A delegation from the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO) visited ASTRI on 12 September 2018. The delegation was led by Mr Laurie Lo, JP, Deputy Head accompanied by other officials of PICO. The delegation learnt about various R&D initiatives of ASTRI and exchanged views with ASTRI’s CEO Mr Hugh Chow and Chief Technology Officer Dr MeiKei Ieong. The discussions covered issues related to Hong Kong’s development in the area of innovation and technology.
ASTRI supported the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI) for the launch of a new shared platform for the start-up entrepreneurs in the city. Launched on 12 September 2018, INDEX is an initiative that will create opportunities for start-ups and SMEs to innovate, collaborate and network while exploring emerging prospects for growth.
ASTRI demonstrated two of its latest innovations at the event ─ the Palm Fusion Biometric Authentication system and the Augmented Reality Head-mount Display (AR-HMD) solution. These two technologies are the collaboration outcomes with ASTRI’s industrial partners, Smart Secure ID (SSID) from Switzerland and Profit Peak Hong Kong (PPK) from Hong Kong respectively to provide turnkey development platform solutions for start-ups and SMEs. Mr Kenny Chan, Senior Manager of Opto-electronics, was among ASTRI’s R&D experts who demonstrated the innovative technologies, and shared views and experiences with the guests.
The Honourable Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP, Chief Secretary of the HKSAR Government, and the Honourable Mr Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government, officiated the launch event.
The 20th China International Opto-electronic Exposition (CIOE) 2018 took place at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-8 September 2018. To fully leverage this massive congregation of industry players and professionals, ASTRI partnered with the event’s organisers and hosted three forums. The forums covered the following key topics that are highly relevant for the sector:
1。Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing
2。Next generation display and sensing technologies
3。Optical inspection for environment, food and healthcare
At the forums, ASTRI’s R&D professionals shared their knowledge and insights on the latest industry trends, and exchanged experiences with some of the best and brightest minds in the sector. For instance, ‘AI and Machine Vision’, ‘Industrial IoT’ and ‘Industry 4.0’ were discussed at length by experts from companies including Prevision Technology Ltd. NEC China and Advantech China. Professor Aaron Ho Ho-pui from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong delivered an opening speech on the exciting optical technologies for environmental management, food quality and healthcare sectors. Mr Kenny Chan, Senior Manager of ASTRI’s Opto-electronics team shared a presentation on ‘Smart Optics for Augmented Reality Display and Sensing’. The Display and Sensing Technology forum also attracted a lot of attention from the event’s visitors. ASTRI’s R&D experts were also invited to speak at the ‘Optics+ Automotive Applications Forum’ and ‘Optics+ Mobile Communication Forum’.
ASTRI continues to work with the industry to facilitate exchange of ideas and experiences, and supports stronger collaboration among various players in the overall technology ecosystem.
The China International Opto-electronic Expo (CIOE), one of the largest industry events in the sector, took place at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-8 September 2018. This year’s event marked marks the 20th anniversary of the Expo – ASTRI actively participated in this edition of the Expo. CIOE is an annual event for the Opto-electronic sector, with experts and professionals connecting with each other to explore the sector’s future development trends and opportunities. Over 3,200 eminent organisations took part participate in the Expo, representing sectors including Artificial Intelligence for manufacturing and Next-Generation Display. Sensor technologies such as optical inspection of environment, food and health also featured in this mega event.
In recognition of its active support and participation, ASTRI received the honorary ‘Best Partner Award’ from the organisers of the Expo. ASTRI jointly organised three technical forums at the CIOE focusing on Opto-electronics technology and trends, AI and application development.
A delegation of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hon Kong (CMA) visited ASTRI’s Smart City Innovation Centre on 31 August 2018. The CMA delegates were welcomed by Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer; Dr MeiKei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer; and Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Next Generation Network). The visitors sought to understand the R&D endeavours and achievement of ASTRI.
Hong Kong is steadily boosting its investment in Innovation and Technology development – ASTRI plays a significant role in that journey. During the visit, the CMA delegates learnt about ASTRI’s various R&D achievements such as the naked-eye 3D display technology and Cellular V2X applications, as well as how it helps the industry through the work of technology transfer.
Mr Dong Haoran – General Manager and Mr Zhou Jiansuo – Executive Deputy General Manager of Huada Semiconductor visited ASTRI on 30 August 2018. Mr Wong Ming-yam – Chairman of ASTRI accompanied by ASTRI’s senior executives greeted the delegation. In addition to exploring ASTRI’s smart city solutions, the visitors sought to understand the recent work of ASTRI on semiconductors. Through this visit, the two parties explored future joint efforts and potential cooperation opportunities.
