Press Release | ASTRI - Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Company Limited

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

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.

Experts at Cybersecurity Forum organised by ASTRI urge enterprises to “get stronger cyber-defence not only for survival, but also for growth”

[Hong Kong, 18 April 2019] Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) organised the ‘Cybersecurity Forum: The Next-Gen Defence against Cyber-Threats on the second day of the Internet Economy Summit 2019.

Cybersecurity is a key concern in the digital era – that is the inevitable way of life for individuals and businesses alike. The forum explored tools and strategies for better preparedness in that context – including regulatory and compliance issues, professional approach to cybersecurity, securing cloud and other trusted services, and safeguarding businesses against increasingly sophisticated cyber-crimes.

In his welcome remark, Dr Martin Szeto, Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, said, “As a major global economic hub, Hong Kong must safeguard its financial activities and assets, to drive future growth and prosperity. We can secure our valuable information, processes and systems by building a strong pipeline of cybersecurity research, applications and talents.”

Dr Lucas Hui, ASTRI’s Senior Director of Security and Data Sciences presented an overview of Cyberscecurity – followed by four eminent experts from Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas – and shared views and insights on the all-encompassing cybersecurity landscape and ecosystem. The other speakers were: Mr Stefan Eigler, Practice Leader Mastering Risk & Compliance of TÜV Rheinland; Ms Samantha Alexander, Principal Accreditor of the global cybersecurity certification body CREST; Dr Qingni Shen, Professor and Vice Director of the Department of Cybersecurity in Peking University, and Dr Frank Law, Senior Superintendent of the Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force.

The speakers later took part in a panel discussion – joined by Mr Teddy Ko, Managing Director of Singapore Telecom Hong Kong; Mr Frankie Li, Security Analyst of Dragon Advance Tech Consulting; and Mr Wilson Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation. The panellists had an interactive sharing with the audience, discussing tactics for businesses to embrace modern cybersecurity challenges.

Well over 200 tech experts, public and private sector representatives, aspiring entrepreneurs and investors participated in the forum. Hosted by ASTRI, it was one of the thematic forums during the Internet Economy Summit 2019, which was organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government and Cyberport.

About ASTRI

ASTRI was set up 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 organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Advanced Digital Systems, Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Intelligent Sensing Technology System, Intelligent Software and Systems, and Security and Data Sciences. Our R&D strategic focus covers five areas of applications: Smart City, Financial Technologies, Intelligent Manufacturing, Health Technologies, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits through our mandate as the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre (CNERC).

ASTRI organised the ‘Cybersecurity Forum: The Next-Gen Defence against Cyber-Threats’ on the second day of the Internet Economy Summit 2019

ASTRI’s innovations win 21 international accolades in Geneva

[13 April 2019, Hong Kong] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) continued its streak of success at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. This year, in the 47th edition of this event, ASTRI won 21 awards including four Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, seven Gold medals, nine Silver medals and one Bronze medal.

The four ASTRI projects winning Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury are: Enhanced Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) with International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) Acquisition; Separator Coated with Self Shutdown Layer of High Porosity for Lithium Ion Battery; Compact Spectrometer Having Reflective Wedge Structure; and Medical Image Data Analytics Platform.

ASTRI’s accolades are among the awards won by the Hong Kong delegation of around 42 institutions and universities. This is a remarkable feat given that it is only the second time ASTRI has participated in this global event.

Mr Hugh Chow, CEO of ASTRI, said, “ASTRI is honoured and delighted to stand out among many world-class inventors and institutions with 21 prestigious awards. This recognition of ASTRI’s innovative endeavours once again demonstrates our R&D expertise and capability. While the city has increasingly embraced innovation and technology development in recent years, ASTRI continues to leverage its technical know-how to develop more applied solutions that benefit the public and the industries.”

