Press Release

[Hong Kong, 15 September 2022] With the vision of Hong Kong developing into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, there will be a huge demand for R&D talents. In order to become a part of this new generation of I&T talents, it is crucial for young people to equip themselves with academic qualifications and professional recognitions, as well as to accumulate work experience to meet the job requirements in research and development (R&D).

To provide workplace learning opportunities for more young people who are eager to develop their future career in the technology sector, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) signed a MOU with Vocational Training Council (VTC) today (15 September). Under this MoU, they will jointly design brand-new professional diploma programmes in Microelectronics and Communications Technologies, aiming to nurture a pool of talents that matches with what the industry needs in response to the huge surge of demand for tech-ready talents brought by the development in smart products, Internet of Things (IoT), and big data. Besides, ASTRI will join the VTC Earn & Learn scheme as an employer. The scheme spans across four semesters for students taking Higher Diploma programmes from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), a member institution of VTC. During the new academic year, participating students will receive on-the-job training under the guidance from ASTRI’s experienced R&D staff, gaining hands-on experience in the industry, while receiving classroom learning provided by the school. Young people will be able to enhance their capabilities in research and development in terms of work experience and academic knowledge through the scheme, which also allows them to realise their potentials.

Societal needs towards various kinds of technology have been increasing day by day. Creativity and passion from young people have always brought new impetus to R&D sector. This collaboration between ASTRI and VTC happens with the hope of discovering more new blood to I&T sector in Hong Kong and nurturing a new generation of professional R&D talents, so as to expand the local I&T talent pool, provide the research and commercial sector with greater momentum, and keep enhancing the competitiveness of Hong Kong.

As the new academic year begins, the first batch of VTC students will be joining ASTRI’s four Technology Divisions, including Trust and AI Technologies, Communications Technologies, IoT Sensing and AI Technologies, and Integrated Circuits and Systems. With ASTRI’s strong atmosphere in research and development, students will learn about I&T development in Hong Kong through hands-on experience, which would deepen their understanding of R&D work, helping them to make good preparation for future studies or career. Participants will receive a basic monthly salary not less than $9,000 and an average of $2,500 government allowance. The total monthly income will be above $10,000. Participants will also receive an additional subsidy of $30,800 upon completion of the programme.

ASTRI Chairman Ir Sunny Lee Wai-Kwong, BBS, JP, said, “This collaboration sets a new milestone for ASTRI in training the new generation of R&D talents. Young people are an important drive for innovation. We, ASTRI, as the most structured technology research institute in Hong Kong, look forward to seeing the trainees joining our team. We hope that they would enrich our creativity, learn all that they can and make contribution to support Hong Kong in becoming an international I&T hub.”

ASTRI Chief Executive Officer Dr Denis Yip, emphasised the importance of continual cultivation of talents, and said, “It is our pleasure to be able to collaborate with VTC. To support Hong Kong in becoming an international I&T hub, first and foremost, there needs to be a huge amount of talents with various skillsets in order to cope with future demands in R&D. ASTRI joins VTC’s training and support scheme for the first time, aiming to encourage trainees with passion to get to know about their own strengths and realise their potentials. Upon graduation, they could either choose to become professional staff members or to further study. The scheme is good for both trainees themselves and the industry.”

VTC Chairman Mr Tony Tai, JP noted in his speech, “The VTC offers quality vocational and professional education and training (VPET) to help young people and in-service practitioners acquire industry-relevant knowledge and applied skills for professional development. To meet the demand for tech-savvy talents, the VTC has incorporated I&T elements into the curriculum, enhanced teaching and learning facilities, and more importantly, provided students with workplace learning opportunities to build a talent pool conversant with applied skills. We are delighted to sign the MoU with ASTRI today to leverage the strengths of both sides and work together to nurture I&T talents.

VTC Executive Director Mr Donald Tong, GBS said, “We thank ASTRI for supporting the VTC Earn & Learn Scheme, providing our IVE Higher Diploma students with the chance to receive on-the-job training and learn cutting-edge applied technologies at ASTRI under the coaching of scientific research experts while learning tech-related knowledge at VTC.”

