong Kong, the collaboration with the Australian makerspace, Space Tank Studio, has laid down a "co-footprint" reciprocal arrangement for respective memberships of the soon-to-be-opened Inno Space of HKPC and the Studio. Meanwhile, HKPC and UNSW will seek for collaboration on water and wastewater treatment and other projects locally.

For media enquiries, please contact Felix Chan at tel.: (852) 2788 5036 or email: felixchan@hkpc.org.

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Justina Shum
Senior Manager
Corporate Development
Tel: (852) 2788 5895
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: justina@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org

20 October 2017

Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC (1st from right) witnesses the signing of agreement between Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC (middle); Mr Toni Drescher, Head of Technology Management, Fraunhofer IPT (2nd from right); and Dr Michael Henke, Director of Enterprise Logistics, Fraunhofer IML (2nd from left). Under the agreement, all parties will work towards facilitating the development and transfer of knowledge and know-how on Industry 4.0 and its application in smart logistics between Hong Kong and German companies.