Press Release

[Hong Kong, 31 January 2023] TThe Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to launch their first Joint PhD Programme. Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and Prof. Yike GUO, HKUST Provost signed the agreement at the HKUST campus, witnessed by Ir Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman of ASTRI Board of Directors and Professor Nancy Ip, President of HKUST.

Under the agreement, ASTRI and HKUST will jointly perform screening and selection work of the candidates. Qualified ones will be employed by ASTRI as full-time R&D staff and pursue a part-time PhD degree in HKUST at the same time. The candidate has the opportunities to participate in frontier research projects spanning artificial intelligence, big data, wireless communications, smart city and advanced materials, as well as R&D projects related to their PhD studies. Senior R&D staff in ASTRI may be appointed as adjunct professors of the HKUST and serve as a co-supervisor to the PhD student.

With the nation’s support, the Hong Kong government has highlighted the importance of developing innovation and technology in the “2022 Policy Address”. The “I&T Development Blueprint” established by the government last December has outlined a clear development path for Hong Kong’s I&T development over the next 5 to 10 years, covering strategies such as enhancing the I&T ecosystem and enlarging the I&T talent pool. This Joint PhD Programme seeks to support such courses by nurturing talents who commercialize their research findings while pursuing the relevant knowledge and qualifications, getting themselves better prepared for their future careers.

Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman of ASTRI Board of Directors said, “As the leading R&D organization in Hong Kong, we are committed to supporting Government’s measures in ‘I&T Development blueprint’ and ‘Competing for Talents’. The maiden launch of the Joint PhD Programme with HKUST is expected to attract and retain I&T Talents who wish to pursue their PhD studies or conduct their research in Hong Kong, as well as to provide high quality I&T talents to develop Hong Kong into a smart city and international I&T Hub.”

HKUST President Prof. Nancy Ip said, “HKUST is committed to fulfilling its mission of advancing knowledge through teaching and research. With our strong basic research and collaborations with many different industrial partners including ASTRI, HKUST is now in an even better position to bridge the gap between upstream and midstream research. This will not only help boost our city’s innovation & technology ecosystem, nurture high-caliber talent for Hong Kong, the nation and beyond, but will also facilitate commercialization of HKUST’s research outcomes to benefit society.”

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI said, “Implementation of R&D results is one of the key missions of ASTRI. To maintain close connection with the academic community, we have signed a MoU with HKUST on joint R&D and technology commercialization in last February, follow by this Joint PhD Programme within a year. I am confident that the programme can effectively equip students in developing their creativity, critical thinking, global outlook, so as to elevate their international competitiveness and accelerate the implementation of R&D breakthroughs of HKUST.”

HKUST Provost Prof. GUO Yike said, “As a research university, HKUST is committed to supporting Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology hub, and the key to achieving this lies in talent development. We are therefore delighted to launch this joint PhD Programme with ASTRI, which will leverage the combined advantages of both organizations and offer specialists on knowledge transfer a platform to acquire the relevant skill and qualifications while undertaking R&D projects. Amid the global competition for talent, I hope this new initiative serves as a fresh booster to Hong Kong’s talent development and will help expand the city’s talent pool.”

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and Prof. Yike GUO, HKUST Provost signed the agreement at the HKUST campus

(Front row, from left) Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer, ASTRI; HKUST Provost Prof. Yike GUO
(Back row, from left) Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman, ASTRI; HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP

ASTRI and HKUST Launch the First Joint PhD Programme

(From fourth left) Mr Alan Cheung, Senior Director, Trust and AI Technologies; Dr. Daniel Shi, Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, Chairman of ASTRI Board of Directors; Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer, ASTRI; HKUST Provost Prof. Yike GUO; HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP; HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development Prof. Tim Kwang Ting CHENG; HKUST Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof. Yang WANG

[Hong Kong, 21 November 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has won a Smart Business (Emerging Technologies) Silver Award for its 4K2K AR/VR Compatible Head-Mounted Display (HMD) at the Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards (ICT Awards) 2022.

