Press Release

[Hong Kong, 23 February 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for R&D collaboration, involving leveraging the patented technologies and research strengths of both parties to develop impactful innovations. The two parties will also work jointly to commercialise their R&D deliverables in promoting Smart City development, bringing more positive impacts to various industries.

Under this MoU, intellectual properties (IPs) generated by R&D collaborations between ASTRI and HKUST will be jointly owned by both parties according to their respective Inventive Contributions. This marks the first time in Hong Kong that an applied research institute and a university have officially collaborated using this approach, setting an example in driving more cross-disciplinary R&D collaborations involving the sharing of technology transfers to advance the innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong and beyond.

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, said, “HKUST and ASTRI each have strong R&D capabilities, and both possess a large number of valuable patented technologies. We are looking forward to jointly creating even greater value through this new collaborative approach, while at the same time introducing a new paradigm to the I&T ecosystem. We are also pleased to be supporting the development of the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub.”

Prof. Nancy IP, Vice-President for Research and Development at HKUST said, “Over the years, HKUST and ASTRI have collaborated on several research fronts, with many bringing benefits to the society. We are delighted today to take our partnership to the next level. By further streamlining and strengthening our collaboration framework (e.g. new IP framework), we hope to facilitate and foster more and deeper collaboration among our researchers. Our strengthened partnership will not only further promote knowledge transfer and technology commercialisation, but will also inject impetus into Hong Kong and Mainland’s development in innovation and technology.”

Under the new arrangement, ASTRI and HKUST or its affiliates will proactively identify joint research opportunities leveraging IPs owned respectively by each organization and drive the commercialisation of such research deliverables. Potential areas for co-operation include, among others, research in advanced 5G applications, third-generation semiconductors, as well as the use of sensors for the sorting of waste.

While both organisations will complement each other across basic and applied research, ASTRI will further strengthen its role acting as a bridge between fundamental research and industry applications. Through the collaboration, both sides also aim at cultivating I&T talents, including young researchers and graduate students, providing them more opportunities to participate in R&D projects.

As of now, ASTRI owns around 900 patents in the Mainland, the US and other countries, and had transferred almost 800 technologies to the industry. Its applied research covers five technology domains, including AI and Big Data Analytics; Communications; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems; as well as IoT and Sensors. ASTRI is committed to creating technology innovations that solve business painpoints and improve operational efficiencies for organizations in both private and public sectors.

HKUST is committed to promoting technological innovation and knowledge transfer. In 2020/2021, HKUST has disclosed 176 inventions, filed 332 new patent applications and was granted 205 new patents. HKUST possesses around a thousand cumulative active granted patents in areas spanning biotechnology, robotics and autonomous systems, communication and information technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductor to advanced materials and sustainable technologies.

ASTRI and HKUST will continue to explore possibilities for similar collaborations with other R&D institutions and universities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, in support of building the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan.

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, and Prof. Nancy Ip, Vice-President for Research and Development at HKUST, sign a MoU on collaborating on new R&D projects by leveraging patented technologies from both parties.

(Top row; from left) ASTRI Strategy Director Ivan Lam, P.Eng. and CEO Dr. Denis Yip; HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development Prof. Nancy Ip and Professor from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering Prof. Fan Zhiyong; (Bottom row; from left) ASTRI Director in IoT and Sensors Technology Division Dr. Zhang Chun and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Lucas Hui; and HKUST Acting Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Transfer) Dr. Shin Cheul Kim and Head (Information and Communication Technologies ) of Technology Transfer Center Dr. Eric Leung attend the online MoU Signing Ceremony between ASTRI and HKUST.

[Hong Kong, 25 January 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has established the FinTech Future Leader Academy, with a programme designed exclusively for undergraduates in their second or third year, or postgraduates, in relevant disciplines including I&T and Business. The Academy offers young participants opportunities to get an in-depth look at FinTech development and gain insights into the FinTech industry by working as an intern in ASTRI. This will be supplemented by field visits to the programme’s nine supporting organisations, which include Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK), China Life (Overseas), Cyberport, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), IBM, Microsoft Hong Kong, and Ping An OneConnect Bank (PAOB).

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, said: “Demand for FinTech talent is surging across the world. We hope that the FinTech Future Leader Academy will give young people practical FinTech experience by enabling them to take part in innovative FinTech projects, and equip them with the skills they need to enhance their professionalism and employability. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our partners, who have played a pivotal role in the FinTech ecosystem. Their support will enable the young talents on the programme to gain multiple perspectives on FinTech and broaden their horizons. I believe the programme will help expand the FinTech talent pool in Hong Kong and drive FinTech development here under the ‘FinTech 2025’ strategy.”

