MiC Supply Chain Conference held in Huizhou (with photos)
23.1.2024

The Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) Supply Chain Conference, co-organised by the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province and the People's Government of Huizhou Municipality, was held in Huizhou today (January 23), attracting some 300 participants from the construction sector in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Government representatives from 11 cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) also attended the conference. The conference aimed to promote the adoption of MiC among the GBA cities, exchange views on issues such as strengthening the supply chain, as well as to enhance collaboration. Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the HKSAR Government has been promoting the adoption of MiC through a series of strategic initiatives, so as to drive innovation in the construction industry and enhance performance. Among the initiatives, the Government takes the lead in piloting MiC in its projects, and provide subsidies through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund and gross floor area concessions to promote a wider adoption of MiC in the construction industry. To date, a number of MiC pilot projects have been completed and more than 70 projects adopting MiC are being implemented smoothly in Hong Kong. There are also a number of projects being planned. Ms Linn continued that the automated and intelligent productivity of the Guangdong Province provides support for the development of MiC in the GBA. The Government will further promote the adoption of MiC. Through exchanges and collaboration among the government departments in the GBA for strengthening mutual cooperation in the areas of implementation and regulations, a comprehensive ecosystem for the industry will be established and conducive strategies for the MiC supply chain will be formulated to meet the construction demands in the GBA, as well as to contribute to the high-quality national development. Ms Linn said that in the process the HKSAR Government also hopes to leverage Hong Kong's advantage of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world to develop the GBA into a national or even global MiC technology centre with Hong Kong's experience in the application of international construction standards and the strong support of the supply chain in the GBA. Joint efforts in the exploration of overseas markets will drive the innovative development of MiC in the GBA as a strategic industry. Also officiating at the ceremony, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province, Mr Yang Qinggan, put forward four advocacies, namely interaction, facilitation, talents and environment. In terms of interaction, a mechanism for regular communication will be established among government departments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as between the governments and enterprises of the three places. Regarding facilitation, Huizhou will serve as a testing ground to lift restrictions in respect of policy regimes, standards and regulations, quality inspections, transportation and logistics, so as to expedite the interface of the mechanisms and regulations in the GBA. On talents, it is expected that the governments and enterprises will collaborate to nurture MiC talent who are familiar with the regulations and standards of the three places. On environment, the governments of the three places will introduce incentive policies to expand the environment for MiC applications and leverage Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" to facilitate the expansion of MiC enterprises from the GBA to global markets, thereby enhancing their international competitiveness. During her stay in Huizhou, Ms Linn visited two manufacturing bases of MiC modules, set up by a Mainland enterprise and a manufacturer of Hong Kong respectively, to learn about their operations and development. Both manufacturers have participated in MiC construction projects in Hong Kong. â Ms Linn returned to Hong Kong this afternoon after the visit.