Press Release

Dr Yuen Chun Hung, Joe (9^th from the right), Instructor I, Department of Computer Science, led a delegation from the City University of Hong Kong to visit ASTRI on 17 May 2017. They met Dr Duncan Wong (9^th from the left), Vice President, Financial Technologies; Ms Charlene Choo (7^th from the left), Head of Talent Acquisition; Ms Kate Lam (6^th from the left), Manager of Talent Acquisition and other R&D experts to understand more about ASTRI and view live demonstrations on Blockchain and cybersecurity projects.

Mr Tang Bin (6th from left of the second row), Co-Head of Systems & Information Technology Department, ICBC, led around 30 delegates to visit ASTRI on 11 May 2017 and discussed with Dr Frank Tong (7th from left of the second row) regarding the development of Financial Technologies in ASTRI. They also understood more about various R&D projects in ASTRI, including Big Data Analytics, Smart Investment Platform, Blockchain, Cybersecurity etc.

Mr Yang Jun (6^th from the left) , Deputy Director-General of Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, led the delegation to visit ASTRI on 9 May 2017 and met Dr Frank Tong (7^th from the left), CEO of ASTRI; Dr MeiKei Ieong (7^th from the right), Chief Technology Officer; Dr Justin Chuang (5^th from the left), VP, Next Generation Network; Dr James Lei (4^th from the right), Acting Director, Intelligent Software and Systems and other R&D experts from ASTRI. They also visited various R&D labs and experienced the demonstrations, including Cyber Range, ASTRI Security Lab, Next Generation Network lab etc.

 

R&D expert demonstrates at Next Generation Network Lab

 

Mr Liu Hei Wan, who chairs the Boards of Directors of Transportes Urbanos de Macau (Transmac) and also Macau Pass SARL, visited ASTRI on 8 May 2017. Welcomed to the Institute by its Chief Technology Officer Dr MeiKei Ieong, Mr Liu attended a briefing session on the overview of ASTRI’s R&D endeavours, smart city technologies, and cybersecurity initiatives. Macau Pass is the most widely used contactless payment card system in the SAR.

In the picture (from left to right): Mr Dennis Lee Siu-fai – Director, ASTRI; Dr Meikei Ieong; Mr Liu Hei Wan; Dr Edward Lor Kar-wing, Deputy Director, ASTRI; and Mr David Lao Kin-keong, Executive Deputy General Manager, Macau Pass SARL.

Over 20 journalists from Hong Kong-based print and electronic media took part in a briefing session by Mr Wong Ming-Yam, BBS, JP – ASTRI Chairman and Dr Frank Tong Fuk-kay – ASTRI CEO. The session was meant to facilitate exchange of opinions, insights and updates on what the Institute has achieved over the past decade and what the journey ahead looks like.

 

Mr Wong talked about ASTRI’s accomplishments over the past decade and cited the many successful R&D projects, industry collaborations, and technology transfers. ASTRI has successfully patented over 710 technologies and solutions in the US, Mainland China and other jurisdictions during this period. In the 12 months of 2016-2017, ASTRI had over 60 technologies transferred to different industries and was granted 59 new patents. Mr Wong reiterated the core purpose of ASTRI’s existence – to collaborate with different stakeholders across the industry value chain in Hong Kong and beyond, and to develop innovative technologies that enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and improve the livelihoods of people.

 

Dr Frank Tong discussed ASTRI’s initiatives in FinTech, Smart City and Next Generation Network with details about various projects. He summarised how, using the power of ICT, ASTRI is bolstering Hong Kong’s global and regional leadership by helping organisations in public and private sectors alike. He focused on Blockchain, Cybersecurity, big data analytics as well as Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing as the four pillars of ASTRI’s FinTech strategy. Citing examples like partnerships with the regulators including HKMA and Bank of Thailand; and major players like HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong); and academic institutions like the Chinese University of Hong Kong and University of Hong Kong, he discussed how ASTRI is helping to position the city as a premier, global FinTech hub. “With the right talent, adequate investment, and befitting infrastructure, Hong Kong can open a new chapter of growth and development through advanced applications of science and technology,” he suggested.

