October 11, 2022
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Productivity Council opened the Smart Wearables, Watch and Clock Technology Centre on Monday, pledging support for the old-line watchmakers’ smart transformation amid the city’s push toward reindustrialization.
The newly launched center grew out of the Hong Kong Watch and Technology Centre, to which the HKPC has added a smart wearable testing service.
The newly launched center grew out of the Hong Kong Watch and Technology Centre, to which the HKPC has added a smart wearable testing service
In addition to smart manufacturing consultancy and technical training, such as new material research and product design, it also has the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s first and only platform to offer testing and verification of prototypes of smart wearables, watches and clocks simultaneously, the HKPC said at the opening ceremony.
HKPC’s move comes against the backdrop of the growing popularity of wearable devices. In the Chinese mainland alone, the market for adult smart watches is expected to surpass 40 billion yuan (US$5.6 billion) by 2025, compared with last year’s 29.5 billion yuan, data from Guangzhou-based iiMedia Research show.
Hong Kong has also become in recent years the region with the most wearable devices per capita and the highest usage rate in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the HKPC.
“Wearable technology has been one of the fastest-growing technology industries,” HKPC Chairman Sunny Tan said. “The rise of smart wearables reflects the huge market demand for such products and the realization that a single timing function is no longer satisfied.”
Tan added that the HKPC, as the bridge between the government and the industry, will continue to promote the innovation and technology sector’s development, as well as the reindustrialization, “so that the industry can maintain its advantages and open up new opportunities”.
Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, commissioner for innovation and technology of the HKSAR government, said the competitive advantage of Hong Kong’s watch and clock manufacturing industry lies in its extensive experience in parts production and assembly, as well as strong support from the motherland and network with the global market.
Pun said the upgrade of the new center provided strong backing to support the “sustainable development of the industry in the trend of reindustrialization”.
“Together with innovation and transformation, Hong Kong’s watch and clock manufacturing industry can pass on its excellent reputation to the future generations,” Pun said.