Subcontracting system - A platform fostering technology transfer in the Hong Kong building projects

It is a common practice for main contractors of Hong Kong building projects to sublet most of their works to subcontractors.This approach has been in operation for a long period of time as a strategy to deal with long-term environmental uncertainties and to buffer the technical core of main contractors against short-term contingencies.Technology transfer can foster the growth of indigenous technological capacity of the local industry.This paper presents the questionnaire survey to investigate whether the local multilayered subcontracting system can function effectively as a platform for technology transfer.