Press Release

[Hong Kong, 27 February 2020] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) today announced the appointment of four new Directors to the ASTRI Board for the period from 1 March 2020 to 20 October 2021. The new appointees are:

• Prof Chan Chun-kwong
  Programme Director, MSc in Financial Technology, Faculty of Engineering
  Professor of Practice in FinTech, Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management
  The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Mr Stephen Chau Kam-kun
  Chief Technology Officer
  SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited
• Mr Peter Ng Hon-yu
  Vice President, Technology, Enabling Technology Group
  ASM Pacific Technology Limited
• Ir Prof Joseph Ng Kee-yin
  Professor, Department of Computer Science
  Hong Kong Baptist University

 

Three serving Directors of ASTRI, namely Mr Ha Yung-kuen, Mr Stephen Ho Wai-chung and Mr Andy Liu An-ting, have also been re-appointed for the period from 1 March 2020 to 20 October 2021.

 

And commencing 1 March 2020, Prof Liew Soung-chang and Dr Archie Yeh Tsuei-chi will retire from the ASTRI Board.

 

Chairman of ASTRI’s Board of Directors Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong welcomed the new members to the Board and thanked the retiring members. He said, “ASTRI has over the past 20 years come a long way in applying technology to bring positive impact on industries, putting Hong Kong on the global map of innovation. This is only possible through the selfless giving of top minds from businesses and universities. I want to thank Prof Liew and Dr Yeh for their contributions in years past, and very much look forward to working with Prof Chan, Mr Chau, Mr Ng and Ir Prof Ng to take ASTRI to the next level.”

 

As from 1 March 2020, the composition of ASTRI’s Board of Directors is as follows:

Chairman

Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP

 

Members

Prof Chan Chun-kwong
Ms Cally Chan Shan-shan
Mr Stephen Chau Kam-kun
Mr Duncan Chiu
Mr Charles Chow Sai-keung
Mr Steve Chuang Tzu-hsiung
Mr Ha Yung-kuen, BBS
Mr Stephen Ho Wai-chung
Mr Kwong Chi-keung, JP
Ir Dr Alan Lam Hiu-fung
Prof Lam Tak-wah
Prof Sabrina Lin Man-yee
Mr Andy Liu An-ting
Dr Davy Lo Kwok-wai
Mr Peter Ng Hon-yu
Ir Prof Joseph Ng Kee-yin
Ms Ada Wong Yin-man

(In alphabetical order according to surname)

 

Official Members

Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP, Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology
Ms Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology

 

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions, namely Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, Communications, Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies, Integrated Circuits and Systems, and IoT and Sensors. Five areas of applications including Smart City, Financial Technologies, Intelligent Manufacturing, Health Technologies, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits.

For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org

 

Media Enquiries:
Mr Terry Lee
Head of Public Affairs
Tel: +852 3406 2517
Email: [email protected]

[Hong Kong, 3 December 2019] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) Company Limited received two awards at the prestigious Hong Kong Awards for Industries (HKAI) 2019 for the latest technologies. The Awards presentation ceremony was officiated by Dr Bernard Chan, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, and Ms Salina Yan, JP, Director-General of Trade and Industry.

The two HKAI Awards are: (i) Equipment and Machinery Design Award for the Biometrics Optical See Through Head Mounted Display, jointly with ASTRI’s industry partner Profit Peak Hong Kong Holdings Limited; and (ii) Design Certificate of Merit for the Fast Multi-Focus Automatic Inspection Equipment for Optical Communication Components, jointly with ASTRI’s industry partner O-Net Technologies (Group) Limited.

Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Martin Szeto, Chief Operating Officer, and Dr Chen Jung Tsai, Acting Director of IoT and Sensors Technology Division, represented ASTRI at the HKAI Awards ceremony.

“It is our an honour to be recognised at HKAI Awards 2019. It is the results of collaboration between ASTRI and our industry partners, in this case Profit Peak and O-Net Technologies, and our relentless pursuit for innovative technologies to enhance productivity and benefit society,” said Mr Chow, “And ASTRI is committed to building a collaborative ecosystem and work with all stakeholders across government, business and industry to strengthen the innovation and technology sector in Hong Kong.”

 

Information about ASTRI’s award winning projects:

Biometrics Optical See Through Head Mounted Display

The head mounted display features a partially transparent display, with eye gaze tracking capability for use in the human computer interface system and iris recognition for individualized interface and biometrics security. The technology can have wide-ranging applications in real life, such as allowing the use to issue computer commands using eye gaze.

The device employs a full HD micro-display projection system which can enable small size spectacle-based head mount display. Its 60 degrees field of view is among the widest available for microdisplay-based projector HMD. The low build of materials cost of the HMD system is one of its major advantages. The device is at prototype stage with prospective business customers for testing and evaluation.

Fast Multi-Focus Automatic Inspection Equipment for Optical Communication Components

The product has a unique technology for the specialized inspection of optical communication component. It is particularly useful in ensuring quality of optical fibre connectors, where defects in the ceramic component surface would impact communications efficiency. By using high-resolution and high-speed focusing liquid lens, it is capable of detecting all kinds of defects in the production line. It performs inspection within a few seconds with micrometer resolution and the inspection result can be analysed in real time.

Moreover, the product helps to reduce QC workload by providing higher level automation in production lines involving component surface quality control and component shape, colour marks and tilting inspection.

 

 

[Hong Kong, 25 November 2019]  At the Technovation Summit 2019, organized by the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), more than 30 technology experts, entrepreneurs and top-level executives joined Mr Nicholas W Yang, GBS, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology to explore what a smart future holds in store for Hong Kong.

