“The chance to return to Hong Kong in 1997 was just too tempting and the challenges incredibly exciting. What better time to return to an exhilarating, stimulating place which has so much to offer and so much going for it?

The container industry has undergone unbelievable changes over the past decade, building on expertise gained and the deployment of the most advanced IT (Information Technology) and state-of-the-art equipment. The business today is about providing innovative and flexible services, for the benefit of customers and all business associates.

People talk about developing Hong Kong as a logistics hub but it is important to appreciate that Hong Kong is already an enormous logistics hub. We have the world’s largest port in terms of international freight, one of the world’s busiest airports and thousands of consolidators, big and small. The logistics market Hong Kong serves encompasses Guangdong province and, more specifically, the greater Pearl River Delta (PRD).

We are in a wonderful position as Hong Kong always has been. The PRD is booming and in spite of a downturn in the world economy, direct foreign investment continues to pour in. Hong Kong benefits from this and will benefit even further by strengthening the logistics supply chain.

The Government and industry recognises this and is promoting world-class logistics and innovation. What is vital now is to realise just what we have, shape it, develop it and to enhance it.

The good news is that the market is growing rapidly but we must be aware of the competition around the region. In some cases this means companies providing an adequate service and cheaper solutions. This competition is healthy and keeps us on our toes, but we must realise it is there.

The container business in itself is not high-tech, but it becomes so when you need to deal with large volumes. To maintain efficiency as volumes grow and shipping lines seek even faster port turnaround times, seamless and speedy processing becomes ever more important.

With volumes in the PRD forecast to double over the next 10 years it is important for Hong Kong to continue modernising, making use of the latest technologies and wherever it is feasible, implement Web-based logistics to meet the challenges of providing cost-efficient solutions.

It is fundamental that the border between Hong Kong and the mainland remains. With seamless logistics it could easily be maintained as a 24-hour operation and allow operators to provide a better service to their clients.

Modern Terminals’ portal site was the first portal to offer a one-stop, e-business platform for a wide range of port-related services. In this way, we aim to meet users’ needs better, increase the industry’s efficiency by redefining its business processes, and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as the region’s strategic logistics hub.

We have been looking at ways we can co-operate with our competitors to jointly launch a paperless, online system that will give our clients access to everything from service booking to customs clearance.

Before this can happen, we must be certain that all connected parties will benefit and can justify the massive investment of HK$300 million (US$38 million). The process is very complex. We have made great progress and it will happen to make greater efficiency gains.”

More details on China’s logistics industry presents a golden opportunity.