Mr Rocky Cheng, General Manager, Information Technology of BOCHK, said: “FinTech in Hong Kong has been undergoing rapid development in recent years, with a wide application of Fintech in several major areas of financial businesses and regulatory compliance. ‘Innovation’ and ‘transformation’ are not only the important elements for enterprises to drive fintech development, but also the key for young talents to equip themselves for shaping the future. BOCHK fully supports the programme organised by ASTRI’s FinTech Future Leader Academy. We hope all the students can apply what they have learnt and showcase their talents in the future, so as to contribute to the development of FinTech in Hong Kong.”

China Life Insurance (Overseas) Company Limited spokesperson said: “China Life (Overseas) plays an active role in FinTech development and continuously driving innovation in business model through riding on the wave of digitalization and artificial intelligence. China Life (Overseas) fully supports the ‘FinTech Future Leader Academy’ internship programme, which encourages students to have a comprehensive understanding of the FinTech business through hands-on training, and map a route to digital future.”

Mr Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport said: “As the leading FinTech hub of Hong Kong, Cyberport is aware of the huge demand for talent in the FinTech sector from both financial institutions and start-ups. I am glad to see the ASTRI with its strong R&D expertise is offering university students opportunities to participate in FinTech projects through its Academy. It can build a solid foundation for them to join the industry.”

Dr Gabriel Leung, Managing Director, HPE, Hong Kong & Macau, said: “HPE is proud to be the supporting organisation for ASTRI’s FinTech Future Leader Academy. The programme will offer young talents to develop their technology skills and enhance their exposure to the FinTech community. We see the ASTRI as a like-minded partner for young technology talents is our future. It’s our pleasure to support the mission and be part of the programme to make it a success.”

Mr Nelson Chow, Chief Fintech Officer of the HKMA, said: “With fintech continuing to evolve at unprecedented speed, it is vital for Hong Kong to accelerate our talent development efforts to ensure that we have sufficient fintech professionals to drive the industry forward. Under our Fintech 2025 strategy, the HKMA continues to closely collaborate with various strategic partners to groom all-round fintech talent. We are very delighted to witness and support the launch of ASTRI FinTech Future Leadership Academy, which echoes our vision by equipping the financial services industry with more tech-enablers. Having established our long-standing rapport with ASTRI, we look forward to more future collaborations which will contribute to a thriving fintech sector for years to come.”

Mr Albert Wong, CEO at HKSTP, said: “FinTech is one of the key areas that HKSTP is striving to push forward. We are pleased to be one of the supporting organisations of ASTRI’s ’FinTech Future Leader Academy’, joining hands with other ecosystem partners to nurture the next generation of I&T leaders through providing comprehensive training to bright young talent. We believe talent is imperative to fuel I&T growth and Hong Kong as the world’s leading international financial centre needs to nurture more FinTech talent to propel innovations with technologies, and accelerate the development of FinTech in Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area and beyond.”
Ms Kitty Wong, General Manager, IBM Hong Kong, said: “We are delighted to participate in ASTRI‘s FinTech Future Leader Academy to help nurture talents in Hong Kong, which is crucial for the ‘FinTech 2025’ strategy and Hong Kong’s growth and development. IBM has been at the fore front of helping financial institutions in their digital transformation and providing FinTech companies with tools, technology and training programs to help them envision, build and monetize solutions. We are eager to share our insight and experience with these students, and provide inspiration for their careers in financial technology.”

Mr Fred Sheu, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Hong Kong, said: “Microsoft Hong Kong is committed to empowering our next generation with future-ready and digital skillsets to unleash their potential and be resilient in this constantly changing world. Through this meaningful collaboration with ASTRI, we hope to broaden young generations’ exposure by sharing our insights on the latest technology and inspire them to join the tech industry to continue empowering the city we live in to achieve more in the future.”

Mr Ryan Fung, Chief Executive of PAOB, said: “Fintech has brought numerous opportunities and innovative development of the financial services industry. Demand for fintech talents has been increasing at a fast pace. As the first virtual bank in Hong Kong to adopt Alternative Credit Scoring Model to achieve financial inclusion, PAOB is committed to promoting the development of fintech and nurturing talents in Hong Kong. The cooperation with ASTRI will allow us to share advice, insights and experiences with local undergraduates; and in turn support talent development and future growth of Hong Kong as an international financial centre.”

