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

ASTRI showcases its latest technologies at Vision China (Shanghai) Exhibition 2017

Vision China, one of the largest and most influential machine vision conferences in Asia, took place in Shanghai from 14-16 March. Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) took part in this year’s event.

Dr ZOU Weiwen Wilman, ASTRI’s Senior Manager of Manufacturing Technology was invited as a guest speaker in ‘China (Shanghai) International Machine Vision Exhibition and Machine Vision Technology and Application Conference’ in the Vision China event. He delivered a presentation on Deep Machine Vision technology. The Conference was jointly organised by China Society of Image and Graphics (CSIG) and Messe Muenchen International (MMI).

ASTRI’s exhibition booth showcased the new technologies, including Deep Machine Vision Software, Random Bin Picking Technologies for Industrial Robot, 2.5D Cover Glass Defect Inspection and 3D AOI system.

Dr ZOU Weiwen Wilman delivers a presentation to introduce ASTRI’s Deep Machine Vision technology

2.5 D Cover Glass Inspection Demonstration in the exhibition

ASTRI’s CTO shares latest technology R&D at the Shanghai Innovation and Technology Forum

Dr Meikei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI was invited as a guest speaker at the Shanghai Innovation and Technology Forum held on 25 March 2017 in Shanghai China. Dr Ieong introduced ASTRI’s latest R&D on information and communications technologies. The forum, titled ‘Shanghai Association for Science and Technology Forum cum Technology Innovators Forum on Technology Innovation’, was organised by Shanghai Association for Science and Technology and Co-operatives of Innovative Intellectuals. The event attracted both local and international academicians to exchange on the technological and breakthroughs and innovation.

Dr Meikei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI shares insights on technology innovation at the forum.

ASTRI takes part in the 25th China Content Broadcasting Network Expo

On 23-25 March 2017, ASTRI participated in the 25th China Content Broadcasting Network Expo (CCBN2017) held in Beijing, China. ASTRI and State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), Academy of Broadcasting Science (ABS) jointly performed live demonstration on the super-resolution based HD-4K conversion and digital video technologies. Mr Nie Chenxi, Deputy Head of Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and Director of SAPPRFT and Mr Tian Jin, Deputy Director of SAPPRFT visited ASTRI’s booth to understand more about its technologies.
Organised by SAPPRFT, ABS and supported by State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th CCBN2017 is the largest broadcasting technology and equipment expo in the Asia-Pacific region. As one of the leading events among the digital television and broadband network industry, it boasts over 60,000 square meters of exhibition space. It attracts more than 1,000 exhibitors and 100,000 professional visitors from more than 30 countries and territories.

Mr Zou Feng, Dean of SAPPRFT, ABS, and Mr Nie Chenxi, Director of SAPPRFT and Mr Tian Jin, Deputy Director of SAPPRFT discuss ASTRI’s technologies and related products.

Visitors learn about ASTRI’s latest technological innovation at its booth

ASTRI and Nanjing Institute of Integrated Circuits drive innovation in IC design and ICT technologies

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and Nanjing Institute of Integrated Circuits Co. Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 23 March 2017 to strengthen the intellectual property exchange and collaboration on Integrated Circuits (IC) design and information and communications technology. The collaboration will promote the application and commercialisation of R&D projects and facilitate exchange of technological resources as well as R&D talents.

Dr Meikei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI and Professor Shi Longxing, General Manager of Nanjing Institute of Integrated Circuits Co. Ltd signed the MoU under the witnesses of Mr Luo Qun, Standing Member of CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee and Deputy Secretary of CPC Working Committee of Nanjing Municipal Jiangbei New Area, Mr Chen Guang, Director, Mr Zhai Shengqiang, Deputy Director-General of Nanjing Municipal Economic and Information Technology Commission, Mr Guo Mingyan, Deputy Director of Nanjing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and Mr Qiu Haibin, President of Orient Ruichen Fund Management Co. Ltd.

Nanjing Institute of Integrated Circuits Co. Ltd (Integrated Circuit Industry Service Centre of Nanjing Jiangbei New Area) was funded and established by Nanjing High-Tech Zone to serve the IC industry. Located at the core area of Nanjing High-Tech Zone, the Institute premises cover around 40,000 square meters. In addition to facilitating commercialisation ad providing accurate and professional services, the Institute strives to integrate and build sustainable ecosystem of the industry to strengthen the collaboration among the industry and enhance their competitiveness. It seeks to promote the development of IC industry in Nanjing Jiangbei New Area as well as the entire Nanjing metropolis.

