Hong Kong Industrialist Aug Oct 2021

With the advancement of internet-of-things, sensors technology and robotics, automation technology progresses at an unprecedented speed in the past decades, with industrial automation as one of the most prospective applications. Advanced industrial economies jointly push forward Industry 4.0 applications to propel manufacturing towards digitalisation to enhance existing industrial technology and operational models. This new mode significantly raises the efficiency of manufacturing and leads to industry to shift away from the conventional labour-intensive, cost-sensitive nature to become a technology and knowledge-driven business. Despite land constraints, Hong Kong still has enormous potential in advanced manufacturing as long as practitioners can master industrial automation technology and harness Hong Kong’s unique advantages to develop high value-add new industries. In July 2020, the Hong Kong Government launched the Re-industrialisation Funding Scheme which subsidises manufacturers on a matching basis to set up new smart production lines locally. The Scheme received 20 applications in just one year, demonstrating local industrialists are eager to develop automated smart manufacturing in Hong Kong. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered many industrialists to set up surgical mask production lines in Hong Kong last year. This has also created local demand in advanced manufacturing technology and relevant technical support. Moreover, the Government allocated HK$10 billion for the establishment of two InnoHK research clusters, of which one of them “AIR@InnoHK” has a prime focus on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies, in the Hong Kong Science Park. This initiative attracts world renowned universities and research institutes to Hong Kong to strengthen our R&D and commercialisation capabilities. Manufacturers from every sector should take this golden opportunity to upgrade traditional processes and create new industries through automation technology, thereby moving towards “re-industrialisation”. 近年來物聯網、傳感器、機器人等技術不斷 突破，自動化科技的發展可說是一日千里， 當中又以工業自動化為最具發展潛力的應用 範疇之一。多個先進工業大國均推動工業4.0 應用，製造業高速邁向數碼化，有效優化現 行的工業技術水平和運作模式，提高製造業 效能，亦將以往勞動密集、以低成本競爭的 製造業模式轉向技術和知識主導的方向發展。 雖然香港缺少土地，但若能掌握工業自動化 的技術，仍能投入發展先進製造，把握香港 優勢開拓高增值的新產業。香港政府在2020 年7月推出「再工業化資助計劃」，以配對形 式資助生產商在香港設立新的智能生產線， 一年內已收到20宗申請，可見不少工業家有 意在香港開展自動化、智能生產。去年，在 新冠肺炎疫情下，眾多廠商在本地開設口罩 廠，亦帶動了自動化生產技術支援的需求。 除此之外，香港政府預留100億港元在香 港科學園建設兩個InnoHK創新香港研發平 台，當中包括專注人工智能及機械人科技 的AIR@InnoHK，吸引世界知名院校和科研 機構來港進行科研及產業化，令本地科研能 力更成熟。不論各行各業的廠商，均應把握 時機，善用自動化科技為傳統工序升級轉 型，或創造新興製造業，實現香港「再工業 化」。 Chairman: Ir Andrew Young 主席:楊孟璋工程師 | Vice-Chairman: Chris Chan 副主席:陳英傑 Hong Kong Automation Technology Council 香港自動化科技協會 GROUP 32 分組 第 8-10/2021 | 89