 

Dr Tong also talked about projects like smart parking and indoor navigation for ‘Energising East Kowloon’; and the recently launched smart mobility consortium where ASTRI partnered with HKT, Qualcomm and Huawei. Advanced communication technologies like 4G and 5G are being leveraged to support organisations in Hong Kong and the Mainland – collaborations with Hong Kong International Airport and Wuhan Metro are two such examples.

 

Talking about the future, Dr Tong identified FinTech, Smart City, and related advanced communication technologies as thrust areas for ASTRI for the next three years. At the heart of everything, he added, would be grooming and nurturing Hong Kong’s technology talents. Equally important, in his opinion, will be leveraging opportunities like Belt and Road and South China Greater Bay Area initiatives.

 

ASTRI’s R&D experts demonstrated practical applications using Blockchain, big data analytics, and smart mobility platform. Mr Wong and Dr Tong answered questions from the journalists and discussed different topics raised by the audience.

 

 

ASTRI Chairman Mr Wong Min-yam and CEO Dr Frank Tong take questions from the audience

 

ASTRI Chairman Mr Wong Min-yam talks about ASTRI’s past work and the road ahead

 

ASTRI CEO Dr Frank Tong introduces ASTRI’s initiatives to journalists

 

ASTRI CEO Dr Frank Tong speaks to the invited journalists

 

 

ASTRI’s Chairman, CEO attend the Media Luncheon

 

Signalling systems are not seen or felt by commuters on mass transit railways – especially when the network runs mostly underground. A recent news in the New York Times reported that the signalling system of the city’s famous subway network – one of the oldest and largest in the world – will go through a massive round of modernisation. In the absence of a modern signalling system, New York’s subway operations have been plagued by delays and inconsistencies. The city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said “modernising the signals is the top priority for us at the moment”.

 

Signal systems are the hidden, unglamorous backbone of any mass transit system – enabling trains to move down the tracks safely and reliably. Last year, ASTRI successfully leveraged commercial-grade TD-LTE technologies to build a Communication-based Train Control (CBTC) system for the Metro Network in the Mainland city of Wuhan. This advanced signalling system has already been deployed at the Wuhan Metro Line 6, making it the first LTE-based subway signalling system in the country.

 

With ASTRI’s advanced communications technologies including TD-LTE small cell, core network/ Evolved Packet Core (EPC), and small cell management system, it can optimise the CBTC signalling system design for railways. The solution supports assured mobility in high speed and achieves low latency within 300ms round-trip-delay. Status and performance of the small cells can be monitored in real time. Compared to the conventional railway communication network systems, ASTRI’s CBTC greatly reduces signal interference and shortens the signal communication between the trains and control centre.

 

Most of New York’s subway system relies on antiquated technology, known as ‘block signalling’, to coordinate the movement of carriages. A modern CBTC system is more dependable and exact, making it possible to reduce the amount of space between trains. A computerised signal system like CBTC is also safer because trains can be stopped automatically in the event of an emergency. As New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans a signal upgrade, it could consider a state-of-the-art solution like the CBTC which enhances the safety, reliability and efficiency of subway operations, eases overcrowding, and minimises train delays.

“Innovation and Technology” has been identified as one of the Six Industries to be able to grant Hong Kong greater advantages and potential in sustainable development. Investment in youth education plays a crucial role to that end. To acknowledge the importance of investing in the youth of Hong Kong, the Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission, HSBC and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKYFG) jointly introduced the Innovation and Technology Scholarship Award Scheme in 2011 for the young talents.

 

The Award Presentation Ceremony of the 2017 Innovation and Technology Scholarship Award Scheme took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 25 April 2017. 25 outstanding local undergraduates have received their certificates.