The programme is open for applications until March 14, 2022. Students selected for the programme will undertake an eight-week internship in ASTRI from June to August this year. They will be given the opportunity to participate in FinTech R&D projects, including conducting research on the issuance of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC); employing Federated Learning technology to promote alternative credit assessment; or applying Artificial Intelligence to the analysis of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reports. Throughout the internship, ASTRI experts will provide professional guidance and share their rich R&D experience. During the internship period, students will also undertake two-week field visits to well-known institutions that support the programme, where they will learn directly from industry professionals and have the opportunity to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of FinTech on society.

The programme is open to students majoring in Engineering, Technology, Science, Computer Science, and Business & Finance, who are aspiring to join the financial services industry; able to create technological solutions; creative, open-minded and visionary; and fluent in English.

Interested students may apply for the programme online: https://forms.office.com/r/YtmFBFrk32.

[Hong Kong, 25 January 2022] Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), announced today a number of development plans to align ASTRI with the vision of developing the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. These include plans for ASTRI to undertake more R&D projects in the GBA, cooperate with local universities and research institutes, attract and cultivate I&T talent, and expand its R&D resources in the GBA. In addition, ASTRI is looking to attract students from renowned universities overseas to take part in its internship programme and start their careers at ASTRI.

Dr Yip said, “ASTRI has an excellent R&D team with a mastery of cutting-edge technologies in various fields. On top of that, we are looking to further leverage the advantages of the GBA, which include its rich resources and its huge market for technology applications, as well as input from R&D professionals from the mainland and the rest of the world. These are advantages that will enable us to make more I&T breakthroughs and have an even greater social impact, while supporting the 14th Five-Year Plan and contributing to the development of Hong Kong and the country.”

Since taking up the post of ASTRI CEO in October last year, Dr Yip has worked closely with his team to formulate plans and commence preparation work for expanding ASTRI’s I&T footprint in the GBA. The new development strategies include:

• Expanding activities in the mainland
  ASTRI will expand its activities in the mainland, and is consider establishing a presence in the Shenzhen Branch of the Hong Kong Science Park in Futian and the Lok Ma Chau Loop, as a way of strengthening its collaboration with ecosystem stakeholders and industry partners.
• Cooperating with local universities
  ASTRI will seek to cooperate with key universities in the GBA, as well as with the mainland campuses and research institutes of Hong Kong universities in the area.
  ASTRI is currently negotiating with the School of Microelectronics of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen on establishing a joint laboratory. The lab, which should be established in the next few months, will conduct research on leading technologies such as advanced semiconductors, 5G communications, and intelligent manufacturing.
• Developing R&D projects
  ASTRI will develop more R&D projects in the GBA with the aim of boosting technology transfer through Government-Industry-University-Research cooperation. In the first stage, priority will be given to R&D projects in integrated circuits and communications technology, and subsequently to projects in IoT and Sensors, FinTech, and artificial intelligence and big data.
• Expanding R&D resources
  ASTRI will apply for R&D funding available to applicants from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau that is offered by the state or by provincial and municipal governments, as well as for funding available in the GBA area. ASTRI will also continue to strengthen its collaborations with enterprise clients to expand its R&D resources.
• Attracting and cultivating talent
  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 talent, ASTRI will engage postgraduate students in the GBA to participate in R&D by cooperating with universities and research institutes in the area.

ASTRI is also approaching a number of world-renowned universities to promote job opportunities at ASTRI to their students. These opportunities include ASTRI’s Summer Internship Programme for undergraduates, its newly launched Fintech Future Leaders Academy internship programme, and job positions for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree graduates.

ASTRI has received consent from a number of prominent universities to make relevant outreach arrangements. They include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California—Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, and others. The University of Chicago will also sponsor up to five undergraduate students to participate in ASTRI’s summer internships this year.

Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, announces a number of development plans to align ASTRI with the vision of developing the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan.

[Hong Kong, 3 January 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Research Technology Institute (ASTRI) successfully held the first “Advanced Semiconductor Innovation and Development Conference”. Under the theme ” The Power of Greater Bay”, the Conference brought together well-known experts online to discuss ways of fostering R&D collaborations and new applications of advanced semiconductors in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, with a view to developing the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international Innovation and Technology (I&T) hub. Nearly 2,400 industry participants from Hong Kong and the Mainland signed up for the Conference. 

In his congratulatory speech to the Conference, Mr Cao Jianlin, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology and now Director of Jihua Laboratory, noted that the GBA is the region with the highest volume of chip sales in China and indeed in the world. Given the chip shortage, many cities in mainland China have increased their investment in the semiconductor industry. He added, “I sincerely hope that today’s Conference participants will engage in in-depth exchanges of views, enabling them to forge consensus, deepen cooperation, contribute ideas and make concrete plans for advancing the semiconductor industry in the GBA.”