Ir Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman, ASTRI

Mr Tony Tai, JP, Chairman, VTC

(Front row, from left) Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer, ASTRI; Mr Donald Tong, GBS, Executive Director, VTC
(Back row, from left) Ir Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman, ASTRI; Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Mr Tony Tai, JP, Chairman, VTC

(From left) Mr Stephen Ho, Board of director, ASTRI; Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer, ASTRI; Ir Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman, ASTRI; Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Mr Tony Tai, JP, Chairman of VTC; Dr Daniel Yip, JP, Deputy Chairman, VTC; Mr Donald Tong, GBS, Executive Director, VTC

[Hong Kong, 5 September 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) today (5 September) signed a University Technology Transfer and Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first time. The two organisations have reached a cooperation consensus on the implementation of commercialisation strategies and a development blueprint in line with the government’s increasing innovation and technology (I&T) resources in recent years and its vision of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. The MoU enshrines collaboration between academia and research and development (R&D) centres to develop leading technologies, and leveraging resources to enhance the quality of research, as well as facilitating the commercialisation process. It will help to introduce technology that is useful to the government, industry and society, supporting Hong Kong as it becomes an international smart city.

The collaboration among the government, industry, academia and the R&D sector highlights the importance of full participation and mutual support from stakeholders in the technology ecosystem. Intellectual property (IP) commercialisation is one of the keys to strengthening technology commercialisation. Intellectual property holding institutions can formulate rules and regulations, and implement the corresponding measures necessary to maximise the economic and social benefits of their R&D outcomes.

The MoU was signed by ASTRI Chief Executive Officer Dr Denis Yip and CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sham Mai-har. Under the agreement, ASTRI and CUHK will determine the ownership of R&D outcomes through their respective IP rights, hoping to boost the commercialisation of R&D projects developed by both parties and CUHK’s affiliates, and to shorten the research time taken by joint projects, and optimise resources to increase the effectiveness of R&D commercialisation. The close cooperation between scientific research experts from both sides will not only improve the effectiveness of R&D and generate innovative technologies, but will also help cultivate R&D talents.

Meanwhile, ASTRI and CUHK or its affiliates will jointly develop a set of standardised arrangements and procedures to determine inventive contributions, ownership of research outcomes of joint projects, funding arrangement, roles and responsibilities in project execution, IP protection, and others. The respective IP rights owned by ASTRI and CUHK will allow more opportunities for technology commercialisation, help local R&D become more practical and measurable, and advance the development of re-industrialisation.

ASTRI Chairman Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, said, “In recent years, the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong has been enriched. Interactions among the government, academia, R&D centres and industry have become more mature as well. This provides the best moment for nurturing and enriching the talent pool, and improving the I&T ecosystem and eco-chain of development, furthering smart city development and strengthening the city’s positioning in the Greater Bay Area collaboration.”

ASTRI Chief Executive Officer Dr Denis Yip, said, “ASTRI has been striving to be a leader in research and innovation, collaborating with local universities in research and development, and facilitating commercialisation of research outcomes, while providing practical assistance to some other universities in launching more I&T products to the market. This collaboration with CUHK marks the beginning of an era, with the hope of safeguarding the intellectual property of future R&D products, establishing a good foundation for the manufacturing and re-industrialisation process to enhance the efficacy of technological development, people’s livelihoods and the economy of Hong Kong.”

CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sham Mai-har, said, “I am delighted that CUHK and ASTRI have signed this five-year MoU, bringing R&D institutes and universities closer together and aligning with the government’s goal of promoting I&T development. CUHK spares no effort in promoting scientific research and knowledge transfer. This collaboration marks a monumental milestone for us. I hope that both CUHK and ASTRI can take advantage of our patented technologies to carry out influential, innovative projects that can meet the technological needs of enterprises and society, making a major contribution to the development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.”

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by ASTRI Chief Executive Officer Dr Denis Yip (3rd left) and CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sham Mai-har (2nd left), and witnessed by ASTRI Chairman Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong (4th left) and Director of CUHK’s Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services Professor Benny Zee Chung-ying (1st left).

[Hong Kong, 19 August 2022] Talent cultivation is the first step to innovation and technology (I&T). It has also been one of the core missions of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI). This year, ASTRI established “Undergraduate Summer Internship Programme” and “Fintech Future Leader Academy” and received over 2,400 applications from 28 universities worldwide. The programmes provided the students or the future I&T leaders with opportunities to be deeply engaged in the field of Hong Kong’s R&D ecosystem, experience ASTRI’s unique culture in scientific research, aiming at enhancing their knowledge and sparking their interests in I&T. Today (19 August), around 50 interns from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, officially complete their internship at ASTRI; some of them hope to contribute to R&D in Hong Kong upon graduation.

