Since Germany initiated the strategy of Industry 4.0, which highlights the integration of online and offline manufacturing system with digital data and the ultimate achievement of intelligent production, the global manufacturing scene has observed a revolutionary makeover. In order for enterprises to enhance their competitiveness in the international market, many of them deploy manufacturing facilities imported from foreign countries. However, having no core technology, enterprises often face the challenge of insufficient support due to time and cultural differences when they encounter operating problems. Besides, amid the era of surging labour cost and staff turnover rate, the lack of human resources is another reason for a standstill in corporate development. While enterprises across industries strive to overcome these two key challenges to standout in the competitive business environment, Googol Technology (HK) Limited (Googol) offers a successful example.
Establish an Independent Core Technology
Since the mid-90’s, three automation and microelectronics professors from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have aspired to develop a core technology that serves the Chinese manufacturing industry. In 1999, they established Googol which specialises in developing automation control system. On one hand, the enterprise provides an innovative technology platform that exports technology and talents; on the other hand, it introduces the educational facilities of automation control technology into various universities, strengthening the solid foundation for the corporate and overall industry development. The Director and Deputy General Manager of Googol Dr Zhou Ling says, “We did not mean to start a business; we set our eyes on the right researching position and strive for excellence to become the expert of the industry.”
Create the Cradle of Talents with Farsightedness
Regarding employer training, Dr Zhou believes that passing the knowledge of fishing is more valuable than giving a person a fish, that’s why she is not only dedicated to training staff, but also exports talents with a vision to enhance the overall industry development. “We know how to train people and what kind of people we want to train. Many talents work at other sizeable enterprises after receiving training from us; they give us feedback when they encounter operating problems and we further discuss to explore a solution together. The communication drives technology sharing between enterprises and both ends can benefit from a win-win situation that enriches the overall industry development.” Another element that enhances industry development is an industrial information platform (ie cloud platform) that can be widely applied to intelligent manufacturing, digitalised factory, Internet+, and other areas. Dr Zhou says, “in recent years we have been developing our cloud platform and big data analytics in order for each facility on the production chain can talk to each other and collaborate; it also helps move forward the development of Industry 4.0 by gathering industry elites to solve common technical problems and accelerate the entire industry evolution”.