 

The event was attended by distinguished guests including Mr Nicholas W Yang, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology; Mr Bernard Chan, GBS, JP, Member of the Hong Kong SAR Executive Council and Chairman of the Awardee Selection Committee; Mr Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of the ASTRI Board of Directors; Mr Raymond Cheng, Group General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Asia Pacific; Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government and Board Director of ASTRI; and Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP, Executive Director of HKYFG.

 

Other than a scholarship of up to HK$150,000 support to each awardee for Overseas/Mainland Attachment Programme, they will also participate in the Mentorship Programme, Service Projects and Optional Local Internship, in the coming months.

 

The aim of this Scheme is to offer outstanding undergraduates of Hong Kong the opportunity to widen their international exposure, gaining industry experience, and nurture their passion and commitment toward science and technology.

 

The winning students with a group of distinguished guests including (From left to right of the first row) Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government and Board Director of ASTRI; Prof Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, Dean of Science, The Morningside Professor of Life Science, and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and former Board Director of ASTRI; Mr Willy Lin Sun-mo, SBS, JP, Chairman of Hong Kong Productivity Council; Dr Davy Lo Kwok-wai, Board Director of ASTRI;  Mr Liu Zhi-ming, the Deputy Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Dr David Chung Wai-keung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology Bureau of the HKSAR Government; Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, GBS, JP, Membership of Executive Council of the HKSAR Government; Mr Nicholas W Yang, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government;  Mr Raymond Cheng, Group General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Asia Pacific; Hon Charles Peter Mok, JP, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR Government; Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP, Executive Director of HKYFG; Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, JP Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Innovation and Technology Bureau of the HKSAR Government and former Board Director of ASTRI; Prof Timothy Tong, JP, President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Mr Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of the ASTRI Board of Directors and Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping, BBS, JP, Co-founder; former Executive Director of Techtronic Industries Company Limited and former Board Director of ASTRI; and Dr Frank Tong (4th from right of the 2nd row) CEO of ASTRI, attended the ceremony.

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Institute (ASTRI) plays an instrumental role in cybersecurity development in the city. Together with the Hong Kong Police Force the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), ASTRI has created a few state-of-the-art facilities to groom and train cybersecurity professionals. One of these, the Cyber Range, is the very first of its kind in Hong Kong. It trains local cybersecurity professionals and practitioners including police officers dedicated to fight cyber-crimes. The facility uses an ‘attack and defence’ simulation model to equip its trainees with adequate skills. Oriental Daily spoke to Dr Frank Tong, CEO of ASTRI and Dr Duncan Wong, Vice President (Financial Technologies), in a series of interviews, talking about latest developments in the field of cybersecurity.

 

The first interview (available in Chinese only) describes how the Cyber Range imparts training to deter and defend hacker attacks. The Range can simulate tens of thousands of cyber-attacks and evolve them into more than three thousand attacks, from large-scale attacks such as attacking power plants, to small-scale home computer intrusions. In order to maintain the confidentiality of the Range, its operations are run within a closed network. ASTRI’s experts regularly feed in new attack data into the system. Dr Tong recalled “there was a malware called Mirai last year that attacked systems through botnets – US networks were attacked in this method. Our Cyber Range could simulate new attacks like that to keep up-to-date with latest developments.”

 

Referring to the highly confidential nature of the Cyber Range’s training content, the second interview (available in Chinese only) talked about its data collection and notification systems. Dr Tong pointed out that cyber-intelligence involves a lot of complex information. The system automatically analyses and checks the credibility of available intelligence on a daily basis, and then the intelligence team conducts further research, investigation and reporting with the analysis. The system records all kinds of network attacks for intelligence analysis, so that Hong Kong Police Force and the financial industry can learn about the latest attacks and solutions from around the world.