Mr Alfred Sit, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government, noted in his congratulatory speech that advanced semiconductors are core electronic components supporting innovative technology developments in fields such as mobile communications, new energy vehicles and rail transit, therefore making this an important technology that countries all over the world are competing hard to excel. He said, “It is essential to enhance the semiconductor industrial chain in the GBA to facilitate product development and inspire more new technologies and more new products in support of national technology advancement. Achieving this will rely on active discussion and cooperation among stakeholders.”

In his speech, Mr Liu Maozhou, Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR, said, “The GBA represents a huge market for advanced semiconductor end-use applications. Hong Kong can take advantage of its proximity to mainland China and seize opportunities to lead in terms of key technologies and cutting-edge basic research. It can also leverage support from various National Key Research and Development Programs to develop innovations that serve the needs of enterprises and contribute to the close integration of different sectors of the industrial chain.”

In his welcoming remarks, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, congratulated ASTRI for its R&D achievements regarding third-generation semiconductors, including its contributions to an innovation project that obtained a First-class Prize of the “2020 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award”. He said, “ASTRI will continue to pursue success by forging ahead to seize opportunities brought by China’s development, while also contributing to the construction of an international I&T hub in the GBA.”

Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, said in his opening remarks: “ASTRI will actively complement the National 14th Five-Year Plan, leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths to fully participate in the I&T development of the GBA and help meet the country’s needs. The goal of this Conference is to bring together partners from various spheres in order to strengthen collaboration among I&T players in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and help in developing GBA into a global I&T hub.”

This online Conference received nearly 2,400 registrations, and enjoyed a high attendance rate. In addition to attracting officials from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, it also brought together many stakeholders from the semiconductor industry in Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as members of academia and students. 

Speakers enthusiastically shared their thoughts at the Conference. Under the 14th Five-Year Plan, China’s third-generation semiconductor industry is developing rapidly. Given the strong basic research capabilities of universities in Hong Kong, and ASTRI’s large third-generation semiconductor research team (the largest in Hong Kong) with its mastery of cutting-edge chip design technology, Hong Kong is expected to play an important role in the development of the industry in the GBA. 

The city also aims to attract more leading overseas experts and talent, and strengthen collaborations with overseas researchers, enterprises and universities, which will help it to drive innovative R&D work, attract R&D funding, and strengthen its role as a bridge between the mainland and the rest of the world.

The Conference, successfully held on 10 December 2021, was organised by ASTRI, Jihua Laboratory and the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Center, and supported by many other organisations.

[Hong Kong, 9 December 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) have been jointly awarded the 2021 Communications Association of Hong Kong (CAHK) STAR Award “Best 5G Application” Bronze Award for their jointly developed cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) solution. ASTRI launched a 14km public road test on its C-V2X solution in Shatin this March. The road test leveraged HKT’s 5G technologies enabling ultra-low latency transmissions of real-time traffic information to lay an important foundation for Smart Mobility, while enhancing road safety and traffic efficiency.

Dr Denis Yip, CEO at ASTRI, commented: “ASTRI is an active participant in the HK SAR Government’s Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint 2.0. In particular, we have been promoting Smart Mobility by developing this C-V2X solution. I would like to express my appreciation for the R&D team’s tireless efforts and HKT’s close collaboration, which resulted in one of the world’s largest C-V2X public road tests. We will continue to help enhance citizens’ experience in all areas of life through technological innovations.”

Mr. Tom Chan, Managing Director of Commercial Group, HKT, said, “Backing up C-V2X with 5G technology, we have achieved an important milestone for Hong Kong, helping it to become a smart city and with smart mobility.  The collaboration will definitely help to improve transportation efficiency, reduce traffic accidents, alleviate congestion and further improve road safety. Our goal is for citizens to feel the benefits brought by smart city developments and innovative technologies in their daily lives.”

Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President, Communications Technologies at ASTRI, noted that ASTRI has been striving to advance C-V2X technologies, and is now actively preparing to develop a Connected Autonomous Vehicle system. He said, “We are planning to combine C-V2X and autonomous driving technologies to assist autonomous vehicles in detecting hidden dangers for improving road safety, paving the way for the popularisation of autonomous driving.”

ASTRI developed the C-V2X system with support from the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Transport Department. The system makes possible real-time communication between vehicles and pedestrians, road-side infrastructure, networks and other vehicles. Road condition information and warnings can be generated instantly to provide drivers with alerts, thereby enhancing road safety and assisting in better driving. C-V2X technology can also be applied to real-time traffic monitoring, incident management, and route planning to improve efficiency in these areas. 