Hong Kong ICT Awards 2022 Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 16 November 2022, our Associate Senior Director Mr. Kenny Chan and Associate Principal Engineer Ms. Wendy Zhang from Emerging Sensing and Display System division have represented at the ceremony, along with our Director Dr John Koo from Cyber-Physical Systems division who was appointed as a member of Steering Committee.

Upon hearing the good news of ASTRI’s team receiving award from Hong Kong ICT again, CEO Dr. Denis Yip wholeheartedly congratulated our researchers for their remarkable accomplishment and dedications: “We actively participate Hong Kong ICT Awards, with an aim to leverage this perfect platform for our teams to gain greater opportunity to build cooperation with partners, so as to achieve a commercialisation transition. To be sure, receiving the award will encourage all the researchers to work harder and strive for innovation and excellence in the future, to support Hong Kong to become an international I&T centre.”

Metaverse is the next generation of the internet, wherein Head Mounted Display performs as the human interface to connect the user between real world and virtual space. The displayed image quality, security level and human-machine interaction are three key factors for the measurement of the success of HMD. Benefitting from ASTRI’s patent-protected display and sensing technology, ASTRI has successfully developed AR/VR Compatible Head-Mounted Display (HMD) with unparalleled image display quality, biometric-based secure data protection, eye gaze tracking and gesture understanding enabled natural user human-machine interface.

ASTRI’s solution utilized the world’s first true 4K resolution LCoS micro-display (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) with high precision optics system to produce the real dual 4K image in crisp details, vivid colours, and stunning visuals. To meet the deep immersive experience of metaverse application, the solution can produce a large field of view (70 degrees in diagonal) virtual image in front of human eyes, opening a new window to exploring the world and being ready for both AR/VR applications.

Mr. Kenny Chan, the Associate Senior Director, Emerging Sensing and Display System division said: “It’s an inevitable trend that Metaverse enters into ordinary people’s day-to-day life, which definitely will boost the demand for high-end Head Mounted Display devices. ASTRI’s AR/VR Compatible Head-Mounted Display can be applied to digital transformation in industrial metaverse, this turnkey solution would cover from education, training, simulation all the way to operation assistance. We believe it would contribute to Hong Kong’s industrialisation transformation.”

The ASTRI R&D team members involved in developing the 4K2K AR/VR Compatible Head-Mounted Display (HMD) are Chan Kin Lung, Kenny, Zhang Wei, Wendy, Liu Dehua, Derek, Chan Kwok Chung, Calvin, Shen Shihui, Sultan Malik Saad and Tam Ming Wai Alwin.

Associate Senior Director Mr. Kenny Chan and Associate Principal Engineer Ms. Wendy Zhang from Emerging Sensing and Display System division have represented at the ceremony as delegates of their team.

4K2K AR/VR Compatible Head-Mounted Display (HMD)

[Hong Kong, 17 November 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has always strived to fulfil its mission of nurturing the next generation of I&T talents. As the largest R&D centre funded by the Government in Hong Kong, ASTRI is open application for its “Summer Internship Programme” and the “Fintech Future Leader Academy (Internship)”, offering undergraduate and postgraduate students an exciting opportunity to deeply engage in Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem and experience ASTRI’s unique culture in scientific research. Last year, ASTRI’s summer programmes met with overwhelming response, received a total of 2,464 applications and shortlisted 50 candidates, among them including students from over 28 renowned universities in United States and the United Kingdom, namely Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, etc., as well as students from the top universities in Hong Kong.

Make the most of your summer

ASTRI is keen to nurture global-minded innovators through various talent initiatives. Students who want to gain understanding of the research and development from a front-to-back perspective, experience a diverse and engaged workplace, and explore a career in a research institute, can apply ASTR’s two internship programmes now. Starting from June 2023, the two eight-week internships offer students a golden opportunity to learn from award-winning scientists in a cross-cultural environment. The programmes target at undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in STEM disciplines.

Summer Internship Programme 2023

ASTRI’s summer programme will add dimensions to the existing workplan, offering a broad spectrum of R&D projects and activities to make the internship more engaged and motivated. Students will gain invaluable R&D hands-on experience in one of ASTRI’s six core areas, including Smart City, Financial Technologies, Reindustrialisation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, Application Specific Integrated Circuits and Metaverse. They will have the chance to partner with ASTRI’s senior management and work alongside professionals to dive deep into the I&T process and technology development, participating in R&D projects that employ Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, Digital Asset, 5G and IoT, etc., to maximise value and impact.