Founded in 2000 by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, ASTRI seeks to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. ASTRI has hosted the Hong Kong Branch of National Engineering Research Centre for Application Specific Integrated Circuit System (CNERC) since June 2012. CNERC mainly focuses on IC design areas such as NB-IoT, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), visual computing, financial technologies, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and input/output design, the 3rd generation power semiconductor and packaging.

Officiating guests at the signing ceremony Dr Meikei Ieong (3^rd from left), Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI , Mr Luo Qun (4^rd from left), Standing Committee Member of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee and Deputy Secretary of Working Committee of the CPC Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Municipal Committee, and Professor Shi Longxing (2^nd from right), General Manager of Nanjing Institute of Integrated Circuits Co.,Ltd

Hunan Provincial Department of Science & Technology Delegation visit ASTRI

Mr XianJue Deng (2nd right), Division Chief of Hunan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, led the delegation to visit Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute on 24 March 2017.

Dr Lei Zhibin, James , Acting Director (Intelligent Software and Systems) introduced ASTRI’s partnerships and collaborations with various organisations.

Global Leaders and Delegates from HSBC visit ASTRI

After the launch of HSBC-ASTRI Research and Development Innovation Laboratory in October last year, the delegation of HSBC, including its global leaders – Mr Andy Maguire, Group Chief Operating Officer and Mr Darryl West, Group Chief Information Officer – paid a visit to ASTRI today. Dr Frank Fong, CEO of ASTRI and Dr Duncan Wong, Vice-President (FinTech) welcomed the delegation and discussed the latest development of Financial Technologies (FinTech).

The HSBC-ASTRI RDI Lab is located at ASTRI’s facility at Hong Kong Science Park, supported by its research & development (R&D) team and hardware/software IT infrastructure. The HSBC-ASTRI RDI Lab has mobilised FinTech development via exploratory activities in areas like artificial intelligence, behavioural / biometrics authentication, big data analytics, blockchain, cybersecurity and internet finance. The co-operation progress of different developments is positive and some of our development are ready for deployment.

They also reviewed a number of new projects in ASTRI, including blockchain-based property valuation and trade finance, Chinese handwriting OCR, big data analytics, digital-ID prototype, etc. Both parties look forward to more co-operation and exchange in the future.

Mr Andy Maguire, Group Chief Operating Officer (5^th left) and Mr Darryl West, Group Chief Information Officer (4^th left) and delegates of HSBC visits ASTRI on 14 March 2017 and meets with its Senior Management and R&D experts to understand more about its latest R&D and projects.

R&D expert introduces ASTRI’s latest R&D on Financial Technology.

ASTRI’s Senior Director speaks at the ‘Belt and Road, Together We Grow’ I&T Roundtable in Changsha

Mr YK Li, Senior Director of Advanced Digital Systems of ASTRI, was invited as a guest speaker at the ‘Belt and Road, Together We Grow’ I&T Roundtable held on 14 March 2017 at Changsha, Hunan of China. Representatives from enterprises and research institutions in Changsha and Hong Kong attended the event to discuss the role of technology under the Belt and Road initiative. The discussions also stressed on promoting innovation in science and technology. The event was jointly organised by InvestHK and Hunan Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

Group photo with honorable guests and speakers. Mr Zhu Wan (4^th from left), Deputy Director of the Hunan Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Mr YK Li (2^nd from right), Mr YK Li, Senior Director of Advanced Digital Systems of ASTRI.

Mr YK Li delivers a presentation titled ‘Overview and Collaborative Models of ASTRI’ .

ASTRI, HKT, Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies work together to build a smart mobility system for Hong Kong using Cellular-V2X technologies

HONG KONG, March 15, 2017 – A Smart Mobility Consortium (the Consortium) on Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies has been formed by the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), HKT Limited (SEHK: 6823) (HKT), Huawei Technologies Co. Limited (Huawei) and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (Qualcomm Technologies), a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated.

An MoU on the collaboration, which can potentially revolutionise the transportation sector in Hong Kong, was today signed by Dr Frank Tong Fuk-kay, CEO of ASTRI, Mr Alex Arena, Group Managing Director of HKT, Mr Veni Shone, President TDD and LTE-V Solutions of Huawei Technologies, and Mr Mantosh Malhotra, Senior Director, Business Development of Qualcomm Technologies. Dr Jolly Wong, Chief Telecommunications Engineer, Communications Branch, Information Systems Wing of Hong Kong Police Force also attended the ceremony.