The awards won by ASTRI are:

Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

1. Enhanced Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) with International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) Acquisition
2. Separator Coated with Self Shutdown Layer of High Porosity for Lithium Ion Battery
3. Compact Spectrometer Having Reflective Wedge Structure
4. Medical Image Data Analytics Platform

Gold Medal

5. High accuracy low power time and frequency synchronisation methods for Bluetooth Low Energy wireless communication system
6. Nomadic Mobile Base Station for Emergency Service
7. Three Dimensional Fully Molded Power Electronics Module for High Power Applications and the Method Thereof
8. Intelligent industry robot: 3D vision & cognition
9. Integrated Bi-sensing Optical Structure for Head Mounted Display
10. Efficient and Robust Human Detection/Tracking Method and System with Video Input
11. Mobile Biometrics Authentication Technology

Silver Medal

12. Sampling frequency offset tracking based on decision feedback channel estimation
13. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Network, Security and Positioning
14. Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) System for Road Safety and Smart Mobility Applications
15. 3D Power Device Packages for High Frequency Power Conversion
16. Micro-nano Structured Nano-size Aggregate Encapsulated in Micro-size Conglomerate for Conductivity Electrode
17. Method for Error Correction for a Multicast Message
18. Multi-location Learning Activity State Management for Distance Education
19. Machine Learning Artificial Character Generation
20. Efficient and Accurate Named Entity Recognition Method and System

Bronze Medal

21. Modified Pseudo-Cylindrical Mapping of Spherical Video Using Linear Interpolation of Empty Areas for Compression of Streamed Images

The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is organised annually jointly by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the Swiss Federal Government, the State, and the City of Geneva. It is acknowledged as the most prestigious and coveted event for inventors around the world. This year, around 1,000 new inventions and products have been showcased by more than 800 exhibitors from 40 countries and territories. Well over 31,000 visitors from all five continents made this the single largest innovation expo in the world.

ASTRI’s innovations won 21 international accolades in Geneva

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.

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’s Cervical Cancer Screening Management innovation honoured at Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019

[4 April 2019, Hong Kong] The Cervical Cancer Screening Management System (CCSMS) developed by the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has won the Smart Living (Smart Healthcare) Silver Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019. The awards presentation ceremony, officiated by Mrs Carrie Lam – Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR – took place on 4 April 2019.

ASTRI’s CCSMS is a convenient, effective and accurate scalable computer-aided diagnostic platform. The CCSMS application enables the user to process and view medical images from different vendors and image formats, provides diagnosis recommendations for the doctor’s reference. It also allows healthcare professionals to have remote medical diagnosis. The solution has been commercialised through one of the largest diagnostic service providers in the Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Health Technologies (HealthTech) form one of the five pillars in ASTRI’s innovation strategy. Commenting on this award-winning project, ASTRI’s CEO Mr Hugh Chow said, “Our HealthTech strategy aims to increase the efficiency of healer services, enhance and personalise medical services, and ultimately improve the quality of people’s lives. Through new applications of CCSMS, ASTRI works to contribute the improvement in Hong Kong’s healthcare industry and positively influence the city’s technological competence – for the benefit of its people.”

The Hong Kong ICT Awards was established in 2006 which aims at recognising and promoting outstanding information and communications technology (ICT) inventions and applications, thereby encouraging innovation and excellence among Hong Kong’s ICT talents and enterprises in their constant pursuit of creative and better solutions to meet business and social needs.

ASTRI’s Cervical Cancer Screening Management innovation has been honoured at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019

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 leads in 5G and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies, joins Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for the 8th Year

[25 February 2019, Hong Kong] ASTRI is showcasing a series of its latest 5G communications technologies at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2019 from 25-28 February 2019. Collaborating with Anktion (Fujian) Technology Co. Ltd. (previously known as Sunnada Network), Intel Corporation, Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT) Inc, Fu Huake Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. Ltd.), Rohde & Schwarz, Keysight Technologies and Spirent Communications, ASTRI is performing joint technology demonstrations/showcases at multiple partners’ booths.

MWC Barcelona is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and leading-edge technology from more than 2,400 leading companies, assembling today’s visionaries to explore the hottest topics influencing the industry.The theme of this year’s event is ‘Intelligent Connectivity’ – the term which uses to describe the powerful combination of flexible, high-speed 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.

ASTRI’s Communications Technologies R&D team, from left: Alex Mui, Director of Networking Software; Justin Chuang, Vice President of Next Generation Network, Eric Tsang, Director of Baseband solutions; and Victor Kwan, Deputy Director, 5G Wireless Systems

ASTRI is performing joint technology demonstrations at Intel’s booth

Technologies that ASTRI is showcasing at the MWC Barcelona 2019 include:

5G Micro Cell

ASTRI’s 5G micro cell provides a low-power and cost-efficient solution using NXP LX2160A ARM processors. The solution includes ASTRI’s ARM-based 5G physical layer software. ASTRI also realises CU-DU splitting with data path acceleration on LX2160A to support high throughput non-standalone (NSA) deployment.