Apart from the R&D projects, a number of tech talks and networking sessions will be arranged, where key industry players and professional scholars from large corporations and organisations will be invited to share their journeys and successful experience. For those who are majoring in non-STEM disciplines, ASTRI also provides opportunities to work in its corporate functions.

FinTech Future Leader Academy 2023

Established last year, the Fintech Future Leader Academy is the flagship talent programme targeting at students who are enthusiastic about financial technologies and innovations. Students will be assigned to the FinTech division and get exposure to ASTRI’s FinTech and Metaverse business and innovative projects.

In addition to the series of tech talks and networking sessions, students will undertake two-week field visits to a variety of prestigious financial and technology 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.

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, said: “Hong Kong needs innovation and technology talents more than ever. The two summer programmes are one of our various talent cultivation initiatives which enable students to take part in innovative R&D projects and equip them with the skills they need to enhance their professionalism and employability. In order to let the future I&T workforce have a better understanding of the development of Hong Kong, especially the knowledge of the I&T ecosystem, we placed more efforts in boosting our enrollment in top universities around the world since last year, and the response was very enthusiastic. This year we will continue the promotion worldwide, and target to have more oversea students joining us and gaining more understanding of Hong Kong’s I&T industry development.”

Background of ASTRI’s two internship programmes

In 2022, 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 eight-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 participated in the programmes, while over half of the interns came from overseas renowned universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Apply Now

The Summer Internship Programme and FinTech Future Leader Academy are open for application until February 28, 2023. Students selected for the programme will undertake an eight-week internship in ASTRI from June to August this year.

Interested students may apply for the programme online: https://forms.office.com/r/nPhLt2j9Gq

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Professor Sun Dong visited ASTRI and exchanged views with summer interns during 2022 Summer Internship Programme

ASTRI Organised Sports Day during Summer Internship Programme 2022

[Hong Kong, 9 November 2022] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (“ASTRI”) today announced the establishment of the “Microelectronics Technology Consortium (METC)”, with the aim of building a microelectronics and semiconductor technology ecosystem, and providing a top-notch regional and world-renowned platform for microelectronics technology and product development. Professor Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms. Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, as well as high-end experts and key enterprise representatives from academic and microelectronics sectors got together to witness the establishment of METC.

Ir. Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of ASTRI said, “The establishment of ‘Microelectronics Technology Consortium (METC)’ today signifies another important milestone for ASTRI. It requires innovation and determination to carry out basic research starting from ‘0 to 1’; however, to achieve ‘1 to N’, a staunch support from all walks of life is necessary to foster in-depth integration of the science, technology and industry, so as to achieve a vitalised microelectronics ecosystem. METC will play a role as a bridge to connect the academic community with the industry, dedicated to facilitating the re-industrialisation in Hong Kong, directing a new way of development for the industry, academia and research institutes, and continuously making contributions to the transformation of Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub.”

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI said, “The development of the microelectronics industry will expand the local re-industrialisation talent pool and inject new impetus into Industry 4.0 and the business community with the aim to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong. ASTRI has been conducting R&D in 3D integrated chips, the third-generation semiconductors and low-power wireless connection chips for a decade. We have extensive experience in the operation and management of public platforms and pilot lines, talent support, and technology and product commercialisation, which are widely recognised by the industry and academia. We also as have a number of outstanding credentials in industrialisation and commercialisation. We expect the establishment of METC is able to consolidate resources in Hong Kong to promote the commercialisation of technologies and products, nurture local talents, foster international cooperation, expand the Greater Bay Area (GBA) market, and provide strong support to Hong Kong’s re-industrialisation and transform the city into an innovation and technology hub.”

