Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group Limited (01725. HK), which is committed to promoting Hong Kong’s industrialization and supporting Hong Kong’s becoming an international innovation and technology hub announced on 2 August 2022 that HKSML, its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary entered into a fit-out contract regarding the 2/F and 8/F Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC) in Tseung Kwan O. The construction will be executed into three phases. It is estimated that the whole project will take about 150 days, and the contract involves approximately HKD$160 million.
HKATG is the first company in Hong Kong settles in AMC. The Satellite Manufacturing Center, and the Satellite Operation Control and Application Center located at the 2/F and 8/F AMC Premises, respectively, cover an area of 180,000 square feet, and the fitting-out works have been officially commenced. The signing of the fit-out contract also means that the Hong Kong Satellite Manufacturing Center, the Satellite Operation Control and Application Center are on the right track and getting ready for mass production within the year, representing a milestone on the journey of the “Made in Hong Kong” satellite.
HKATG will develop a satellite manufacturing production line integrating assembly, integrated testing, and satellites testing, and support the multi-task and multi-user satellite measurement and operation control center, which can provide users with a one-stop service from satellite production to operation and maintenance management, thereby promoting the comprehensive development of HKATG.
The exclusive rare high ceiling of 13-meter
In recent years, Hong Kong SAR government has been actively promoting the development of innovative technologies and emphasizing smart manufacturing and re-industrialization and forward-looking I&T initiatives which form part of the Policy Address. Backed by InnoPark, the AMC in Tseung Kwan O has become a key driver of reindustrialization in Hong Kong, the fitting out works undertaken for the Satellite Manufacturing Center symbolize the Group is positioned to power the growth of “Innofacturing” and accelerate the reindustrialization of Hong Kong.
The biggest feature of the Satellite Manufacturing Center located on 2/F AMC is that it has an exclusive high ceiling of 13-meter, comparing other floors with only 6 meters high, this is the only single-story space with such a ceiling height of InnoParks. The new Premises provides sufficient space for the Group to manufacture and store large, medium, and small satellites. High ceilings help to keep the air circulation, but most importantly, it facilitates the equipment and mechanical extension, providing more possibilities for building satellites of different sizes.
Another benefit of moving to AMC is that it allows the Group to leverage AMC’s shared services including warehouses, logistics services, shared prototype manufacturing, small batch assembly, and so on. These high-end facilities and configurations are ideal for enterprises of different sizes, and at the same time, they also meet the requirements of high-end manufacturing and testing procedures.
Local-made satellite mass production
HKATG plans to put into production the first batch of business satellites in 2022. After the satellite manufacturing production line is completed, the Group aims to produce 30 to 60 satellites per year, and the production capacity will reach 150 satellites per year in terms of full production. Mass-produced satellite types will include optical satellites, radar satellites, communications satellites, and space-based IoT sensors. The second phase of satellite manufacturing is planned to kick start from 2023 to 2027. The Group will establish a global large-scale satellite assembly integration and ultra-precision manufacturing center in phases, which is expected to cover an area of 2.5 million-square-foot.
AMC is an advanced manufacturing base designed for high-end production, where I&T companies can quickly turn innovative concepts into high-quality products and accelerate their development. With AMC’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, world-class, low-cost, and high-quality I&T products, the new premises at AMC will help HKATG to locate high-value, high-precision, high-tech aerospace manufacturing processes and production lines in Hong Kong, fully integrate into Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry ecology, and further improve Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem and technology ecological chain, in other words, accelerating the development of Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub.