ASTRI has always strived to fulfil its mission of nurturing the next generation of I&T talents. In order to strengthen students’ understanding of the development in Hong Kong, the programmes added dimensions to the existing workplan, offering a broad spectrum of R&D projects, activities and various site trips to make the internship more engaged and motivated. During these 2-month programmes, students were assigned to various technology divisions, gaining hands-on R&D experience, and diving deep into the I&T process and Fintech development in Hong Kong. A number of seminars were arranged, where key persons and professional scholars from large corporations and organisations were invited to share their journeys and successful experience. Students had also visited the supporting organisations from the finance and technology industries, including Bank of China (Hong Kong), China Life Insurance (Overseas), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), IBM, Microsoft Hong Kong, Ping An OneConnect Bank (PAOB), and Cyberport to learn about the actual situations and operations of the I&T industry in Hong Kong.

Moreover, ASTRI had arranged a special internship for some interns to its partner ‘Bridge AI’ which is a success case of ASTRI’s tech transfer to the industry. Bridge AI has applied ASTRI’s research outcomes and products in its teaching programmes for children with learning difficulties. Interns gained understandings about the potential of improving the learning difficulties faced by special education need (SEN) students through incorporating ASTRI’s R&D results in AI and IOT into professional education programmes. They experienced first-hand that helping people with the use of science and technology is not a distant dream.

Overseas participants included students from MIT, Harvard University, the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkeley, and New York University in the United States, as well as University College London, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Among them, there were top students who had attained a near-perfect 44 points on the IB exams. Some overseas top talents came to Hong Kong for the first time, aiming to learn about the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong and prepare themselves for the industry.

ASTRI CEO Dr. Denis Yip says, “Apart from bringing research and development in I&T sector in Hong Kong, it is also important for ASTRI to nurture a new generation of local I&T talents and help the industry to thrive. Students from the two programmes have shown their enthusiastic participation, willingness to express themselves during sharing sessions, seriousness at work, and their aspirations in future development. This internship experience must have been valuable to them. I hope that they would work for Hong Kong’s technology and development upon their graduation.”

Background of ASTRI’s two internship programmes

This year, ASTRI’s two programmes had received a total of 2,464 applications through recruitment drives at various Hong Kong universities, as well as 28 renowned overseas universities. Interviews were conducted to select 50 candidates for up to 8-week internship at ASTRI from June to August. The second- and third-year undergraduates, and also postgraduate students majoring in Computer Science, Business and Finance related fields from Hong Kong local universities, including (in no particular order) the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University participated in the programmes, while over half of the interns came from overseas renowned universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Apart from organising summer internship programmes, ASTRI will seek to cooperate with key universities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as with the mainland campuses and research institutes of Hong Kong universities in the area. To expand its mainland team, ASTRI will conduct recruitment in the mainland and offer Hong Kong-based employees the opportunity to transfer to its mainland headquarters. Meanwhile, to nurture international-quality talents, ASTRI will engage postgraduate students in the GBA to participate in R&D projects by cooperating with universities and research institutes in the area.

[Hong Kong, 27 July 2022] Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, the Board Chairman of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, is awarded BBS today by the Hong Kong Government in recognition of his notable contributions to promoting the development of innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong.

The Honours List appointments introduced Ir Sunny Lee and described how he offered valuable suggestions for improving Hong Kong’s digital information technology strategy and nurturing I&T talents. He also made significant contributions to enriching Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem by serving on the Committee on Innovation, Technology and Re-industrialisation.

Ir Sunny Lee, BBS, JP is the Board Chairman of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited. He is a veteran of innovation and technology leadership, with over 30 years of experience in business and technology management in Hong Kong and abroad.

Ir Sunny Lee’s distinguished tech-focused career spanned multiple sectors. He is currently Vice President (Administration) of the City University of Hong Kong, responsible for a range of central administrative functions. This May, the MTR Corporation was pleased to announce the appointment of Ir Sunny Lee as the Independent Non-executive Director of the MTR Board. Through his expertise and extensive experience in the industry, he has established himself as a pivotal leader.