Establish a Microelectronics Technology Consortium to promote the development of the regional ecosystem and lead the innovation frontier

The Hong Kong Government is determined to develop high-tech industries, aiming to make Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre. In recent years, it has earmarked billions of funds to support local re-industrialisation. Semiconductor technology is the core of the entire manufacturing industry. By taking the advantages of the current technological upgrading and rearrangement of the global industrial chain, METC is established at the right time to enable support units to deeply understand and maintain close ties with stakeholders on microelectronics solutions, knowledge transfer and collaboration opportunities, so as to lead and enhance the cross-industry platform for the development of microelectronics industry in Hong Kong from an international perspective.

The development of microelectronics ecosystem requires various stakeholders to maintain close ties and foster cooperation in order to accelerate the integration of Hong Kong into the national development. Led by ASTRI, METC is supported by the leading organisations from the industry and academia including Federation of Hong Kong Industries, AAC Technologies, ASMPT Hong Kong, Marvel Digital AI Limited, SPES Electronics Limited, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the University of Hong Kong. METC aims to stimulate innovative R&D, promote technological cooperation amongst the industries, research institutes and academia, attract research institutes and enterprises from GBA, the Mainland and around the world to set up their branches in Hong Kong and expand the paths for local talents, so as to achieve a vibrant microelectronics ecosystem, and make continuous contributions to Hong Kong to make it become an international innovation and technology hub.

The strategies of METC to promote regional integration and create strong competitive microelectronics innovation including:

• Consolidate resources to boost commercialisation
  METC will make use of the pilot line to be established, and cooperate with various research institutes in Hong Kong, GBA and overseas to fully integrate existing R&D resources (such as personnel, equipment) and achievements (patents), and centralise resources to develop technologies required for industrialisation, so as to accelerate the process of product marketization.
• Leverage strengths to scale up collaborative innovation
  To achieve the goals of application in large enterprises, METC will use the commercialisation model and the concept of collaborative innovation, and effectively integrate various local and overseas resources to form an entire industry chain of “Material-Equipment-Epitaxy-Device-Chip-Package-Module-System” to jointly secure the market share of 3D small chip and the third-generation semiconductor sectors in emerging markets.

ASTRI has over 10 years of experience in microelectronics R&D. Since 2006, ASTRI has formed a multinational technical team to take the lead in conducting 3D integration technology research in Greater China, and participated in the direction planning of key national special projects. In 2012, the Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (CNERC) was established with the approval from the State Ministry of Science and Technology, and operated by ASTRI. Since then, ASTRI has committed to promoting the development of microelectronics technology industry in Hong Kong, and has conducted R&D, engineering transformation and talent training in three directions, namely 3D integrated chips, third-generation semiconductors and low-power wireless connection chips. In 2016, ASTRI presided over the formulation of China’s Third-Generation Semiconductor Power Electronics Roadmap 2035, and represented China to participate in the formulation of the IEEE International Technology Roadmap to connect extensively with the academia and industry around the globe. ASTRI has also won about 40 technology awards in Hong Kong and overseas, including the First-class Prize of the 2020 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (3D Integration Technology in Microelectronics).

(From left) Prof. Martin Wong, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, CUHK; Prof. Tony Feng, CityU; Prof. Philip Chan, PolyU; Mr. Peter Ng, Vice President, ASMPT HK;
Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Mr. Steve Chuang, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Mr. Richard Mok, Executive Director, AAC; Prof. Tim Cheng, HKUST; Prof. David Srolovitz, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, HKU; Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems

(Front row: form left) Prof. Martin Wong, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, CUHK; Prof. Tony Feng, CityU; Prof. Philip Chan, PolyU; Mr. Peter Ng, Vice President, ASMPT HK; Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Mr. Steve Chuang, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Mr. Richard Mok, Executive Director, AAC; Prof. Tim Cheng, HKUST; Prof. David Srolovitz, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, HKU

(2nd row: form left) Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; ASTRI Board of Director Dr. Alfred Ng; ASTRI Board of Director Mr. Felix Chow; ASTRI Board of Director Mr. Stephen Ho; Legislative Council Member Mr. Duncan Chiu; Legislative Council Member Mr. Erik Yim; ASTRI Board of Director Prof. Chan Chun-Kwong; ASTRI Board of Director Mr. Edmund Lee; ASTRI Board of Director Mr. Wilfred Wong, BBS, JP

(Front row: form left) Mr. Peter Ng, Vice President, ASMPT HK; Dr. Daniel Yip, Deputy Chairman, VTC, JP; Mr. Steve Chuang, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Dr. Jonathan Choi, GBM, GBS, BBS, JP, Chairman of CGCC; Dr. Dennis Ng, SBS, BBS MH, Permanent Honorary President, CMA; Mr. Calvin Chau, President, HKGCSMB; Mr. Chen Ying, Chairman of the Board and CEO of China Resources.

