This year's exhibition, themed "Shaping a new era of manufacturing in China," brought together 265 renowned technology companies and industry leaders, becoming a bellwether for Asia's additive manufacturing industry. As a key driver of 3D printing technology development in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) participated in the exhibition for the first time as a technical partner, showcasing innovative achievements across the entire industry value chain, including materials, equipment and application solutions. The participation aims to enable businesses in seizing regional economic growth opportunities and promoting technological innovation and industrial upgrades.
The future manufacturing market offers immense potential, particularly in smart manufacturing, green technology, and emerging industries such as biotechnology and robotics. As a key enabler for accelerating future manufacturing, 3D printing technology facilitates highly customised and flexible manufacturing, for small-batch production of diverse products that can rapidly meet personalised market demands. The mold-free nature of 3D printing significantly reduces upfront costs of small-batch production, empowering companies to shorten lead times, stand out in the global marketplace, and improve pricing competitiveness. Future manufacturing models will integrate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things, creating smart production systems that boost efficiency and reduce costs while driving the application of lightweight and intelligent materials —ultimately accelerating innovation and market development.
From Innovation to Application: Demonstrating Cutting-Edge Technology
As a leading international research institute, HKPC brings nearly 30 years of extensive expertise in 3D printing technology and industrial application. Dedicated in technology application research and providing comprehensive professional services, HKPC empowers various industries to meet specific market needs and manufacture high-value, customised products. This approach facilitates businesses diversification and fosters the development of high-value strategic industry chains.
At the exhibition, HKPC featured research and development (R&D) breakthroughs from the "HKPC-HP 3D Printing Technology Centre", the first in Asia equipped with both HP's research version of "Metal Jet" and "Multi Jet Fusion" industrial 3D printers. The showcases highlighted the diverse applications of 3D printing technology and advanced manufacturing processes across sectors, from industrial components to fashion accessories. Furthermore, HKPC displays a series of advanced materials technology applications, designed to empowering emerging industries such as the low-altitude economy, healthcare, and humanoid robotics.
Combining AI and 3D Printing to Drive Innovation and Promote New Productivity Forces
Mr Edmond LAI, Chief Digital Officer, and Chief Executive Officer of Mainland Business of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, attended the opening ceremony on the first day of the exhibition and participated in the "China Additive Manufacturing Globalisation Seminar". He delivered a speech titled "Powering Innovation: Going Global with Emerging 3D Printing Technologies to Advance New Productive Forces", discussing the future development blueprint of the innovative 3D printing industry with industry leaders.
Mr Edmond LAI said, "Leveraging our extensive industry experience, HKPC has established comprehensive support and implementation capabilities, from technology R&D to industrial application. We are delighted to participate in this exhibition and showcase Hong Kong's leading achievements and strengths in 3D printing, as a pivotal engine for driving new productivity forces and shaping the future of manufacturing. The integration with AI will unlock more efficient and flexible production models to meet market demands for lightweighting, customisation, and smart manufacturing. HKPC will continue to strengthen collaborative innovation partnerships. Through 'The Cradle – Going Global Service Centre', we will faciliate more manufacturing companies in Hong Kong and the mainland to go global and building a more competitive and resilient industrial system."
HKPC is actively pursuing 3D printing solutions integrated with AI, including:
- Collaborating with Nanjing ZhongKe ShenGuang Science&Technology Co., ltd, a R&D arm of National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE), to develop an AI-assisted high-entropy alloy 3D printing system. The collaboration aims to efficiently design complex high-entropy alloy materials and optimize printing parameters, effectively eliminating the current time-consuming and tedious experimental processes and enhancing work efficiency.
- The HKPC is also in discussions with the Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing in Germany to develop an AI model to optimize the design of metal bonded parts. By inputting material natures and process parameters, the model accelerates sintering predictions for 3D printed models, shortening product development cycles and design time, and reducing R&D costs.
Furthermore, HKPC is actively empowering businesses to adopt 3D printing technology and establish microfactories overseas, maximising production efficiency within limited spaces. By integrating advanced intelligent technologies, companies can respond with agility to market demands. Emphasizing "hyperlocalisation," microfactories leverages local resources and talent to build resilient manufacturing ecosystems, enhance operational flexibility, and strengthen international competitiveness.
Bringing Together Industry Experts to Explore the Future of Smart Manufacturing
During the exhibition, HKPC hosted a series of forward-thinking "Tech Talk" seminars. Technical experts covered the application of green materials in smart manufacturing and the cross-sector potential of industrial 3D printing for customised production. They also explored how machine vision and smart manufacturing enhance production quality control and boost productivity across various industries. These seminars fostered interaction between HKPC and members of the Hong Kong 3D Printing Association, strengthening industry collaboration and advancing an innovative ecosystem.
For a brief introduction to the highlight exhibits, please click here to see the appendix.
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About Hong Kong Productivity Council
The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a multi-disciplinary organisation established by statute in 1967, to promote productivity excellence through relentless drive of world-class advanced technologies and innovative service offerings to support Hong Kong enterprises. As a nationwide leader in innovative, market-driven research and development (R&D) internationally, specialising in leading technologies and all-rounded manufacturing services, HKPC promotes new industrialisation in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area and facilitates the development of new productive forces, leveraging innovation and technology (I&T), as well as bolstering Hong Kong to be an international innovation and technology centre and a smart city. The Council offers comprehensive innovative solutions for Hong Kong industries and enterprises, enabling them to achieve resources and productivity utilisation, effectiveness and cost reduction, and enhance competitiveness in both local and overseas marketplace. The Council partners and collaborates with local industries and enterprises and world-class R&D institutes to develop applied technology solutions for value creation. It also benefits a variety of sectors through product innovation, technology transfer, and commercialisation, bringing enormous business opportunities ahead. HKPC's world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognised over the years, winning an array of local and overseas accolades.
In addition, HKPC offers SMEs and startups immediate and timely assistance in coping with the ever-changing business environment, and strengthens talent nurturing and Hong Kong's competitiveness with FutureSkills training for enterprises and academia to enhance digital capabilities and STEM competencies.
For more information, please visit HKPC's website: www.hkpc.org/en .
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