The C-V2X road test in Shatin leveraged HKT’s 5G Standalone (SA) network to ensure the highly reliable transmission of real-time traffic information, due to 5G’s super low latency. Critical applications in the system requiring these features include forward collision warnings as well as blind spot and lane change warnings. This was the first time that C-V2X and 5G SA technology had been used for a vertical industry application, and the trial was a success.

In addition to the smooth completion of the first phase of the C-V2X road test in Shatin, the perceptive technology and high-precision positioning technology developed by ASTRI for C-V2X has also been licenced to an ASTRI partner and made available for deployment in several cities.

ENDS

Dr Denis Yip (middle) and Dr Henry Wong, Head of Wireless Strategic Development, Commercial Group, HKT (left), receive the 2021 CAHK STAR Award “Best 5G Application” Bronze Award at the award presentation ceremony held yesterday.

[Hong Kong, 30 November 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has won a Smart Living (Smart Home) Silver Award for its Power Supply System for Carbon Neutral Buildings at the Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards (ICT Awards) 2021. ASTRI also won a Smart People (Smart Education and Learning) Certificate of Merit with education technology firm Bridge AI Ltd. for a jointly-developed Integrated Intelligent Intervention (3i)-Learning System.

ASTRI Chairman Ir Sunny Lee, JP and CEO Dr Denis Yip hailed the award recipients at the ICT Awards 2021 Awards Presentation Ceremony, held yesterday.

Dr Yip said how pleased he was with the achievements of the ASTRI teams, and thanked the R&D professionals for their efforts. He continued, “They have shown how, by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, ASTRI is helping to transform Hong Kong into a sustainable smart city, assisting the development of the industrial and commercial sectors, and improving citizens’ quality of life. We are also proactively seizing opportunities arising under the “14th Five-Year Plan”, and supporting the government’s vision of developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre.”

Utilising third-generation semiconductor technologies, ASTRI’s Power Supply System for Carbon Neutral Buildings enables buildings to be powered by Direct Current (DC) instead of Alternating Current (AC), reducing electricity usage by 15% to 20%.

Currently, buildings in Hong Kong are powered by AC, with this accounting for about 65% of Hong Kong’s total energy consumption. Dr River Li, ASTRI’s Deputy Director of Smart Power and Energy Systems, Integrated Circuits Systems, and his team developed a high-efficiency power converter and a digital DC circuit breaker to allow electrical equipment (including household and commercial electrical appliances) to be powered by DC efficiently and safely. 

This system has been applied to a conference room in the premises of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. A power equipment manufacturer in Mainland China has also introduced this technology for property developers wishing to adopt a DC power solution for their properties.

Dr Li noted, “Using DC power is a major trend in the development of smart cities. We will proactively promote this innovation with a view to contributing to reducing carbon emissions in Hong Kong and the Mainland.”

ASTRI’s other award-winning innovation, the Integrated Intelligent Intervention (3i)-Learning System, creates tailored individualised education programmes and provides behavioural therapies for students with special educational needs (SEN). It combines Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (AIoT) to analyse students’ performances, along with physiological data (such as students’ heartbeat rate) and data on the classroom environment (such as temperature and humidity). The system assesses the students’ learning progress, and makes this information available for teachers and therapists.

Mr Andrew Sze, ASTRI’s Senior Manager of Intelligent Cognitive System, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, and leader of the R&D team that developed the system, said, “This system means teachers and parents can support SEN students’ training at school and at home, relieving the therapists’ heavy workload. It also allows students to continue their training even if they cannot return to school due to the pandemic.”

Mr Victor Wong, CEO of Bridge AI, commented, “Two special schools have already introduced this system. That number will increase to at least nine in the next school year. A community centre has also adopted it, benefiting grass-roots families. We will continue to promote the system, in the hope that more and more SEN students will be able to benefit from it.”

The ASTRI R&D team members involved in developing the Power Supply System for Carbon Neutral Building are Victor Cheung, Li Qingchun, Terence Lau, Li Xin, Andy Yeung and Katrina Lam. 

The team members involved in devising the Integrated Intelligent Intervention (3i)-Learning System are Steven Wong, Eric Cheung and Liu Huan.

The system developed by Dr River Li’s team consists of a cutting-edge digital DC circuit breaker (which he is holding) and a high-efficiency power converter.

Mr Andrew Sze (left) and Mr Victor Wong (right) hope more SEN students can benefit from the intelligent learning system. 