(2nd row: form left) Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Ms. Natasha Ho, President, CRECCHKI; Dr. Charleston Sin, Executive Director, MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node; Mr. Dennis Wu, Founder, Founding President, GBACAN; Dr. Ieong MeiKei, Chairman, Simbury Ltd; Ir. Dr. John Hui, Director, Professional & Career Development, FHKCS; Prof. Thomas Wong, Founding President, IISD; Prof. Norman Tien, HKU; Prof. Benny Zee, CUHK; Ms. Fan Ho, General Manager, Lenovo Hong Kong & Macao; Mr. Wilson Chong, Chairman, IOTHK; Mr. Ken Chan, Chairman, Hong Kong Technology Innovation Research and Development Company Limited; Mr. Ping Wong, Chairman, HKACB

(From left) Dr. Alfred Ng, General Committee, Vice Chairman of Innovation and Technology Development Committee, FHKI; Mr. Peter Shum, General Committee, Vice Chairman of Innovation and Technology Development Committee, FHKI; Ms. Bonnie Chan, Director- General, FHKI; Dr. Daniel Yip, Deputy Chairman, VTC, JP; Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Mr. Steve Chuang, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Mr. Anthony Lam, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Mr. Ricky Chan, Executive Deputy Chairman, FHKI; Mr. Bernie Ting, Deputy Chairman, FHKI

(From left) Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS, JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Mr. Peter Ng, Vice President, ASMPT HK

(From left) Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Dr. Herbert Lee, Chairman, Marvel Digital AI Limited; Dr. Patrick Ma, CEO, Marvel Digital AI Limited

(From left) Dr. Denis Yip, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ir. Sunny Lee, BBS JP, ASTRI Board Chairman; Dr. Daniel Shi, ASTRI Vice President, Integrated Circuits and Systems; Dr. Man Ming, CEO, SPES Electronic Limited

[Hong Kong, 4 November, 2022] n-hop technologies Limited, founded by Professor Raymond Yeung, has currently partnered with Hong Kong’s largest government founded R&D company Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (“ASTRI”) to jointly implement and leverage BATS code based solution to enhance the performance of Integrated Access & Backhaul (“IAB”) network deployed in the latest 5G. This can help optimise 5G IAB scenarios, greatly increase network transmission rate, and reduce distortion caused by data loss, which in turn will accelerate the advent of smart cities. This technology commercialisation collaboration among ASTRI, university and local startup is another success case of the cooperation among government, industry, academia, and research institutes. It also echoes with the Government’s policy agenda in 2022 to enhance Hong Kong’s 5G infrastructure by encouraging early deployment of 5G technology in various industries for improving efficiency, productivity and service quality.

BATS is a must for smart cities

Modern people has long been inseparable from mobile network technology in their advanced lifestyle, being actively engaged in online video conferences, watching Korean dramas, smart entertainment devices, shopping and express delivery to mobile app communication and video calls, etc., during which mobile network technology support is necessary for most of the time. However, during the transmission through network, we will encounter severe data loss, leading to intermittent picture, disconnection, “pixelated images” (unsmooth picture) or delay. Therefore, a communication network with low latency and high throughput is becoming increasingly important and crucial to the development of smart cities.

The network coding theory was put forward by Professor Raymond Yeung as early as 2000. It has been offered as postgraduate courses by universities around the globe. Prof. Yeung has received numerous awards for his research contributions. In particular, he was awarded in 2021 the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal, one of the highest awards in the electrical engineering discipline, and in 2022 the Claude E. Shannon Award, the highest honor in the field of information theory. After over 10 years of research, Professor Raymond Yeung, Professor Yang Shenghao and their scientific research team have successfully developed the network coding technology BATS, which simplifies the encoding and decoding procedures, and replaces the router with an encoder to send the “credentials” of the information rather than the entire one, making network communication more efficient, reliable, stable and secure. Compared with traditional linear networks, BATS can enhance the transmission rate by over 10 times.