Two demonstrations are being presented on the show:

The first demonstration showcases ASTRI’s 5G micro cell ARM-based physical layer integrated with Fu Huake’s 5G eCPRI Remote Radio Unit (RRU). The solution can also be connected to Anktion’s 5G CPRI RRU with PCIe-CPRI conversion card. Keysight DSAV334A Infiniium V-Series Oscilloscope and 89600 VSA software for 5G NR modulation analysis will be used to demodulate and verify the four-layer 256QAM 5G NR standard compliant signal.
The second demonstration showcases ASTRI’s NSA micro cell with CU-DU splitting architecture. ASTRI has integrated NSA Central Unit (CU) on NXP LX2160A with data path acceleration. The CU connects to 4G and 5G Distributed Units (DUs) with up to 2 Gbps eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) throughput for 5G traffic.

5G Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) Base Station

ASTRI’s 5G C-RAN base station includes the L1 design based on Intel Xeon processor, integrated with Aricent L2/3, Anktion’s 5G CPRI RRU with PCIe-CPRI conversion card, and Fu Huake’s 5G eCPRI RRU. With ’STRI’s leading L1 design such as FPGA based LDPC decoder and up to four layers MIMO, the 5G C-RAN base station supports up to 2 Gbps throughput. The total solution offers a complete flexible and scalable 5G sub-6GHz base station reference design for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Network Equipment Providers (NEP) for developing commercial-grade products – enabling them to effectively seize market opportunities. In the demonstration, ASTRI C-RAN base station forms 5G Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) data link with ASTRI UE 5G emulator. Radio units are based on Anktion’s 5G CPRI RRU and PCIe-CPRI conversion card solution. The 5G standard compliant signal is verified with an R&S RTO2000 oscilloscope and the R&S VSE-K144 vector signal explorer software for 5G NR measurements.

Narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) Base Station

ASTRI’s NB-IoT base station solution is powered by its NB-IoT L1 software. The software is based on cost-efficient and low-power NXP BSC913x System-on-Chip (SoC). The solution has been integrated with Aricent’s L2/3 protocol stack and Anktion’s Operations Management and Maintenance (OAM) system to provide a complete NB-IoT base station reference design. The on-site demonstration includes the integration of ASTRI’s NB-IoT base station with a commercial NB-IoT EPC as well as NB-IoT dongles to support the end-to-end network NB data streaming. This reference design can support China Mobile NB-IoT QSite requirements and is ready for commercialisation.

5G Standalone (SA) Core Network with Service Based Architecture (SBA)

5G Core Network provides the essential flexibility to support different 5G applications and scenarios. ASTRI is performing live demonstration of its 5G Standalone (SA) Core on Intel x86 server. ASTRI’s 5G SA core complies with the new network architecture in 3GPP release 15 standards, with new capabilities of Control User Plane Separation (CUPS), Distributed User Plane (UPF), Service-based Architecture (SBA) support and flow-based QoS. ASTRI’s 5G SA core can scale up to 200Gbps on a single x86 server. It supports cloud native deployment with containers support, cloud scale load balancing and scaling, log/metrics/alarms management as well as visualisation.

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) Software System with Roadside Video Analytics for Road Safety and Traffic Management

C-V2X technology plays a key role in facilitating interactions between vehicles, road users, and roadside infrastructure – enabling smart mobility applications. ASTRI will demonstrate its C-V2X Software System that leverages capabilities such as rapid object recognition (e.g. pedestrians) and traffic situation detection. Using C-V2X technology, the system can detect imminent danger on roads, and issue real-time alerts like pedestrian crossing to drivers. To minimise the latency, the video analysis algorithm is executed on ASTRI’s C-V2X Edge system, and the results are communicated between multiple C-V2X Road Side Units (RSUs) through direct Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications. This technology enhances road safety and traffic management, and brings significant benefits to road users and ordinary residents.

Next-Generation Central Office

As an ecosystem partner on the Next-Generation Central Office (NGCO) supported by Intel and QCT. ASTRI incorporated the Next Generation Mobile Core Network into the NGCO architecture. It enables network transformation of traditional central offices at both the core networks and the edge to pave the way for 5G. For more details, please visit the NGCO showcases and refer to the recently published whitepaper: https://goo.gl/3bZzbc .