Ir Sunny Lee was previously Executive Director, Information Technology (IT) of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chief Information Officer of The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, responsible for their I.T. strategy and innovation.

He was also Vice President and Systems Director of Bank of America in Hong Kong, where he was instrumental in developing the bank’s I.T. capabilities for business expansion in Asia. Ir Sunny Lee also held key I.T. positions in the financial, management consulting and manufacturing industries in the US.

Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, the Board Chairman of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, is awarded BBS today.

[Hong Kong, 21 July 2022] To develop Hong Kong into a smart city, a well-established “smart mobility” network is an important part. The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) announced that it will now enter the second phase of road testing of the Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) Technology. In this test, ASTRI will collaborate with Lenovo to research and test the application scenarios, required networks and related infrastructure of C-V2X technology on Hong Kong roads, with the aim of promoting smart mobility, Improve road safety and traffic efficiency, as well as the development of future connected autonomous vehicles.

The second phase of the C-V2X road test will last for about 9 months. The total length is 14 kilometers from the Science Park to the city center of Shatin. ASTRI also invites public transport vehicles on the road to conduct the test together. Citizens passing along the road will also see ASTRI stickers posted on the road, which are used to transmit information and collect the most valid data.

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) refers to the real-time information transmission between vehicles and vehicles, vehicles and pedestrians, vehicles and road infrastructure, and vehicles and networks, so that people, vehicles and road infrastructure are connected and coordinated, and road users receives road status and warnings in real time to enhance road safety and assist driving. Following ASTRI’s completion of the first phase of C-V2X road test last year, valid data are obtained. The test this time will further improve the performance of C-V2X, which is conducive to continuously expanding C-V2X to other regions and the Greater Bay Area in the future.

Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, said, “The goal of the Hong Kong government in recent years is to build itself into a smart city. With the popularization of 5G technology, more innovative application technologies will be nurtured rapidly. C-V2X technology is the most promising project in the transportation sector. C-V2X technology plays a significant role in either improving road safety or solving such problems as traffic congestion caused by urbanization.” In the long run, C-V2X can better enhance the development of autonomous driving technology, and further improve the safety of autonomous driving and the public trust in autonomous driving technology.

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, said, “Hong Kong is a gateway city connecting mainland China, and transportation is a crucial element. This C-V2X test will provide a valuable reference for the development of related technologies in the Greater Bay Area in the future. ASTRI intends to expand related technologies to the Greater Bay Area market. C-V2X technology is the prominent step to achieve smart city development, and ASTRI intends to make Hong Kong become a model of smart city through the improvement of C-V2X technology.”

Mr Ken Wong, President of Lenovo Solutions and Services Group said, “We are delighted to collaborate with ASTRI, Hong Kong’s leading R&D centre for information and communications technologies. Through our collaboration, Lenovo hopes to contribute to improving the quality of life for people of Hong Kong. Lenovo’s end-to-end solutions enable cities around the world to become smarter, safer, and more sustainable. Recently, we deployed various smart city solutions in cities from Beijing to Barcelona. We look forward to working closely with ASTRI to enhance Hong Kong’s urban mobility through development such as C-V2X, which will bring better road safety and travel efficiency for all.”

Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, Chairman of ASTRI thank you for the support from all units to successfully carry out the C-V2X Test 2.0.

Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, Chairman of ASTRI(center) ,Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI(Left), Fan Ho, Chief of Staff, Lenovo Central Asia Pacific and General Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, Lenovo(Right) attend Lenovo partners with ASTRI to promote the second phase of C-V2X Improve road safety and traffic efficiency with smart travel press con.

(From left) Dr. Justin Chuang, Vice President, Communications Technologies of ASTRI, Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, Fan Ho, Chief of Staff, Lenovo Central Asia Pacific and General Manager, Mr Shijun Fan , Chief Technologist of ASTRI attend Lenovo partners with ASTRI to promote the second phase of C-V2X Improve road safety and traffic efficiency with smart travel press con.

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI attend Lenovo partners with ASTRI to promote the second phase of C-V2X Improve road safety and traffic efficiency with smart travel press con.

[Hong Kong, 13 July 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is collaborating with the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) to develop at least two projects that will treat patients of different ages suffering from lazy eye and other eye conditions. CEVR was established under the Innovation and Technology Commission’s platform for research and innovation, InnoHK.