Named n-hop technologies to demonstrate the advantages of BATS

Professor Raymond Yeung, Professor Yang Shenghao and Mr. Stephen Ho Wai-chung are the founders of n-hop technologies. Mr Ho has 38 years of extensive experience in the information and communication technology industry, during which he has served as the Chief Executive Officer of a major corporation in the industry for 18 years who fully promotes the development of information and communication technology. They gave the name n-hop technologies to their company, as the name itself suggests, to imply the pros of BATS: the transmitted information remains intact after passing through a large number of wireless links.

BATS makes 5G technology even more powerful

Leveraging the maturity and popularization of the 5th generation mobile communication technology (“5G”), the application performance of the patented BATS makes 5G technology even more powerful. The current communication technology solutions have their own shortcomings, including the need to dig roads for laying optical fiber networks, which is time-consuming and costly; while wireless communication networks, such as WiFi, LoRa, NB-IoT, etc., have slow data transmission speeds and low efficiency. If BATS is used with the 5G IAB application mode, it can be applied to 5G base station networks or other broadband wireless backhaul networks, in which a few 5G base stations are connected to the 5G main network by optical fibers, information can be inter-exchanged among other 5G base stations by leveraging the functional advantages of BATS. Thus, a 5G communication network with low latency, high transmission efficiency, and improved economic benefits can be established.

Cross-collaboration among government, industry, academia and research institutes to promote Hong Kong R&D results transfer

The Government has been promoting cooperation among the government, industry, academic and research sectors, and has established various funding schemes and platforms under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) for cooperation. Benefited from the Government’s funding schemes under ITF, including the “Research Talent Hub (RTH)”, “Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU)”, etc., the collaboration between ASTRI and n-hop technologies deepens the integration of innovations and creates synergy through leveraging ASTRI’s cutting-edge 5G solutions and the patented BATS technology of n-hop technologies and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, achieving the ultimate goal of technology transfer.

As a pioneer in the R&D of 5G technology, ASTRI has partnered with n-hop technologies to improve communication technology. Ir. Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI, said: “Policy Address 2022 has addressed to develop 5G infrastructure and encourage early deployment of 5G technology across different industries to accommodate smart city application. ASTRI fully supports the initiative and facilitates the government to strengthen Hong Kong as a regional communications hub. We are actively collaborating with industry partners like n-hop technologies to develop innovative 5G base station solutions, including integrating BATS coding technologies, and enable commercialisation of ‘Made in Hong Kong’ technologies including ASTRI and university R&D results, and promote more cooperation among ASTRI, Hong Kong universities, and local startups to thrive the I&T ecosystem.”

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, feels particularly delighted with this collaboration: “As an R&D Centre for Information and Communications Technologies designated by the Innovation and Technology Commission, ASTRI has spared no effort in the development of communications technology in Hong Kong over the years. By leveraging our ability to master 5G technology and to build 5G base stations, and incorporating the network coding technology BATS developed by Professor Raymond Yeung, we believe that Hong Kong will lead the global development and become internationally renowned in the related fields in the near future. This is also in line with ASTRI’s vision to fully support local universities in technology commercialisation. Transitioning the technologies from the research lab to the marketplace is crucial for our Smart City development and betterment where innovations will be turned into real services and products that will eventually satisfy our needs. With ASTRI’s 22-year experience in commercialisation, we will definitely add value and confidence to our university projects.”

Mr. Stephen Ho said: “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with ASTRI, a world class application research institute to work towards applying our BATS technology into the 5G Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) cellular Standard. The BATS enabled IAB standard will be instrumental for 5G base station densification, it not only provides flexibility and rapid deployment capability of base stations, the use of multi-hop wireless backhaul also enable mobile service operators to save substantial cost of implementing and/or leasing fiber connectivity. The technology facilitates the realization of densification, and 5G eco-system players will be able to introduce more innovative applications that have insatiable demand on bandwidth capacity soon”.

