Manufacturing plants may have been lured across the border by cheaper labour costs in the mainland, but Hong Kong still plays a a very important role in industry. Many manufacturing companies have chosen Hong Kong as their global headquarters and the city provides management personnel and experienced engineers to the sector in China. Hong Kong also offers overseas clients an effective communication channel to mainland manufacturing bases. The manufacturing industry in Hong Kong offers long-term career opportunities to engineers and operations personnel. Alex Fung, operations manager in Hong Kong for the global oilfield and information services company Schlumberger, says that it is the challenges presented by manufacturing that have kept him in his career for 17 years. 'There are a lot of variables - from managing suppliers and overseeing factory operations, equipment and machinery to managing people and keeping up with the market. 'Competition in the industry requires us to be profit-driven, and that means enhancing products and systems while minimising costs.' The past chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineering's manufacturing and industrial engineering division, Pun Kwok-wa, says the Hong Kong manufacturing sector provides a competitive edge for United States and European companies. 'We need to be innovative in product development and efficient in logistics, and provide added value to customers. This is how we have survived and will continue to survive.'