Amblyopia is a common visual impairment that reduces one’s vision and ability to see in 3D. To treat this condition the brain must be retrained to use information coming from both eyes. This is especially challenging to achieve in adult patients because neuroplasticity decreases as we get older and the brain fully matures as we get older and the brain fully matures. The breakthrough of this collaboration is the development of novel treatment methods that will incorporate ASTRI’s AR technologies and CEVR’s research on recovering neuroplasticity in the visual cortex. The ultimate goal is to “heal” patients’ eyes and give them hope that they may see clearly again.

ASTRI’s CEO Dr. Denis Yip said: “Digital healthcare is one of ASTRI’s core areas for research. Through InnoHK’s ‘Health@InnoHK’ project, we will join hands with CEVR to provide treatment to many patients suffering from eye conditions and correct their vision, making this is a tremendously meaningful collaboration. I look forward to the ASTRI team’s cooperation with different units to contribute more value to Hong Kong’s research and medical fields.

Vision loss or visual impairment can be defined as reduced vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, surgery or medical treatment. Vision loss can broadly be classified into central loss and peripheral loss. Patients may have one or both types of loss.

Patients with central loss typically have difficulty recognizing faces, reading and seeing fine details. Patients with peripheral loss typically have difficulty navigating crowded environments and seeing obstacles on the floor and sides. Everyone responds differently to vision loss, and to the impact that it has on their life.

What causes vision loss?

According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment.  In at least 1 billion – or almost half – of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.

The main causes of vision loss in people are:

• Uncorrected refractive error is the largest cause of vision loss, afflicting over 671 million people worldwide. These people can recover their vision with appropriate spectacles, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.
• Dry eye disease is a global problem, afflicting at least 344 million people, and is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes central vision loss is the third-largest cause of visual impairment. Over 8 million people have vision loss due to AMD.
• Glaucoma causes peripheral vision loss and is the fourth-largest cause of visual impairment. Almost 8 million people have vision loss due to glaucoma.
• Diabetic retinopathy is a growing cause of vision loss. Over 4 million people have vision loss due to Diabetic retinopathy.

For every person that experiences vision impairment and blindness from the above causes, there are many more living with the early-stages of AMD/ glaucoma / diabetic retinopathy who need comprehensive and integrated people-centred eye care services to prevent serious vision loss.

ASTRI and CEVR will jointly promote the development of a navigation system for people with vision loss in Hong Kong

People with impaired vision encounter various obstacles in many daily activities. Although people with visual impairment can be aided by walking canes, guide dogs, and mobility training, moving safely through different environments such as community centres, shopping malls and health care facilities remains a major challenge that significantly impairs social interactions, wellness and quality of life.

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Institute (ASTRI) and the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) join hands together to develop a comprehensive navigation system for people with impaired vision, it will remove mobility barriers for people with impaired vision and dramatically enhance their wellbeing.

ASTRI has been committed to promoting technological R&D in Hong Kong and partnering with different institutions and companies in developing innovative technologies. With the collaboration between ASTRI and CEVR, ASTRI’s IT expertise can directly apply the results of applied research from CEVR’s investigators and translate navigation technology and solutions to the digital health industry helping to improve the quality of life for the people with visual impairment in Hong Kong.

CEVR’s CEO and Scientific Director Professor Ben Thompson expressed: “Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In almost half of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed. CEVR gathers top researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Waterloo in Canada to collaborate synergistically, expand research, and make advancements in eye health and treatment. In working with ASTRI, we hope to make use of AR technologies to increase the development of lazy eye patients’ 3D vision abilities and ultimately improve patients’ overall eye health.

ASTRI and the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) are cooperating in research and development that can help patients with different ages and degrees of amblyopia and other eye diseases. There will be multiple patents developed. With the help of technology, the goal of “treatment” is to bring hope to patients.

ASTRI uses Augmented Reality (AR) technology in conjunction with CEVR to study neuroplasticity in the visual area of the brain, with the goal of “treatment”.

ASTRI Chief Executive Dr. Denis Yip(Left)and CEVR Chief Executive and Research Director Prof. Ben Thompson(Right) introduced the cooperation plan between the two parties.