Professor Raymond Yeung expressed that: “I am delighted to see the collaboration with ASTRI, which has one of the strongest research teams on 5G. I believe that the ASTRI and n-hop teams complement each other very well. In this project, we will jointly develop a new technology based upon the award-winning research of my team, namely network coding, that aims to revolutionize the information communication protocol in 5G IAB.”

BATS communication technology improves our living and save our lives

So far, there are 11 BATS-related patented technologies with a wide range of applications, such as the application of BATS to satellite communications to cooperate with the development of aerospace technology; the application of the technology to the underwater sonar transmission network to monitor the operation of underwater infrastructure projects so as to overcome barriers in ocean data transmission; building an aerial wireless network in remote mountainous areas using hot air balloons, or using an aerial camera in disaster areas to transmit on-site data in real time so as to assist in emergency rescue. Meanwhile, Professor Raymond Yeung and his team are preparing to apply to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (“IEEE”), an international authoritative organization for engineering, to include BATS in the coding standard for international communication, hoping to further popularize the application of BATS and benefit the society.

(From left) Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, Ir. Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI,
Prof. Raymond Yeung, Co-founder & Director, n-hop technologies, Mr. Stephen Ho, Co-founder & CEO, n-hop technologies

(From left) Mr. Walter Tsui, Principle Engineer, Communications Technologies of ASTRI,
Dr. Eddy Chiu, Director, Communications Technologies of ASTRI, Dr. Justin Chuang, Vice President, Communications Technologies of ASTRI, Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI,
Ir. Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI, Prof. Raymond Yeung, Co-founder & Director, n-hop technologies,
Mr. Stephen Ho, Co-founder & CEO, n-hop technologies, Prof. John Zao, Co-founder & Senior Consultant, n-hop technologies, Dr. Mehrdad Tahernia, CTO, n-hop technologies, Mr. Kent Hou, Director of Business Development, n-hop technologies

[Hong Kong, 26 October 2022] ASTRI and Deloitte announced a new cooperation in the form of The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU formalises the mutual interaction and strengthens the existing relationship between ASTRI and Deloitte to foster long-term joint efforts developing the technology ecosystem via technology research, technology commercialisation, talent development and marketing initiatives.

Technology Research and Commercialization
ASTRI and Deloitte would engage in joint research projects and maximise the usage of ASTRI’s existing intellectual property (IP) where deemed appropriate.

Also, leveraging Deloitte’s extensive experience and expertise in local and global business environment, leading industry trends, as well as digital strategy and operation, Deloitte will participate as a system integrator for ASTRI’s research and development projects with ASTRI’s expert background technology support where deemed compatible and appropriate.

Talent Development and Marketing Initiatives
From talent development to marketplace program, ASTRI and Deloitte share a common vision to cultivate FinTech talents in Hong Kong and promote cross-disciplinary collaborations and exchanges to build a strong Fintech ecosystem.

The rising demand for FinTech professionals in day-to-day business, many organizations today need to be future-ready and equip more young talents with a wide range of skills and knowledge, from technology to business, and from strategy to regulations.

ASTRI will support Deloitte by providing technical training to Deloitte’s young talents; while Deloitte will support ASTRI with FinTech professional trainers for the FinTech talent nurturing programme initiated by the City University of Hong Kong on their FinTech Olympiad 2023 where ASTRI is appointed as the strategic partner of the event.

The upcoming the Insurer of the Future Summit 2022 also marks the beginning of ASTRI and Deloitte’s partnership in a series of FinTech marketing activities. Starting in November 2022, Deloitte will act as a significant partner organization for ASTRI in a series of FinTech related marketing and promotion activities for a period of 2 years.

Dr. Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI is excited about the collaboration, “This is a long-term commitment. By deepening our collaboration with Deloitte, we are taking another major step in developing the technology ecosystem. Our common goal is to further strengthen our competitiveness through leveraging each other’s competencies and experience. We look forward to creating remarkable impact from this collaboration in the near future.”