Ir Sunny Lee, JP and Dr Denis Yip (front row; 3rd and 4th from left) hail the award recipients at the ICT Awards 2021 Awards Presentation Ceremony.

[HONG KONG, 17 November 2021] – CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), is entering a new phase in its partnership with Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) for using AI and augmented reality (AR) innovation to create unprecedented value and enable exceptional experience in different industries and markets. In this phase, CITIC Telecom CPC will combine its algorithm expertise and AI intelligent strength with ASTRI’s AR innovation capabilities to propel the ICT industry forward by exploring new industry use cases with AI/AR integrated solutions that are ready for commercialization.

“Fostering a culture of innovation and embracing intelligence are our core values and are essential to our future success.  As a leading intelligent Technology-driven ICT enabler, CITIC Telecom CPC is enthusiastic about advancing AI-AR technologies with ASTRI and leveraging collaborations and sound technological exchanges to pursue innovative and practical applications. We are delighted to have this partnership with ASTRI again, which perfectly complements our mission ‘Innovation Never Stops’ and embraces our latest ICT-MiiND Strategy,” said Mr. Esmond Li, CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC. 

Phase 1 – Expand Beyond Possibilities With AR

CITIC Telecom CPC entered a partnership with ASTRI in June 2019 to explore digitalization and AR to enhance industries’ competitiveness and contribute to the ICT community. The partnership led to the successful launch of AR Remote Hand Solution in September 2020 that boosted field service productivity by up to 50%. The enhanced AR-based vision allowed field engineers to access vital information at data centers and enabled seamless collaboration between frontline and back-end teams to complete maintenance tasks. The solution also demonstrated how companies could facilitate remote work strategies during the pandemic using AR technologies.     

“To have sustainable traction in intelligent and innovative technologies development, we need an integrated ecosystem approach and strong partnership with stakeholders in various sectors and industries. ASTRI’s continuing collaboration with CITIC Telecom CPC will lead to a meaningful exchange of innovative R&D, technologies, knowledge, and insights, which will ultimately increase operational efficiencies of the industries, uplift user experience, and create value to the community. As a technology enabler, ASTRI is confident that this collaboration will result in a win-win outcome by creating viable commercial applications that benefit different industries,” said Dr. Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI. 

Phase 2 – Combined AI & AR Capabilities to Unlock More Values

In Phase 2, CITIC Telecom CPC and ASTRI will take a significant leap forward to create unprecedented value by integrating AI & AR capabilities.  ASTRI will provide the software platform and customization, while CITIC Telecom CPC’s team will build an innovative Machine Learning model by integrating virtual, big data, AI, and physical data into the heads-up display of the AR Glasses.  The key features include:

• Data Visualization – Computer vision techniques and machine-learning algorithms enhanced data integration will provide the remote workforce with 2D and 3D diagrams for better data visualization. Users can use AR glasses to detect, identify, locate, and track objects positioning and project holograms of technical manuals, analytical figures, or even instructions onto the heads-up display to analyze trends or issues for quicker response. 
• Cognitive Object Recognition – The AI-AR integrated service will use Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), which runs using CITIC Telecom CPC’s algorithm and solution to improve object mapping accuracy. Using AR glasses, users can easily define the correlation between different objects. The AR glasses can further improve workplace safety by projecting the physical (path) and logical relations onto the reality in the form of digital maps, 3D models and virtual information.
• Middleware Enhancement – Both organizations will develop middleware for AR glasses, empowering customers to work with different AR headsets such as HoloLens and Android-based headsets.

Integrating the core competence and expertise of ASTRI and CITIC Telecom CPC’s extensive global knowledge, regional coverage, local service capabilities, a broad portfolio of leading-edge technologies, and experience in third-party integration will offer crucial benefits during commercialization by exploring new use cases for a range of industrial applications. Bringing business values in multiple scenarios, such as:    

• AI-AR Remote Hands for Seamless Collaboration From a Distance
• Streamlining maintenance and inspection for Utilities – The AI-AR integrated service will provide field workers with better computer vision capabilities. Field users can access manuals and analyzed data or graphs for maintenance using the AR glasses while receiving immediate alerts of any wrong steps.  The 5G-enabled cloud connectivity can enable supervisors to guide field users during installation and maintenance verbally.   
• Computer Vision and Cognitive Analytics Solutions for Better Decision Making
• Business Operations planning (e.g., Supply Chain Management) – The integrated service can provide workers with extra information during operations. The frontline staff can use data visualizations and object mapping to identify goods quickly and accurately for loading and unloading.
• Predictive Customer Experience for Maximizing Customer Value
• Enhancing customer services experience in all industries – AI and AR allow companies to use predictive and prescriptive data to understand what customers want before they know themselves, delivering exceptional customer experiences. 

