HKPC and Zhuhai Holds Industry Exchange Event - Pivoting Industry Development in Greater Bay Area

(Hong Kong, December 10, 2018) The 17th Exchange Forum on Business Cooperation in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the PRD Council, is held in Zhuhai, Mainland China this year under the theme of "Opening-up Built Foundation, Innovation Drives Reinvigoration, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Join Hands for Bay Area Prosperity". As a prelude of the event, a seminar themed "Leading the Development of the Greater Bay Area with Innovative Technology and Digital Manufacturing" was organised to introduce the latest trends and applications of digital manufacturing to Zhuhai and Hong Kong companies.

Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, and Dr Daniel Yip, Chairman of the PRD Council, gave their welcome speeches, while Ms Lu Xiaofeng, Deputy Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government, delivered the opening remarks during the seminar. In addition to introducing the latest development, the seminar also aimed to promote closer ties among manufacturers in the region, enabling them to build a better network that can drive future development of the industries.

Mr Lin said, "The new truck route for the Greater Bay Area (GBA) - Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, coupled with the joint planning of new initiatives, such as 'High-tech Industrial Parks', 'Science Cities' and 'Cooperative Logistics Parks', facilitate economic upgrade and add value for Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao as well as the GBA, promoting the development of emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, bio-medical, cloud services and big data, and, in turn, creating abundant business opportunities for Hong Kong companies."

In order to support the GBA development strategy, HKPC established the HKPC Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Centre developing business solutions on digital manufacturing, AI, big data and environmental technologies, and providing comprehensive support services, co-working space and exchange platforms for GBA startups and SMEs. In addition, the Trade and Industry Department of the HKSAR Government recently strengthened the Mainland programme of the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales, whom HKPC is the secretariat. Enterprises can obtain a maximum funding of HK$1 million on a matching basis while the number of funded projects is increased to ten to encourage companies to tap the vast business opportunities in the GBA.

HKPC also actively helped companies apply for funding support of upto RMB 390,000 on business upgrading and transformation from the municipal governments of Zhuhai, Dongguan and Zhongshan to enhance their operational efficiency and innovation competence. Furthermore, HKPC have joined forces with Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (Fraunhofer IPT) to set up The HATCH – INC Invention Centre. Also as Fraunhofer IPT's first invention training hub in Asia, the HATCH rides on the "Industry 4.0" (i4.0) digital manufacturing concept to promote the latest German product development model to Hong Kong companies, supporting their OEM-to-OBM transformation, and business diversification.

The seminar was held in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao 3D Printing Innovation Hub, an incubator for professional 3D printing ventures jointly established by Zhuhai Free Trade Zone Administration Committee and Hong Kong-owned printing consumables manufacturer Print-Rite Holdings Limited. In the seminar, Mr Wang Xiaobin, Director of Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Commerce, introduced the new local business trends; Mr Arnald Ho, Chairman of Print-Rite, shared his experience of changing the future with innovation; Dr Ge Ming, Principal Consultant of smart robotics and automation of HKPC, explained the newest applications of i4.0 and digital manufacturing; Dr Patrick Mok, Assistant Professor of Social Science of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, analysed design strategies of Hong Kong manufacturing SMEs. The attendees themselves were engaged in active exchanges and discussed how industries could use Zhuhai as a starting point and leverage the international market network of Hong Kong to further expedite the development of innovation and technology in the GBA.

Mr Lin said, "International trade friction has become a focal point of concern for Hong Kong and Chinese manufacturers and the industry as a whole. I believe this seminar can help understand their positions and values and offer some revelations how to position themselves for the coming year."

- Ends -

Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, gives welcoming address at the seminar themed "Leading the Development of the Greater Bay Area with Innovative Technology and Digital Manufacturing"

Ms Lu Xiaofeng, Deputy Mayor of Zhuhai Municipal People's Government (seventh from left); Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC (eighth from left); and Dr Daniel Yip, Chairman of the PRD Council (sixth from left), pose for a group photo with the seminar's organisers and guest speakers