As one of the most connected cities in the world and a major global financial hub, Hong Kong is an ideal place to pioneer the implementation of smart mobility system and showcase for the improvement of road safety. The vibrancy of Hong Kong’s transport sector is evident from the 10 million-plus passenger journeys in Hong Kong’s public and private transport system every day. The city’s robust telecommunications infrastructure, as well as its high-adoption rate of digital technologies, offer a strong foundation for businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators to unleash the immense potential of smart mobility. Supporting the Government’s endeavour to transform Hong Kong into a Smart City, the collective strengths of ASTRI, HKT, Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies seek to utilise the power of C-V2X technologies to enhance the Smart Mobility pillar with Safe Mobility element beyond the existing aims of Efficient Mobility, Efficient Logistics, Barrier-Free Community and Adoption of Intelligent Technologies.

C-V2X technologies, based upon the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) release 14 specification with evolution path towards 5G, operates through both network-based communications on commercial cellular infrastructure, as well as direct communications over the 5.9GHz band¹.

A C-V2X powered smart mobility system not only allows vehicles to connect to the cloud, but also enables vehicles to communicate with one another as well as with pedestrians, and to synchronise with infrastructure. With C-V2X, “co-operative awareness” between vehicles, pedestrians and the road environment makes it possible to realise mobility safety as well as autonomous driving. Furthermore, it can also support law enforcers, traffic and urban management institutions, and transportation companies to plan and monitor the safety and efficiency of traffic movements.

In Hong Kong, over 60% of all road accidents involve vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) collision². Over 40% of cyclist casualties involve accidents on or around carriageways³. Some of the most common contributors to traffic accidents include stationary or parked vehicles on busy roads, driving too close to the vehicle in front, inappropriate changing of lanes, careless cycling, jaywalking by pedestrians, and drivers losing control of their vehicles⁴.

The Consortium aims to use C-V2X to introduce a series of Intelligent Transport Services (ITS) in Hong Kong including a warning mechanism for collision and control, assistance for cruise control and parking, and alert systems for speed and lane violations. In addition, it will help drivers and traffic administrators to identify potential loopholes and risks in aspects like road intersections, pedestrian crossings and traffic queues.

The Consortium plans to work alongside the Government, automobile industry, and other relevant industry stakeholders to make this happen. Upon successful completion and roll-out, the project is expected to lead to further opportunities for related sectors including shipment, ride-sharing, home-delivery, insurance, infotainment, and mobile healthcare, etc.

Mr Wong Ming-yam, Chairman of ASTRI, said, “Hong Kong is a well-connected city with good infrastructure. If we complement these strengths with the latest innovation in science and technology, Hong Kong can become one of the most sophisticated and advanced smart cities in the world. This Smart Mobility Consortium is a giant step in that leap. ASTRI is developing state-of-the-art applications, platforms and prototypes which can benefit not just Hong Kong, but potentially other cities in this region too. We, as the SAR’s largest technological R&D institution, are partnering with three eminent organisations to bring revolutionary changes to the way we manage our city’s traffic.”

Mr Alex Arena, Group Managing Director of HKT, said, “Smart Mobility is the key to transform urban transport in a Smart City. With the application of Cellular-V2X technology, assisted driving alerts vehicles and pedestrians in advance about emergency traffic conditions, which will make the roads safer and Hong Kong a better living city. And with the emerging 5G technology, autonomous driving will revolutionise the experience of transport in Hong Kong. Being the leading network operator in Hong Kong, we are glad to initiate the Smart Mobility Consortium with key industry partners in support of the Government’s Smart City policy to build a smart mobility system in Hong Kong.”

Mr Veni Shone, President of TDD Product Line and Acting President of Cellular V2X Solutions, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., said, “It is a significant moment that we join this Smart Mobility Consortium together with ASTRI, HKT and Qualcomm to push future technologies especially Cellular V2X in Hong Kong. We believe Cellular V2X will bring unique value such as safety, efficiency and friendly environment for the Intelligent Transportation System effectively with other assistant driving technologies. Huawei will provide its expertise in C-V2X with our partners and we will make a big progress in the intelligent transportation in Hong Kong.”