Extending the ICT-MiiND Strategy and Creating an Innovative and Intelligent Ecosystem of the Future

AI-AR integration in Phase 2 solidifies CITIC Telecom CPC’s ICT-MiiND Strategy built on two components: intelligence and innovation.  The strategy creates an “empowerment ecosystem” that translates technical potential into business value for customers. Through ICT-MiiND, CITIC Telecom CPC is truly transforming into a proactive technology-driven digitalization enabler that can help enterprises successfully transform.

The ICT-MiiND Strategy integrates a full stack of services data into the ICT service platform, strengthening the “intelligence” component through advanced container technology and AIOps modules. Meanwhile, ASTRI enhances the “innovation” component by adding their R&D capabilities and expertise. 

“Our team of data science and analytics experts develop a wide range of research projects grounded in our years of ICT experience and deep understanding of industry use cases. We believe that our strong partnership with ASTRI, together with the development of new technologies, such as AI, AR, blockchain, 5G, IoT and cloud, will ensure that we will continue to find innovative and intelligent ways of helping enterprises to reap the benefits of digital transformation,” said Mr Daniel Kwong, CIIO of CITIC Telecom CPC.

Mr. Esmond Li, CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC (left), and Dr. Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI (right), joint hands to announce a new phase of collaboration to use AI and augmented reality (AR) innovation to create unprecedented value and enable exceptional experience for different industries and markets.

[Hong Kong, 4 November 2021] A R&D project in which the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) played an important part, titled “Key Technology and Complete Set of Processes for High Density and High Reliability Electronic Packaging”, has won a First-class Prize of the 2020 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. This national-level award is the highest honour ever obtained by an R&D institution associated with the Hong Kong SAR Government in the field of electronic packaging. It was presented at the 2020 State Science and Technology Awards Conference, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 3 November 2021. 

ASTRI has been collaborating for several years with the mainland government, industry players, academia and the application sector. The award recognises ASTRI’s success in developing high-density and high-reliability electronic packaging technology and promoting the rapid development of China’s electronics manufacturing industry.

More generally, the award reflects the dedicated efforts of ASTRI’s Integrated Circuits and Systems technology division in advancing electronic packaging technologies, and its significant achievements in research, product development, patent application and management, and technology commercialisation in this field. 

Dr Daniel Shi, Senior Director of Integrated Circuits and Systems at ASTRI, was one of the main contributors to the project. Together with collaborators Dr Sun Yaofen and Dr Xie Bin, Dr Shi developed the patented innovation “Method For Optimizing Electrodeposition Process Of A Plurality Of Vias In Wafer” which was an essential part of the award-winning project.

Prompted by the award, the ASTRI team will strive to play an even greater part in this area in the future. It will also look to further contribute to building an international I&T hub in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) by seizing opportunities brought by the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the GBA.  

The State Scientific and Technological Progress Award is China’s most important award in the field, recognising individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology. In 2020, category awards under the State Science and Technology Awards granted include: the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award, 46 State Natural Science Awards, 61 State Technological Invention Awards, and 157 State Scientific and Technological Progress Awards.

Researchers of the award-winning innovation: (from left) Dr Sun Yaofen, Dr Daniel Shi, Dr Xie Bin and Dr Gao Ziyang.

[Hong Kong, 18 October 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) joins forces with tech-embracing companies to leverage a privacy-preserving technology, called “Federated Learning”, to develop artificial intelligence (AI) models and output in the form of encrypted parameters that serve as a reference for financial institutions to conduct comprehensive credit analyses for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to help them get access to financing. ASTRI’s partners are Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited; Ping An OneConnect Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (Ping An OneConnect Bank or PAOB), the first virtual bank serving MSMEs in Hong Kong; OpenRice, a Hong Kong restaurant guide and review platform; and FreightAmigo, a logistics and freight pricing platform.

Unlike traditional machine-learning methods, Federated Learning does not require data to be transferred directly to a central database, thus protecting privacy and mitigating the risk of data security breaches. Data partners and financial institutions can establish common credit evaluation models by combining their encrypted parameters. During the process, the collaborators do not have access to any consumer personal data, nor are the identities of the enterprises identified. Only when an enterprise applies for financing and is undergoing authorisation can the designated financial institution obtain the relevant parameters and conduct a credit evaluation.