Deloitte China’s Southern Region Managing Partner Mr Edward Au commented, “Closer, cross-disciplinary collaborations within the FinTech ecosystem play a significant role to support the fast-growing industry, which is key to reimagine financial services and maintain Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center. As part of Deloitte’s INspire HK strategy, this partnership demonstrates our deep commitment to support Hong Kong’s financial industry and FinTech innovation.”

Mr Alan Cheung, Senior Director, Trust and AI Technologies of ASTRI and Mr Robert Lui, Deloitte China Government Affairs Southern Region Leader added, ASTRI and Deloitte share the same aspiration to empower the next FinTech generation and make strategic impacts to Hong Kong and the world. With this long-term strategic collaboration, we look forward to further facilitating knowledge transfer and accelerating technological innovation within the thriving innovation and technology ecosystem of Hong Kong.

[Las Vegas, USA, 28 September 2022] Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI), and Astella Technologies Limited (Astella) collaborate with 5G industry leaders to deliver a live, 5G end-to-end demonstration of 5G integrated small cells at the MWC Las Vegas 2022, being held in Las Vegas from 28 September to 30 September 2022.

The demonstration showcases the 5G Integrated Small Cell (ISC) connected with a commercial Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) for live data streaming. The 5G integrated small cell operates at the 26GHz mmWave carrier frequency with 400MHz carrier bandwidth in a Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA) 5G network.

The end to end 5G mmWave network consists of building blocks from O-RAN ecosystem collaborators. In particular,

• Core network and MEC
  • ASTRI’s high performance core network and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC). Its fully standard compliant core network and MEC technologies have been commercially verified, and provide a reliable, secure, ultra-low latency, high performance, zero-touch deployment network ready for enterprise and commercial markets.
• 5G ISC
  • NXP® Semiconductors’ integrated small cell hardware platform featuring the company’s Layerscape® Access LA1200 family of programmable baseband processors, along with its high-performance Arm®-based multicore communications processing platform (LX2160).
  • ASTELLA 5G mmWave ISC software which consists of high-performance high PHY and low PHY software with Digital Front-End (DFE), rooted by ASTRI 5G technologies and further enhanced for commercial deployments.
  • 5G mmWave Front End Module (FEM) developed by YTTEK based on the Anokiwave RFICs that supports 2T2R and 400MHz system bandwidth.
• 5G NSA CPE
  • Commercial CPE supporting 5G NSA network.

The 5G ISC is operated at 26GHz carrier frequency with 120KHz subcarrier spacing and is configured in 2 transmit and 2 receive (2T2R) with aggregations of 100MHz component carriers to support 400MHz system bandwidth. The demonstration shows the dual connectivity in a 5G NSA network, running live data streaming traffic and achieving over gigabit per second system throughput.

Astella 5G ISC supports both indoor and outdoor deployments of 5G networks in sub-6 or mmWave frequency bands. It also supports open interfaces and measurements from the layers in low PHY and high PHY for 5G intelligent application usages. Astella 5G solutions are cost competitive and industrial-grade O-RAN networking solution based on general purpose processing platforms. They have been deployed in commercial public networks, private networks, industrial internet of things (IoT) networks, 5G mission critical communication networks etc.

Dr Justin Chuang, VP of Communications Technologies of ASTRI, said “ASTRI is delighted to join hands with our collaborators to showcase our latest 5G technologies. Ranging from 5G O-RAN base stations, core networks, MEC and orchestrator, ASTRI’s technologies have been licensed to multiple industry partners to enable and accelerate the commercialization. MWC provides a good platform for us to promote technologies and reach-out for collaboration. We look forward to work with the eco-system to develop more market-needed technologies and enable a wider range of emerging applications such as smart cities, industrial IoT, C-V2X, AR/VR etc.”

Dr Eric Tsang, CEO of Astella Technologies Limited, said “Astella is pleased to collaborate with all the 5G industry leaders to offer commercial ready, cost competitive and high performance 5G solutions. We have strong commitments to accelerate our customers to have quick time to market 5G solutions.”

ASTRI and Astella demonstrates the live end-to-end system of the 5G integrated small cells in the event. Please email us at [email protected] to schedule physical or virtual meetings with ASTRI and Astella.