ASTRI Whitepaper paves the way for FinTech breakthrough in Treasury operations

  • Led by Dr James Lei, Acting Director of Intelligent Software and Systems, a group of ASTRI researchers have authored a whitepaper titled ‘Unlock the Fintech Value for Treasurers’. Dr Stephen Leung, Executive Director of Minds Connect, is another co-author of this paper. Exploring the immense potential of FinTech tools and applications – particularly with Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence – the whitepaper aims to help Treasury professionals across industries. Corporate Treasury is one of the core financial functions across businesses and institutions. As Asian economies and industries ride on a growth trajectory, applications of Blockchain and other information management solutions can offer a great boost to productivity, information security and transparency.

    The whitepaper was published in collaboration with Minds Connect and the Asia Treasury Community (ATC). It was officially unveiled on 22 March 2019, following the ELIFT Forum – a recently launched dynamic platform for emerging leaders in Finance and Treasury. The Forum is led by ATC and supported by ASTRI, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and InvestHK.

    The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development visited ASTRI to get insights on the latest development of Smart City technologies

  • The Honourable Mr Edward Yau Tang-wah, GBS, JP, The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (SCED) of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and officials from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau visited ASTRI on Thursday, 9 May 2019. Mr Wong Ming-yam, Chairman and Mr Hugh Chow, CEO, welcomed them along with other senior executives and R&D experts.

    Mr Yau was briefed on ASTRI’s research endeavours in various areas including Financial Technologies and Smart City development. He  also got an overview of ASTRI’s cybersecurity R&D efforts – including industry-wide cyber-intelligence sharing and training cybersecurity professionals –at the Cyber Range facility.

    Mr Wong Ming-yam, thanked the SCED for the strong support and encouragement to ASTRI.“As the largest Government-funded R&D institution in Hong Kong, ASTRI remains committed to exploring and applying new technological solutions to the advantage of Hong Kong’s economy and its people,” he said.

    The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Mr Edward Yau, visited ASTRI, to get insights on the latest development of Smart City technologies
    Mr Edward Yau was impressed with ASTRI’s achievement of over 800 registered patents.

    Mr Hugh Chow, ASTRI’s CEO, appointed a Co-Director in the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area Committee of the China 3rd Generation Semiconductor Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance

  • A Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area Committee of the China 3rd Generation Semiconductor Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance – including key institutions and ecosystem players – has been formed to help drive synergy and development for the sector. Through robust development of the innovation ecosystem across the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area, the Committee will facilitate greater innovation endeavours and more prolific development opportunities. It will expand effective collaborations and the connectivity of innovative elements on 3rd Generation Semiconductors in the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area. The preparatory meeting and inauguration ceremony of the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area Committee of the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance took place in Nansha, Guangdong on 8 May 2019. Mr Hugh Chow – Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, Mr Chen Shiyi – Scholar of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the Southern University of Science and Technology, and Mr Song Yonghua – Rector of the University of Macau were appointed as Co-Directors in the Committee. Dr Daniel Shi, ASTRI’s Senior Director of Electronic Components, was appointed as a Deputy Director of the Committee. In future, ASTRI will actively participate in the research and development work of the 3rd Generation Semiconductor sector, Intellectual Property strategy, and talent development programmes across the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area.

    ASTRI has long been in a close partnership with the country’s 3rd Generation Semiconductor Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance. In 2016, the Alliance appointed ASTRI as the convenor of its ‘International Subcommittee’. Last year, ASTRI actively supported the release of the first version of China’s 3rd Generation Semiconductor and Power Electronics Technology Roadmap. Attending the inauguration ceremony, Mr Hugh Chow said, “Establishment of the Committee is a great leap towards the strategic development of the country’s innovation ecosystem. It will help promote the development of the national semiconductor and application industries.” Through collaborative innovations, “ASTRI’s 3D integration technology, 3rd Generation Semiconductor chips, high-density modules and high-power systems will leverage the immense growth potential of the country’s huge applications market. Formation of this Committee will greatly support the development of 3rd Generation Semiconductor industry in the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area, as well as for the entire country,” he added.

    The Alliance has already signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Nansha, to co-develop a 3rd Generation Semiconductor Innovation Centre for new energy vehicles. In that regard, the Committee hosted an Innovation Summit on the development of new energy vehicles supported by 3rd Generation Semiconductors. On 9 May 2019, Dr Liu Xuejiao, ASTRI’s Senior Manager of Electronic Components, presented a keynote speech at the Summit, on ASTRI’s new energy vehicles’ charging system technology based on Silicone-Carbide devices.