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, said: “ASTRI develops and leverages innovative technologies. We leverage the Federated Learning technology to provide alternative data for credit assessment, while protecting privacy and data security to help financial institutions reduce the cost of vetting and approving loans for MSMEs and help enterprises get financing. We look forward to collaborating with more organisations to promote the implementation of open data. The Federated Learning technology will also effectively promote the development of other Fintech applications and support the government’s efforts to drive smart city transformation.”

Ms Winnie Tung, Head of Business Banking, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, said, “Standard Chartered has always been actively driving innovations and digitisation to enhance our capability to serve our clients. The Federated Learning technology enables us to evaluate the financing needs and the health of SMEs from a new perspective, while ensuring our clients’ data privacy is well protected. Our business clients no longer need to go through the time-consuming process of providing many financial reports to get banking facilities. The streamlined process makes financing solutions more accessible to our clients. We will continue our efforts to make innovation and client-centricity part of our business ethos.”

Ms Mabel Chu, Deputy Chief Executive of PAOB, said, “As a pioneer in the virtual banking sector servicing SMEs, PAOB is the first virtual bank in town adopting alternative credit scoring as the foundation for credit assessment, and leveraging financial technology and strategic partnerships with various business partners to close the service gaps in SME banking. We look forward to our strategic collaboration with ASTRI in this Federal Learning exercise. With the AI models, we can access our customers’ comprehensive operational data in real time to help realise financial inclusion by expediting loan approvals and meeting the financing needs of SMEs.”

Mr Joe Yau, CEO and Acting CTO of OpenRice Limited, said, “OpenRice is the most popular food dining platform in Hong Kong, accumulating 10 trillion data units every year, including restaurant distribution and categories, business performance, and social media data sharing. With the strong level of personal data protection, we expect to use Big Data and Federated Learning to train AI models and develop professional industry parameters to make credit applications from small and medium-sized restaurant partners faster and easier to quickly meet their operational needs.”

Ms Ivy Tse, Co-founder and Director of FreightAmigo, said, “As a pioneer of one-stop supply-chain finance eMarketPlace in Asia, FreightAmigo integrates complex logistics industry data in real time through innovative technologies to simplify operations in the supply chain industry. FreightAmigo is collaborating with ASTRI, using the Federated Learning technology to strictly protect privacy. The massive data on the platform is used to train AI models to help to build industry parameters, which helps SMEs apply for trade financing and credit with ease, and effectively addresses their financing needs. It coincides with the mission of FreightAmigo — ‘Dedicating to the advancement of the logistics and financial industry with technologies’. Our ultimate goal is to “make trade easier”.

As data partners, OpenRice and FreightAmigo will leverage big data, including various restaurant popularity metrics, the transaction status of consignment merchants, and business operation status, to identify the elements affecting the credit risks of enterprises from alternative data by using AI and Federated Learning. Through this, a model will be trained to derive parameters to assist credit scoring. No information about the enterprises will be transferred from the data partners to other institutions.

With the authorisation of the enterprises applying for loans, Standard Chartered and PAOB can refer to data providers’ assessments of an enterprise’s competitiveness in its industry and its credits status, which is determined using the enterprise’s operation parameters through the model developed to process an MSME loan application.

During the loan-approval process, financial institutions will be able to make more reliable credit assessments based on the projections of their own credit evaluation models and the assessments of their data partners. The first phase of the models developed using Federated Learning is expected to be in use within 12 months.

At the end of 2020, commissioned by Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), ASTRI published a white paper titled “Alternative Credit Scoring of Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises”, which outlines how FinTech can be adopted to utilise alternative data to evaluate borrowers’ creditworthiness. ASTRI collaborated with financial institutions and data partners to implement the white paper and adopt Federated Learning to protect privacy.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data issued “Guidance on the Ethical Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence” a month ago. It also recommends that organisations adopt Federated Learning to train AI models to avoid unnecessary sharing of training data from different sources.

“The Protecting Privacy in Practice” report, published by the Royal Society in 2019, points out that Federated Learning is an emerging practice for training machine-learning models to protect privacy.

END

Captions:

(From left, front row) Ms Winnie Tung, Head of Business Banking of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited; Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI; Ms Mabel Chu, Deputy Chief Executive of PAOB; (From left, back row) Mr Joe Yau, CEO and Acting CTO of OpenRice Limited; and Ms Ivy Tse, Co-founder and Director of FreightAmigo.

(From left) Mr Joe Yau, CEO and Acting CTO of OpenRice Limited; Ms Winnie Tung, Head of Business Banking of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited; Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI; Ms Mabel Chu, Deputy Chief Executive of PAOB; Ms Ivy Tse, Co-founder and Director of FreightAmigo.