[Hong Kong, 16 April 2022] With the rapid advancement of global technology development, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is engaging more enterprises in the cooperation and common development of “industry, academia and research”, ASTRI hence launched the “IPs and Service Offerings for Technology Start-ups and SMEs”, selected 20 innovative technological companies from a varying categories of entry services, including 8 hardware, 6 software and 6 consulting service companies, with the entry price of HK$50,000 to HK$150,000.

ASTRI focuses on transferring technology to the industry, transforming it into commodities, developing high-quality and affordable patents, information and communication technologies, and creating important and far-reaching influence. In cooperation with research institutions, enterprises and academia, ASTRI researches important technologies that the industry pays attention to, and assists enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. The relevant scientific research projects selected have a wide range of content, mainly to solve company evaluation, technology and network security issues, writing, electronic technology and electricity issues, etc. Private institutions in Hong Kong can contact relevant professionals and engineers at ASTRI for assistance and enquiries.

Hong Kong’s scientific research has undergone many years of development. However, many start-ups, and even small and medium-sized enterprises that have been rooted in Hong Kong for many years striving to improve the field of technology, have been paying high fees for the solutions to technical problems. There was no platform that provided cost effective solutions for them, and their business needs were not understood. The support provided in the “IPs and Service Offerings for Technology Start-ups and SMEs” caters to the needs of enterprises and the program is expected to help the industry to solve their difficulties. Interested Hong Kong enterprises can contact the relevant professionals for details.

Since its establishment 22 years ago, ASTRI has provided different innovative technology software, hardware or technical support to various government departments, public organizations and many private enterprises in Hong Kong, contributing to the smooth enhancement or assistance in their development processes. With the industrialization of technology and the intellectualization of industries, a new era of competition in Hong Kong will emerge.

Some Selection from the SMEs items:

Cybersecurity awareness and benchmarking assessment
General cybersecurity awareness training for users of all walks of life covering from general IT users, technical employees to management level of IT professional to reduce cyber risk at human level.
General cybersecurity assessment and brief benchmarking covering from web, mobile applications, network, security architecture, cloud infrastructure for SMEs to have a clear visibility of cyber defense maturity.

ESG compliance analytics
Industry specific (e.g. financial, energy) ESG benchmarking report listing average or distribution of listed companies in different ESG metrics as well as the top performers in each metrics or category.
Based on SME’s own ESG metrics, its performance or status in the industry as compared to its peer companies will be reported, along with improvement suggestions. Helps SMEs generate reports automatically by filling in minimum required information.

Mixed language speech recognition & audio indexing
Based on client-supplied audio records as training data, help train a preliminary mixed language model supporting Cantonese, English and Mandarin for applications in specific industry domains such as insurance, media, telecom, banking and/or KOL.

Other items includings:

• Speech recognition & audio indexing
• Financial document analysis
• Smart OCR & document processing
• Behavior and emotion analysis for driving safety
• Smart indoor and outdoor Geographic Information System
• IoT technologies and device communications
• Retired battery screening solutions
• Eco-friendly power system
• Safe energy storage solutions
• Analog IC design for medical devices
• 3D Integration power electronics modules
• ASTRI AR Glass
• Wearable technologies
• Gantry Free Electronic Road Pricing
• ESD protection design consultancy
• Digital document processing
• DC solutions for energy saving and protection

[Hong Kong, 9 june 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the AI Chip Center for Emerging Smart Systems (ACCESS) signed a memorandum of understanding today to jointly promote the R&D and industrialization of AI Chips, with the aim of further promoting the development of AI chips in Hong Kong to the world’s cutting-edge level.

As the first research center under the Hong Kong government’s InnoHK Clusters initiative to formally establish a partnership with ASTRI, ACCESS will jointly develop emerging AI chip technology and hardware-accelerated AI technology, and promote the transformation of advanced technology into products with ASTRI by converging their R&D expertise. Currently, the two parties are embarking on the first research project collaboration, which focuses on advancing the application development of customised AI chips in the field of AI Internet of Things (AI-IoT).

ASTRI has been committed to promoting technological R&D in Hong Kong, and partnering with different institutions and companies in developing innovative technologies. ASTRI’s researchers have devoted themselves to the R&D of next-generation AI technology and the design and application of AI chips for a number of years. In collaboration with ACCESS, ASTRI can directly apply the results of basic research, and transfer AI chip technology and solutions to the industry through mid-stream applied research, helping the development of AI and Innovation and Technology (I&T) industries in Hong Kong, and enabling integrated circuit technology to sublime to another realm.