A delegation led by Mr Norbert Hofer, Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology of Austria visited ASTRI on 1 September 2018. The delegation included senior officials from the Austrian Federal Government, representatives from Austrian businesses sectors and chamber bodies, as well as officials from the Austrian’s Consulate General in Hong Kong.
Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer; Dr MeiKei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer; Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Next Generation Network) along with other R&D experts of ASTRI, hosted the delegation in a lively and interactive session. Mr Ivan Lee, Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Mr Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer and Dr Claudia Xu, Chief Commercial Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation also attended the session.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chow said this visit provided a good platform to share views and ideas on innovation and technology that are relevant for both Hong Kong and Austria. He referred to the existing strong relationship between the two places, added that Hong Kong could also play a significant bridging role between Austria and the Mainland China. said, “our two regions can collaborate further and find a common ground to make technology work for our people.”
Dr Ieong introduced some of ASTRI’s recent and most notable technology projects to the visitors and explained how they strengthened industries and benefited communities. ASTRI’s R&D experts showcased, among other innovations, the Palm Fusion Biometric authentication system, Cellular-V2X technology for smart mobility and the naked eye 3D display technology to the visitors.
Led by Professor Richard Fung, – Chief Executive, a group of senior executives from the Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre (STC) visited ASTRI on 29 August 2018 including Ms Anne Chuah – Director of Food, Chemical and Textile Products and Dr Franki Lee – Director, Corporate Sales & Business Development. They were warmly welcomed by ASTRI’s Chairman Mr Wong Ming-yam, along with Mr Hugh Chow – Chief Executive Officer and Dr MeiKei Ieong – Chief Technology Officer. During the visit, the STC delegation not only took the opportunity to understand ASTRI’s latest R&D initiatives, but also explored collaboration opportunities between the two organisations.
The group witnessed demonstrations of a series of ASTRI’s smart city technologies and were particularly impressed by the 5G-related applications.
Mr Li Dejin – Deputy Governor of Fujian Province, led a seven-member delegation to ’ASTRI’s Smart City Innovation Centre (SCIC) on 28 August 2018. Mr Hugh Chow – Chief Executive Officer, and Dr MeiKei Ieong – Chief Technology Officer, along with other senior executives of ASTRI, welcomed the delegation to the SCIC. During the visit, Mr Li was pleased to witness a number of ASTRI’s R&D demonstrations including Naked-eye 3D Display technology and various 5G-related applications. In addition, the visitors took great interest in the ASTRI’s Integrated Circuits (IC) related research and asked a number of questions. The visit was a great opportunity for interaction and exchange between the two parties.
The Induction Day of the second edition of FinTech Career Accelerator Scheme (FCAS 2.0) took place on Friday, 24 August 2018. ASTRI, along with Hong Kong Cyberport and Hong Kong Science Park, is a co-organiser in this scheme spearheaded by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Mr Hugh Chow – Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, delivered a welcome speech to the participating students who have been selected through a rigorous screening process from among thousands of applicants.
FCAS aims to nurture Hong Kong’s financial and technological talents to meet the emerging and ever-evolving needs of the industry. Last year, in the programme’s inaugural edition, ASTRI joined hands with HKMA, sourcing and grooming potential FinTech talents for Hong Kong. The second edition of FCAS offers even more exciting opportunities and development initiatives for the participating students. The number of students admissible to the programme has also been extended to over 200. FCAS 2.0 involves partnership with publicly-funded tertiary education institutions as well as major local as well as international banks based in Hong Kong. Participants will go through a year-long programme of technical and regulatory trainings, internships placements in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as well as a gap-year industry placement.
Addressing the students, Mr Hugh Chow said, “FCAS 2.0 is an amazing platform from where you can launch a stellar career in FinTech, through hands-on experience and networking opportunities designed to test and strengthen your capabilities.”
Highlighting ASTRI’s role in this scheme, Mr Chow added that, “FinTech is one of the key pillars in ASTRI’s overall strategy. We work alongside HKMA and other industry players to deliver innovative proofs-of-concept, and applications for the financial sector, with world leading technologies like blockchain, cybersecurity, big data analytic, artificial intelligence, to name a few. And you will get to explore to them all through our experts and researchers.”
He encouraged the students to take this learning opportunity very seriously, because “it is one of the most important investments you will make towards your personal and professional growth.”
Dr MeiKei Ieong, ASTRI’s Chief Technology Officer, also spoke on the occasion and presented an overview of ASTRI’s FinTech initiatives as well as a glimpse of how the Institute will help boost the participants’ FinTech-related knowledge skills and expertise.