Mr Mantosh Malhotra, Senior Director, Business Development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., said, “We are very excited to work with ASTRI, HKT and Huawei to bring our vision of a Smart City to life here in Hong Kong. With potential in the rise of smart city and automotive technologies, we are busy innovating new advanced capabilities, including C-V2X and precise positioning, to increase transportation efficiencies, improve safety, and support autonomous vehicles in cities across the region, starting with Hong Kong’s progressive urban environment.”

This multi-year project is expected to involve a dedicated team of experts from different areas, who will help accelerate the transformation of Hong Kong’s transportation system into a truly state-of-the-art ecosystem. Designed on the needs of individuals not just in Hong Kong but also cities across the region, the project is expected to be ready for other locations upon completion.

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Remarks:

Dedicated range(s) in the 5.9GHz band is allocated to Intelligent Transport System (ITS) services in US, Europe and Japan, and is also being considered for ITS services in other places such as Mainland China.
From the statistics of “Road traffic accidents by type of vehicle collision and severity (2005 – 2015)”, Transport Department, HKSAR. http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_4757/f2.2.pdf
From the statistics of “Cyclist casualties by location and degree of injury 2015 ”, Transport Department, HKSAR. http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_4757/f1.14.pdf
From the statistics of “Vehicle involvements by driver contributory factor and severity 2015”, Transport Department, HKSAR. http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_4757/f3.8.pdf

Officiating guests at the launch ceremony of the Smart Mobility Consortium: (Front row from left to right) Mr Jolly Wong – Chief Telecommunications Engineer of Hong Kong Police Force; Mr Veni Shone – President, TDD and LTE-V Solutions of Huawei; Mr Alex Arena Group Managing Director of HKT; Dr Frank Tong – CEO of ASTRI; Mr Mantosh Malhotra – Senior Director, Business Development of Qualcomm Technologies; and Mr M Y Wong – Chairman of ASTRI Board of Directors; along with other senior executives from Huawei, HKT, ASTRI and Qualcomm.

Mr Jolly Wong, Chief Telecommunications Engineer of Hong Kong Police Force, speaking at the event.

Mr M Y Wong, Chairman of ASTRI Board of Directors, speaking at the event.

Dr Frank Tong, CEO of ASTRI introducing the V2X platform to the audience.

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, IC Design (Analog), IC Design (Digital), Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technology, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. Please visit www.astri.org for further information about us.

About HKT

HKT (SEHK: 6823) is Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator in fixed-line, broadband and mobile communication services. It meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sales, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.

HKT offers a unique quadruple-play experience in Hong Kong delivering media content on its fixed-line, broadband Internet access and mobile platforms jointly with its parent company, PCCW Limited.

HKT also provides a range of innovative and smart living services beyond connectivity to make the daily lives of customers more convenient, whether they are at home, in the workplace, or on the go.

For more information, please visit www.hkt.com.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions provider. As a responsible and robust business player, innovative information society enabler, and cooperative industry contributor, Huawei is committed to building a Better Connected World. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end capabilities and strengths across carrier, enterprise, consumer, and cloud computing domains. Huawei’s 180,000 employees worldwide create maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than one-third of the world’s population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company that is fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com.

About Qualcomm Technologies

Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website (www.qualcomm.com), OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

For more information, please contact:

Eunice Cheng ASTRI Tel: +852 34062517 Email: [email protected]	Stella Wong HKT Tel: +852 2888 2253 Email: [email protected]
Fiona Cheuk Huawei Tel: +852 2125 3509 Email: [email protected]	Alicia Lim Qualcomm Technologies Tel: +65 6403 1405 Email: [email protected]

General Manager of Delphi (China) Technical Center visits ASTRI

Mr Steve Bentley (6^th from right), General Manager of Delphi (China) Technical Center visits ASTRI on 8 March 2017 and meets with its Senior Management and R&D experts to understand more about its latest R&D and projects.

Mr Bentley looks at the ASTRI’s AR (Augmented Reality) Head Mount Display.

Members of Global Learning Alliance (GLA) visit ASTRI

Members of Global Learning Alliance (GLA) comprised of Senior Executives from five global companies including BP, Citigroup, L’Oréal, Schneider Electric, and Wipro pay a visit to ASTRI on 8 March 2017 to understand more about ASTRI’s latest R&D direction and strategies on financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, and smart city.