 

“Today, Hong Kong is facing big challenges from the global trade war and internal social unrest.  Yet, the Government remains fully committed to developing innovation and technology here in Hong Kong, using innovation and technology as a key economic and social driver to help improve our citizens’ daily lives and diversify our economy,” said Mr Yang.

 

Acknowledging the important role of ASTRI in collaboration with its industry partners, Mr Sunny Lee, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman said, “It is through working together, and by bringing different technologies to the same place, that we will deliver the best outcome for talents, entrepreneurs and enterprises, and ultimately every Hongkonger and global citizen.”

 

During the summit, industry leaders and government officials focused on applications of latest technologies  across a wide variety of sectors, including ‘smart government’, ‘smart mobility’, ‘cybersecurity’ and ‘smart manufacturing’. Speakers also addressed topical issues on innovation and technology, and explored ways to encourage all stakeholders in the ecosystem to leverage new technologies for sustainable and inclusive developments.

 

ASTRI also showcased its latest technologies and solutions, including:

• Biometrics Optical See Through Head Mounted Display
• 4Kx2K UHD Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display
• Diffractive Optics for Anti-Counterfeit
• Smart Locker 2.0
• Gem Analyser
• Unobtrusive Health Checking
• Canto-English Recognition Chatbot
• ASTRI Proprietary 5G End-to-End Solution
• ASTRI C-V2X End to End System
• AI Medical Platform

[Hong Kong, 31 October 2019] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is showcasing its latest technologies at the PT EXPO China 2019 in Beijing. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is one of  Asia’s leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) event which explores exciting impacts of next-generation ICTs in various industries, as well as trends in the dynamic and fast-growing ICT market.

At the PT EXPO China 2019, ASTRI adopts the theme “Embracing 5G for Innovation and Intelligent Connectivity”. ASTRI is showcasing technologies behind innovative solutions that enhance the competitive strengths of enterprises across Hong Kong, the Great Bay Area and international markets:

 

	Technology demo	Description
1	ASTRI end-to-end 5G systems supporting stand-alone (SA) and Non-standalone (NSA) networks	ASTRI partnered with Anktion (Fujian) Technology Co., Ltd to demonstrate data streaming with commercial 5G smartphone on its end-to-end 5G base station and 5G Core system. –    ASTRI’s latest 5G base station solution is on NXP LX2160a platform, which provides a low power and cost-efficient solution for sub-6GHz, 100MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO base station products. The solution has been integrated with Remote Radio Units (RRU) from multiple vendors including Anktion. The solution supports both Standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) 3GPP standards with third parties Protocol Stack (PS) software. The highly programable solution can be customized to drive different classes of base station platform such as standalone small cells and O-RAN white box hardware. –    ASTRI’s 5G Core is based on Intel x86 platform, and 3GPP Rel. 15 complied with the compelling performance – processing over 200Gbps throughput on standard servers featuring two scalable Intel Xeon processors.
2	Smart mobility technologies	ASTRI’s smart mobility technologies covers a wide range of usage scenarios, on Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) and other Intelligent Transport System (ITS) services.  ASTRI and HKT are working closely on realising the Smart Mobility Technologies in Hong Kong.
3	Intelligent Blockchain-based IoT Platform	The Hong Kong SAR government has stepped up its Smart City development efforts in recent years. Aligned with the increasing trends to leverage shared data, China Mobile Hong Kong and ASTRI have partnered to introduce industry pioneer application of Blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The platform uses secured data exchange for data provider to share IoT data with integrity. Through connecting the data providers and consumers, the platform can monetise and strategically exploit the potentially enormous value of the vast amount of IoT data. The platform can help companies and individuals to unleash huge business potential by acting as a trusted intermediary to offer data exchange with integrity among third parties.
4	Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) Chip	This demonstration showcases the latest low-cost, low-power NB-IoT chip solutions for a wide range of 3GPP-compliant low-cost and low-power IoT services. ASTRI’s NB-IoT chip adopts a unique polar transmitter architecture and integrates on-chip high efficiency CMOS power amplifier, power management unit and digitally controlled crystal oscillator.。
5	LoRaWAN Application	ASTRI’s LoRaWAN system can use internal batteries to power the sensors, solving the problem of data collection in remote areas (no power, no solar energy). It has the characteristics of low power consumption, long transmission distance and easy installation. It can work continuously for 3 to 5 years depending on the internal battery. This project is supported by Hong Kong Water Supplies Department (WSD) and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD).
6	Smartphone Spectrometer	ASTRI’s smartphone spectrometer becomes a powerful molecular analytical tool to ordinary consumers. It can obtain the spectrum with a snapshot and analyze the food composition or material quality conveniently.
7	4Kx2K UHD Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display	ASTRI’s 4Kx2K UHD Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display (AR HMD) offers unprecedented experience to users by the way that the display content superimposes over the real world. The complete AR HMD solution combines MAY Display Co. Ltd’s world first true 4Kx2K LCoS panel with ASTRI’s reference optical design to provide an industry-leading 70-degree-wide field of view. With this solution, ASTRI’s AR HMD provides the consumers an extraordinary product experience across different user scenarios in a variety of application areas such as education, industrial and manufacturing, museum, engineering, retail and advertising.

PT EXPO China 2019 will be held from October 31 to November 3 in Beijing, China, showcasing a world of 5G and other next-gen ICTs. More than 60,000 attendees from all of the ICT ecosystem’s sectors are predicted to gather, as well as over 400 leading companies and organizations that will exhibit or speak at the conference sessions.