Hong Kong-made espresso machines? ‘Boutique’ manufacturers tap tech for efficiency, target government funds for ‘smart’ shake-up
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Tang Wing-sze had plastic covers over her shoes as she entered her Hong Kong factory’s “clean room” to check on freshly assembled electronic components on circuit boards.
But the founding member and marketing director of PDSTE was quick to point out that the 500 square metre unit in Fo Tan, in Sha Tin district, did much more.
Established in 2017, the firm has 30 employees working on everything from product research and development (R&D) to making electronic parts for coffee machines, smart devices that alert family members if an elderly person has a fall, and more.
The diverse nature of the work was reflected in the company’s unusual name, Tang said.
“We are kind of greedy and want to position ourselves as a Hong Kong boutique factory which provides Product, Design, Services, Technology and Engineering support,” she said. “No Chinese words can embody our vision, so we just named our business PDSTE based on the initials of those elements.”
To cater to an evolving consumer market which demands frequent design changes and smaller quantities of multiple variations of the same product, the company planned to invest HK$6 million (US$767,740) in a smart production line that would improve productivity by 1.5 times.