Up-scaling Stage

This stage actually started in the 1970's and ended in the early 1980's.  In the late 1960's, advanced technology and modern management skills were introduced to Hong Kong by European countries and the United States.  Hong Kong under went another structural transformation changing from a manufacturing base to a diversified economy.

During this period, Hong Kong's industry upgraded from labour-intensive towards high value-adding and technology-intensive direction, due to the continuous influx of advanced technology.  The contribution of the textile and clothing sector (labour-intensive industry) to the total domestic exports was declining, while that of technology-intensive industries was on the rise.  In 1960, there were only 3 electronics factories in Hong Kong; by 1979, there had been 1,041 establishments with 90,454 persons employed.  By 1984, Hong Kong had 1,500 factories in engaged in the manufacture of electronic products.  There was a great variety of electronic products, including radios, memory units of computer, calculators and televisions.  Components of memory unit made in Hong Kong had been installed in the internal computer system of Viking I and II, the U.S. spaceships being sent to Mars in 1976.

Apart from the above-mentioned, the toy, watches and clocks industries were also flourishing.  The watches and clocks industry swiftly developed to be a key industry.  In 1976, Hong Kong's total of export watches and clocks in value terms reached 49.383 million, representing a drastic increase of 45% over 1977.  Hong Kong was the world's largest exporter of watches in terms of quanitty, followed by Japan; It's exports of watches and clocks ranked the third largest in terms of value, trailing only Switzerland and Japan.

Television shows prompted the manufacture of many space heroes. Yoda from Star Wars was being packed for shipment to the United States.

Spotless working conditions and stringent safety precautions ensured the safety of the workforce and the quality of the finished product. This skilled operative wore a surgical mask as she operated a machine to luminise clock faces.

About 50,000 electronic digital watches a month were made completely in this air-conditioned factory, which also produced calculators.

Electronic games and toys were making a mark on the market. Toy with electronic motors accounted for about 10 per cent of toy exports.

The managing director of an Australian toy company examined a battery-operated boat at one of Hong Kong's largest and most modern toy factories.