“One of the missions of ASTRI is to transfer professional technology and R&D to the industry to benefit the entire technological research industry in Hong Kong, and the promotion of this work is in line with the purpose of establishment of InnoHK. The first project has officially commenced since the establishment of the platform, bringing AI chip technology to different fields. I am very happy about this, and I look forward to R&D of different technologies among ASTRI, ACCESS, and other units in the future to bring more cutting-edge technologies to Hong Kong.” said Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI.

With an initial funding of HK$443.9 million from the Hong Kong government’s InnoHK, ACCESS was founded by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in collaboration on research with Stanford University, The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, sought to realize ubiquitous AI applications in society seeking to create AI chips that are much faster and more energy efficient than that of existing solutions.

“The Center has a world-leading team of interdisciplinary experts. Since its establishment more than a year ago, it has conducted a number of researches in the fields of applied hardware joint design, computing-in-memory, as well as smart sensors and AI-IoT and made technological breakthroughs. By establishing a long-term cooperation with ASTRI, we can leverage its technical foundation and industry channels in AI technology applied research and AI chip solutions to transform these international collaborative research results into AI products more quickly, thereby achieving an efficient I&T development model from basic research to application.” said Professor Tim Cheng, Vice-President for Research and Development of HKUST and Center Director of ACCESS.

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI（right）and said Professor Tim Cheng, Vice-President for Research and Development of HKUST and Center Director of ACCESS（left）signed a memorandum of understanding today to jointly promote the R&D and industrialization of AI Chips.

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the AI Chip Center for Emerging Smart Systems (ACCESS) signed a memorandum of understanding today to jointly promote the R&D and industrialization of AI Chips.

[Hong Kong, 29 April 2022] Rapid progress in scientific research technology has invigorated technical communication and collaboration in scientific research between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) Shenzhen office has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) to establish a joint laboratory over the next 5 years. It shall be utilised for research and development, as well as application of advanced semiconductors, next-generation communications and more. ASTRI will allocate RMB 5 million, initiate R&D projects, and provide relevant technological advice. This is ASTRI’s first collaboration with a university in the Greater Bay Area to manage a joint laboratory, which marks the beginning of comprehensive collaboration in R&D projects between Hong Kong and GBA.

ASTRI and SUSTech have signed a MoU recently to establish the SUSTech School of Microelectronics – ASTRI (Shenzhen) Joint Laboratory. ASTRI shall initiate R&D projects with funding and relevant technological advice; on the other hand, SUSTech shall provide more than 2,100 feet of laboratory space, 100 patents in electronic design automation, serial high-speed electric circuit inspection facilities, close to 13,000 feet of cleanroom laboratory space, and no fewer than 5 postgraduate students to participate in any joint laboratory project. Through these collaborative efforts, we hope to make a positive impact on nurturing of talents in scientific research, application of technology, and subsequent translation into substantial results across Hong Kong and GBA.

Following the launch of the new joint laboratory, ASTRI will immediately begin two projects in scientific research technology in collaboration with SUSTech from April 2022. ASTRI plans to devote HKD 1.5 million of its budget to research on 5G mmWave communication systems in the field of communications, as well as integrated circuits for power management and the relevant systems.

ASTRI plans to carry out different projects to support the government of the People’s Republic of China’s vision to develop the Greater Bay Area as an international innovation hub, which is outlined in the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan. It strives to develop more R&D projects in the Greater Bay Area, working with universities and research institutes in the region to produce substantial and applicable results. At the same time, it also hopes to attract and nurture talents, as well as develop more R&D resources.

ASTRI CEO Dr. Denis Yip says, “This collaboration between ASTRI and SUSTech marks the beginning of scientific research collaboration between Hong Kong and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. There will be a focus on promoting projects in the fields of integrated circuits and communication technologies. Through these collaborative efforts with universities and research institutes equipped with advanced technologies in the Greater Bay Area, we hope to attract and nurture talents as we strive to become an international innovation hub.

ASTRI CEO Dr. Denis Yip says, “This collaboration between ASTRI and SUSTech marks the beginning of scientific research collaboration between Hong Kong and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”

Dean of the School of Microelectronics of SUST, Professor Yu Hong Yu

The photo of SUST