CARRYING ON THE TRADITIONS AND FORGING AHEAD TO SET THE BENCHMARK
 

Hong Kong Mould and Die Council (“HKMDC”) celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2024. On behalf of the Executive Committee (“Excom”), I would like to thank all our predecessors and founding members for laying a solid foundation for the Council’s development. To all members, partners and friends from all walks of life who have supported the development of the Council, I would like to express my deepest respect and gratitude. Every step the Council takes reflects our collective efforts, and every achievement shines with wisdom and unity. We have come together over the past 35 years of hard work, without forgetting our beginnings.

 

On the occasion of our 35th anniversary, in order to further unite the industry, foster an atmosphere of “Cohesion, Mutual Growth, Collaboration and Win-win”, and promote the formation of our core values, we have upgraded our LOGO and VI system to enhance the recognition and help a wider audience rediscover HKMDC. This initiative marks the beginning of our efforts to achieve our vision of “Being the Benchmark for the Mould Industry Organisations” and showcases the professionalism and distinctive qualities of the Council.
 

Moving with the Times, Seizing Opportunities

The world is undergoing a major transformation unseen in a century. Economic growth in the Western developed countries is slowing, while the Global South has grown significantly and become a key player in shaping a new international economic order. The Council must guide and advise our members as they navigate this changing political and economic landscape. After consultation with members, we have identified “Leveraging GBA, Opening up Asia, Connecting the World” as our development focus for the coming years. The mould and die industry is the largest horizontal industry, affecting almost all manufacturing industries. Moulds enable part forming and mass production, and influence the quality and efficiency of downstream sectors. We believe that “Empowering the Industry with Innovation Transformation” is crucial for Hong Kong’s mould and die industry. The Excom will focus on:

 

• Build a new quality system for high-quality development - The focus is on technological innovation, industrial upgrading and resource integration;
   
• Technological innovation is the core driving force for building new quality productive forces - This includes breakthroughs in technology, new materials, new energy, etc., which are involved in the innovation transformation. It creates opportunities for the iterative calculation of product research and innovation, as well as energy efficiency, and promotes high-quality development;
   
• Industrial upgrading is essential to build new quality productive forces – Upgrading the mould and die industry to high-end, intelligent, green solutions, and carrying out quality improvement and brand building for better efficiency of moulds and products;
   
• Resource integration is the key - This involves pooling the strengths of government, industry, academia and research to meet challenges, integrating technological innovation resources, and forming the core of new quality productive forces. We aim to strengthen our role as the mainstay of technological innovation, accelerate the construction of world-class enterprises, nurture specialised small and medium-sized enterprises and “small giants”, and promote cooperation among enterprises of all sizes.

Innovative Cooperation and Expansion in Emerging Markets

As our influence grows in ASEAN, along the Belt and Road Initiative, and in BRICS-related countries, these regions are showing a strong desire for economic development. This is an excellent opportunity for us to explore new markets. Despite challenges in the business environment, market rules, and legal frameworks, Hong Kong companies are driven by a pioneering spirit, flexibility and adaptability. After decades of market experience and technological advancement, many Hong Kong mould and die companies have made significant progress in technology, management and R&D, reaching or surpassing the standards of their Western counterparts. We encourage our members, based on the traditional one-way export of products and services, to adopt innovative cooperation or investment models to provide target customers with quality moulds and technologies to achieve mutual success and win-win results. This approach will help reduce risks and mitigate the impact of geopolitical conflicts, thereby strengthening our businesses. The Council will organise exploration activities and exhibitions in emerging markets, and we hope everyone will actively participate.
 

Upgrading Digital, Intelligent and Green Skills to Cultivate New Industrial Talent

The shift to digital, intelligent and green processes has transformed traditional mould-making techniques. A key focus is the development of new industrial talent, which is essential for high quality development. This places new demands on individual knowledge, skills and teamwork. Management needs to align their companies’ practices in digitalisation, intelligent manufacturing and carbon reduction with employee development to improve the relevance and effectiveness of training. To support this, the Council will continue to provide training and observation activities to promote understanding, exchange ideas, and encourage mutual growth.

 

Green Manufacturing for Carbon Reduction and Sustainable Development

Both our country and Hong Kong have set carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, making a green development path essential for companies. We recommend integrating green initiatives and ESG into business operations based on specific needs, leveraging digitalisation to enhance greening and vice versa, and promoting both the digital economy and low-carbon green transformation. Mould and die companies should focus on the design, manufacture and use of products. Early design should incorporate energy and raw material conservation, environmental protection, recycling, and efficiency to bring significant benefits to downstream industries. In addition, companies should adopt green technologies for production facilities, including efficient processing equipment, new energy-saving utilities, and waste recycling programmes. Mature solutions are available, with controllable and predictable returns on investment. We advise the industry to plan and act as soon as possible.

 

As we continue our good work and look to the future, the Council will begin by upgrading our LOGO and VI while maintaining our vision, mission and positioning. We aim to align ourselves with the development and values of our member companies and enhance our core principles through meaningful activities. This will help to preserve and promote the excellent traditions established by the HKMDC over the past 35 years. We believe this will boost our confidence and give us an edge in the face of opportunities and challenges.

 

Felix Choi

HKMDC Chairman
November 2024