    Mr Hugh Chow, ASTRI’s CEO, appointed a Co-Director in the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Greater Bay Area Committee of the China 3rd Generation Semiconductor Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance

    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019

  • ASTRI took part in the International ICT Expo 2019 – organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council – from 13 to 16 April 2019. Participated by over 600 organisations and visited by more than 30,000 people, the fair took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. ASTRI’s pavilion showcased a number of innovative R&D projects that were aligned with the Expo’s theme: ‘Tech-Forward Ideas for Smart Cities’.

    The Honourable Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Legislative Councillor; Mr Victor Lam, Chief Government Information Officer of the Hong Kong SAR Government; Mr Duncan Chiu, Chairman of the HKTDC Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Services Advisory Committee and Member of ASTRI’s Board of Directors; and Mr Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade. Development Council were among a long list of distinguished personalities who visited ASTRI’s pavilion at the Expo. Apart from the local and international VIPs and industry leaders, a large number of students and youngsters also experienced ASTRI’s R&D demonstrations and learnt about its innovative ventures from our R&D experts.

    The innovations showcased by ASTRI included:

    Virtual and Augmented Reality solutions
    Handwritten Chinese form processing system
    Intelligent Activity Tracker for healthy living
    Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) Software System
    Mixed-language Chatbot
    Wireless Power Transfer Technology
    Palm Fusion Biometric Authentication
    Blockchain-based KYC
    Smart Pole

    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019
    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019
    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019
    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019
    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019
    ASTRI showcases the power of smart technologies in building smart city Hong Kong, at the International ICT Expo 2019

    Commenting on the event and ASTRI’s participation, Mr Hugh Chow, ASTRI’s CEO, said :Our mission is to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness through applied research. We innovate Smart City tools and applications in close collaboration with other players in Hong Kong’s technology ecosystem, creating impact, and generating social and economic value.”

    Organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the International ICT Expo is one of the largest regional events for leading ICT products and solutions across all sectors.

    ASTRI’s R&D expert shares latest developments in smart manufacturing at Sony’s US Research Centre

  • Dr T. John Koo, Director of Cyber-Physical Systems of ASTRI, was invited to speak on the topic ‘Digital and Physical Twins for Smart Factory in Industry 4.0’ at the US Research Centre of Sony Electronics Inc. in San Jose, California.

    ASTRI’s R&D expert shares latest developments in smart manufacturing at Sony’s US Research Centre

    In his presentation to the audience, Dr Koo discussed the design of Digital and Physical Twins that help realise smart factories in the Industry 4.0 era, along with a successful industry application. Furthermore, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) was introduced and adopted in the construction of Digital and Physical Twins and, hence, the system behaviours in various aspects can be examined at different levels of system complexity.

    Blockchain for eco-friendly apparels? ASTRI and WWF partnership aims to make it happen.

  • Fashion, textiles and apparels – it’s a colossal global industry that touches everyone’s lives in one way or the other. But how much do we know about the sustainability and environmental footprint of the clothes we wear? ASTRI has partnered with the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Hong Kong to develop a Blockchain-based system that will enable sustainability footprint tracking of textiles and apparels from sources down to the consumer levels.

    WWF volunteers will work alongside ASTRI’s Blockchain R&D experts on the Low Carbon Manufacturing Program (LCMP) to devise a Blockchain-powered system for the textile and apparel supply chain. On 27 March 2019, a group of WWF Hong Kong volunteers, led by Ms Karen Ho – Head of Corporate and Community Sustainability of WWF met Mr Hugh Chow – Chief Executive Officer and Dr James Lei – Acting Director of Intelligent Software and Systems of to discuss this exciting project.

    Blockchain for eco-friendly apparels? ASTRI and WWF partnership aims to make it happen.

    ASTRI has a proven track record of leveraging Blockchain technology to deliver practical solutions for many different industries including financial services. Its collaboration with the WWF Hong Kong team on the LCMP initiative will unlock the immense potential of Blockchain, to improve transparency of sustainability information flow along the textile and apparel supply chain. The program will help reduce carbon emissions generated by manufacturing facilities and encourage better environmental performance at difference stages of the supply chain.

    ASTRI takes part in CCBN 2019 – the leading international expo of Radio and TV networks

  • Taking part in the 27th International China Content Broadcasting Network Exhibition (CCBN) held in Beijing from 21-23 March 2019, ASTRI promoted its latest innovations in digital video production,  including Ultra-High-Definition video processing and AI-based video production solutions. The expo was a great platform for ASTRI to engage and collaborate with local and international experts and researchers from various application industries.

    In 2016, ASTRI established a joint laboratory with the Academy of Broadcasting Science (ABS), a subsidiary of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, to promote technical standards and applications in the field of ultra-high definition video. At the exhibition, the two sides exchanged views on advancing this partnership to the next level through the joint laboratory.