 

With regards to the grooming cybersecurity talents, in the third interview (available in Chinese only), Dr Tong suggested that “although Hong Kong is an international financial metropolis, it still needs a higher number of technology talents.” Therefore, ASTRI strives to nurture the young technology talents in Hong Kong. For instance, the first-ever Inter-Tertiary-Institute ‘Capture the Flag Contest’ in Hong Kong/Macau recently received a huge response from the students’ community. In addition, ASTRI organises professional training courses with HKMA and the Hong Kong Institute of Banks. The accredited Professional Development Programme (PDP) nurtures cybersecurity practitioners – enhancing their cybersecurity awareness and risk assessment capabilities.

A delegation from the Eisenhower School of the US National Defence University’s visited ASTRI on Thursday, 27 April 2017. The team comprised mostly mid and senior level officials from both the military and civil administration of the US Government, with a few officers from other countries. In this instalment of their year-long academic programme on information and communications technologies, the delegates came to China, visiting Shenzhen in the mainland before arriving in the SAR. Dr Frank Tong – CEO, Dr Meikei Ieong – CTO, Dr Justin Chuang – Vice President of Communication Technologies, Ms Eunice Cheng – Director of Public Affairs, and Dr Liu Xinyi – Director of Communication Technologies hosted the delegation and briefed them on various R&D initiatives of the institute.

 

The team viewed presentations on ASTRI’s R&D strategy especially in the areas of FinTech, Smart City and Next Generation Network (NGN). In addition, they saw live demonstrations on Blockchain-based FinTech applications, ASTRI Cyber Range initiatives, and R&D activities in the NGN lab. ASTRI’s R&D experts explained how the institute dedicates its resources to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong through the power of technology, and how the wider technology eco-system helps sustain Hong Kong’s status as a unique and important city in the world map.

 

The delegation included the Eisenhower School’s faculty leader Colonel Paul Gillespie, US Air Force and 16 other officers and faculty members. They were accompanied by Mr David H. Bradley from the Liaison Administration at the US Consulate General, Hong Kong and Macau.

 

Dr Stephen Bloor (right), Eisenhower School Faculty presents the souvenir to Dr Frank Tong (left), CEO of ASTRI

Dr Yu Tao, Director of Security & Data Sciences presents R&D on Big Data Analytics to the delegates

Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President of Communication Technologies shares with delegates R&D on Next Generation Network

Dr Eddy Chiu, Senior Manager of Communication Technologies presents to delegates at the NGN lab

Dr Justin Chuang (left) receives souvenir from Dr Todd McAllister (middle), Eisenhower School Faculty and Colonel Paul Gillespie (right), U.S. Air Force, Faculty Leader

 

The first-ever inter-tertiary institute Capture the Flag (CTF) contest in Hong Kong/Macau has completed its first round. From among the 317 students who signed up with 96 teams, participants from the top 10 teams were honoured for their feat. In addition, all the participating teams were recognised with a certificate. The ceremony was hosted by ASTRI – its CEO Dr Frank Tong and CFO Ms Cammy Yung distributed certificates among the teams and rejoiced over the students’ successes.

Dr Frank Tong presents the certificates to one of the top-performed teams

Around 70 enthusiastic students took part in the event which took place at ASTRI premises on 28 April 2017. The certificate presentation ceremony was followed by a career talk on the Bug Bounty field. In addition, an iChunChiu expert explained the solutions to the first-round contest questions to the students.

The students not only celebrated their successes and enjoyed the sunny afternoon’s funny Photosession – they also expressed their interest over cybersecurity topics.

Mr Ron Chan, qualified Offensive Security Certified Professional with a strong industry-wide reputation, attended the event to share his experience with the students. Mr Chan is a Security Consultant for Dell Technologies and has rich experience in Bug Hunting. His reports have helped large organisations like Uber, Google, Yahoo with valid security bugs and other vulnerabilities – the organisations rewarded him and acknowledged him in their ‘Hall of Fame’. At the session, he shared his experience on how to be an ethical hacker for finding web vulnerabilities.

A cybersecurity expert from iChunQiu joined the occasion via a video message – briefing the participants on how to tackle the hardest challenges from the first-round contest and the step-by-step solution to ‘capture the flag’.