Thanks to the development of smart equipment, the demand of industrial automation facilities and software has been surging in the global manufacturing scene. Since advanced technology has lowered the cost of production plants produced in foreign countries, many enterprises deploy foreign machines and software, which stretches the local competition into a global scale. The Chairman of The Hong Kong Startup Council and Chief Executive Officer of Ace Mold Company Limited Dr Jack Yeung says, “In the past, most products are made in China because of the cost. But in the future, the gap of production technology and cost between countries will be narrowed with advanced technology, meaning that the cost of products made in Europe can possibly be lower than products made in China. That’s why Hong Kong enterprises must innovate distinctive and compatible industrial automation software to cater to market demand and withstand global competition by catching up with the industrial automation development of advanced countries such as Switzerland and Germany.”
Developing Automation System Software
As Industry 4.0 highlights data communications and connectivity between facilities, automation system software plays a critical role – it is even the “brain of smart manufacturing”. “The software captures data to the system, which links up to the machines for analysis and further provides operating orders for machines to run in automated mode. That’s why the key to a successful deployment of industrial automation depend on whether an enterprise can deploy a suitable software.” Therefore, Dr Yeung suggests that when enterprise deploys automation facilities, it is important to consider its versatility apart from its cost. “To achieve ideal automation, it takes communication with technical staff to allow time and space to integrate the existing automation software and facilities; on the other hand, enterprises should provide training and encourage staff to get accustomed to operating automation facilities and software in order to get a common consensus upon executing automation.”
Gather Momentum to Achieve Win-win Situation
As the entire industry is facing a managerial challenge of collaborating veteran and new specialists, many enterprises hold back from adopting manufacturing reforms, which indirectly weakens the potential of young people, urging them to start up their own company. For that, The Hong Kong Startup Council aims to encourage exchange and cooperation between startups and traditional enterprises for a shared business opportunity by integrating the former’s creativity and technology as well as the latter’s executive, managerial and capital resources and experiences. “It takes new ways and partners for enterprises to cater to the change of consuming pattern. When startups contribute new concepts and traditional enterprises chip in resources based on a synchronised and clear business idea and direction, both enterprises are more prone to enjoying shared success.”