    ASTRI takes part in CCBN 2019 – the leading international expo of Radio and TV networks

    CCBN is the largest exhibition of broadcasting industry the in the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing leading ecosystem players, it is also the world’s leading digital TV and broadband network industry event. The exhibitors and forum participants showcased a series of innovations and exchanged ideas in the event, including media convergence, next-generation ICT solutions, radio-TV and other converged media, smart broadcasting, artificial intelligence,  5G, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, Ultra-High Definition display, Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and deep learning applications.

    ASTRI is showcasing its latest technological achievements in two leading exhibitions in Shanghai

  • ASTRI is showcasing its latest technological achievements in two leading exhibitions in Shanghai – Vision China (Shanghai) 2019 and Laser World of Photonics China 2019. Taking place at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 20-22 March 2019, the exhibition is a leading international platform for innovations in Opto-electronics and Sensing technologies.

    ASTRI’s Intelligent Sensing Technology System team is showcasing a range of cutting-edge technologies, including 3D Automated Optical Inspection System, UV Fluorescence Analyser for Jewellery, LCoS spatial light modulator device, optical beam steering module for advanced displays, laser windshield head-up display (HUD), large FOV head-mount display (HMD) and many others. Participating in this mega event amid the presence of leading experts and researchers from all over the world, ASTRI is supporting the industry’s Industry 4.0 and Smart City development efforts.

    ASTRI’s Intelligent Sensing Technology System team pursues the development of intelligent tools and solutions that support Smart City and development as well as Smart Manufacturing in Hong Kong and beyond. Fully aligned with the Hong Kong Government’s Smart City development blueprint and the Greater Bay Area development priorities, ASTRI strives to enhance Hong Kong’s global competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research.

    ASTRI is showcasing its latest technological achievements in two leading exhibitions in Shanghai
    ASTRI is showcasing its latest technological achievements in two leading exhibitions in Shanghai
    ASTRI is showcasing its latest technological achievements in two leading exhibitions in Shanghai

    Forum hosted by ASTRI and HKSTP explores a Connected Hong Kong Powered by 5G & IoT

  • ASTRI and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporate (HKSTP) co-organised a forum on 5G and IoT technologies on 11 March 2019. The forum took place at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium in Science Park. Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI; Mr George Tee, Chief Technology Officer of HKSTP; senior leaders from Government and industry players; and other key figures from the technology and communications industry including HKT, China Mobile Hong Kong, Hutchison Hong Kong and Huawei were present on the occasion.

    In his opening speech, Mr Hugh Chow said, “With 5G and IoT, Hong Kong has an enormous opportunity for sustainable economic growth. People, devices, knowledge and data are all going to be more interconnected than ever before.” He added that “The world around us is evolving with 5G and IoT technologies, and ASTRI is proud to be a part of that revolution.”

    As a pioneer in next generation network R&D, ASTRI pursues the latest advancements in 5G and IoT, local and regional use cases, and multifaceted applications for various sectors. Over 400 participants in the forum listened to industry stalwarts and technology experts, and experienced demonstrations of ASTRI’s most exciting innovations in this area. The forum facilitated exchange of deep insights and practical ideas – enabling collaborations and interactions within the ecosystem. Hong Kong is all geared up for the upcoming 5G revolution, so is ASTRI!

    Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury visits ASTRI and inspires its FinTech R&D team to continue the great work

  • The HKSAR Government’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Honourable Mr James Lau, JP, visited ASTRI on 4 January 2019, leading a delegation of Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) officials. The Secretary exchanged views and opinions on FinTech development in Hong Kong and received an update on ASTRI’s latest FinTech R&D endeavours. Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, welcomed the FSTB delegation to the premises of Hong Kong’s largest applied R&D centre. Dr MeiKei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer and Dr Martin Szeto, Chief Operating Officer, along with other senior executives of ASTRI, were also present on the occasion.

    The delegation witnessed presentations and demonstrations from ASTRI’s FinTech R&D teams focusing on Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Data Analytics, as well as the future FinTech development trend in Hong Kong. The delegation was also appraise of ASTRI’s collaborations across the ecosystem including partnerships with regulators, industry players, technology developers, and talent development schemes.

    Commenting on the visit, Mr Hugh Chow said, “Hong Kong, as a leading global financial centre with a strong ICT sector, is an ideal nurturing ground for FinTech excellence. ASTRI will continue to explore the FinTech development for Hong Kong. It has been such a great honour to share our inspiration and work with the Honourable Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury.” On behalf of the entire ASTRI team, Mr Chow thanked Mr Lau and the Bureau for “believing in ASTRI and always supporting us with great conviction.”

    Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury visits ASTRI and inspires its FinTech R&D team to continue the great work