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

ASTRI Board appoints new Directors

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) has announced the composition of its Board of Directors with effect from 21 October 2016, which includes the following new appointees:

Mr Duncan Chiu, Chairman, Lai Yuen Amusement Park Limited
Ms Hera Siu, Consultant
Mr Pindar Wong, Chairman, VeriFi (Hong Kong) Limited

The newly-appointed members will be serving until 20 October 2018.

Chairman of ASTRI’s Board of Directors Mr Wong Ming-yam welcomed the new members to the Board. He said, “We are pleased and privileged to have these three distinguished professionals joining the ASTRI Board. Their wealth of experiences and expertise will surely take ASTRI to scale new heights. We would also like to express our heart-felt thanks to the retiring directors who made substantial contributions to ASTRI during their service period.”

Retiring from ASTRI’s Board of Directors are Prof Philip Chan Ching-ho, BBS, Prof Andrew Chan Chi-fai, SBS, JP and Ms Agnes Nardi Kar-wai.

As from 21 October 2016, the composition of ASTRI’s Board of Directors is as follows:

Chairman
Mr Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP

Members
Ms Cally Chan Shan-shan
Mr Cheng Cheuk-wing
Prof Roland Chin Tai-hong, BBS, JP
Prof Ching Pak-chung, BBS
Mr Duncan Chiu
Mr Humphrey Choi Chor-ching, JP
Mr Tony Choi Siu-chow
Mr Ha Yung-kuen, BBS
Mr Kwong Chi-keung, JP
Dr Alan Lam Hiu-fung
Mr Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP
Dr Tiger Lin Zhenhui
Mr Andy Liu An-ting
Dr Davy Lo Kwok-wai
Ms Hera Siu
Mr Denis Tse Tik-yang
Mr Pindar Wong
(In alphabetical order according to surname)

Official Members

Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, JP, Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology
Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology

Newly Appointed Directors of the Board Ms. Hera Siu and Mr. Pindar Wong visit ASTRI

Ms. Hera Siu and Mr. Pindar Wong, newly appointed Directors of the Board, ASTRI visited the Institute on 20 October and met with Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Elaine Wong, Chief Administrative Officer, Ms. Cammy Yung, Chief Financial Officer and leaders from various Technology Divisions for an in-depth discussion. The Directors also viewed the real-time 2D/3D conversion technology.

Representatives from International Monetary Fund visits ASTRI

Dr. Chongyong Rhee, Director, Asia and Pacific Department of International Monetary Fund visited ASTRI on 19 October and met with Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Duncan Wong, Vice-President, Financial Technologies. Dr. Rhee toured around ASTRI Security Lab and Cyber Range Lab and was given an introduction on ASTRI’s technologies including Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform, Blockchain and Big Data Analytics and real-time 2D/3D conversion technology, to name but a few.

During the visit, Dr. Rhee and Dr. Tong also had a meaningful discussion on the Fintech ecosystem including regulatory participation, infrastructure building and talent development.

Dr. Chongyong Rhee (3rd from left), Director, Asia and Pacific Department of International Monetary Fund visits ASTRI.

Introduction on ASTRI’s Big Data Analytics technology.

Introduction on ASTRI’s Blockchain technology.

Welcome remarks by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI at the Industry and University Collaboration Forum (IUCF) 2016

Following is the welcome remarks by Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI at the Industry and University Collaboration Forum (IUCF) 2016 held on 17 October.

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Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas Yang, President of Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research, Prof Edward Chen, Distinguished speakers and guests, Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me tremendous pleasure as Chairman of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, or ASTRI, to welcome you all to today’s Industry and University Collaboration Forum 2016.

This Forum is ASTRI’s annual signature event to inform current and potential partners of our latest technological developments, solicit suggestions for future R&D projects and cultivate collaboration opportunities. Once every year, senior representatives from governments, key industry players and leading academics from around the world join this event to share their experience and insights and exchange views on issues of common concern.

Today’s very interesting and exciting programme features highly inspiring keynote speeches, breakout sessions and discussion panels covering a wide range of subjects pertaining to the latest developments on the Smart City concept and how to enable cities in a 5G environment.

Before going any further, for some of you who are visiting Hong Kong for the first time, allow me to briefly say a few words about this great city of ours in areas more directly relevant to today’s occasion.

Firstly, in terms of innovation, Cornell University’s 2016 Global Innovation Index placed Hong Kong among the top 14 innovative places out of some 140 economies surveyed. The World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2015 ranked Hong Kong second in International Internet Bandwidth and fourth in Asia in the Networked Readiness Index. In the State of LTE 4th Quarter 2015 Report, Hong Kong’s 4G LTE mobile network coverage was the third in the world. According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook, Hong Kong has ranked first globally in technology infrastructure for five consecutive years.

These are indeed very encouraging and remarkable achievements for Hong Kong. When it comes to reach and development, however, it is widely acknowledged that Hong Kong definitely still have a lot of catching up to do. We need to invest more in R&D. We need to attract more global technology talent. Most important of all, we need the right policy direction and the right environment where innovation-based industries, services and solutions can flourish here in Hong Kong in today’s increasingly fast-changing world.

Developments in the local technology and innovation scene have been rather encouraging in recent years with various public and private initiatives being put in place to foster R&D and nurture technology based and innovative businesses. A good number of local R&D platforms and facilities have been developing well, making remarkable progress in terms of developing and applying new technologies, and ASTRI is very proud to be one of them. As far as the Government is concerned, we are very glad to see that it is determined to providing full policy, financial and technological support infrastructure to develop Hong Kong into a knowledge-based economy and an innovation hub for technology and its application in the region. Investing in smart city development in Hong Kong is a crucial part of such efforts.

That brings us back to today’s forum topic of “Smart City & 5G Wireless”. Exactly what Smart City as a concept would mean to citizens around the world? How would it affect places such as Hong Kong?

Secretary Yang has very neatly outlined what the Hong Kong Government has in mind for Hong Kong as a Smart City at the recently held APAC Innovation Summit 2016. I must defer to him to enlighten us in this regard when he addresses the forum in a short while.

Today we will also have the privilege of having world renowned economist Prof Edward Chen as our keynote speaker. In his capacity as President of the Qianhai Institute for Innovation Research, Prof Chen will share with us his thoughts and insights regarding the outlook and prospects of Hong Kong’s future cooperation with the neighbouring Qianhai and Shenzhen, both of which being China’s special administrative zones are rather innovation and technology oriented and are therefore set to bring us enormous opportunities and challenges in the years to come.

Throughout today, we will have prominent innovators and key players from the public, private, academic and business sectors from Hong Kong and overseas putting their heads together on a wide range of very interesting topics and issues spanning smart connectivity and mobility, 5G networks and radio access technologies as well as the latest trends in the development and application of such technologies in areas as diverse as transport management, airport operations and health care.

We at ASTRI have been working earnestly on exciting new technologies that would contribute to Smart City development. As part of today’s programme, there will be a session of speeches giving you an overview of ASTRI’s latest developments in respect of Smart Living. There will also be signing ceremonies marking our respective collaboration with the University Hong Kong and the 21Vianet Group for the setting up of joint research laboratories. There will be more about that later on.

Ladies and gentlemen, 5G networks are expected to roll out around 2020 to meet business and consumer demands. Its benefits and potential are very promising. So are the development of Smart Cities. With such a well assembled group of experts, I’m sure today’s forum will serve as a great platform for you all to converge, sharing, exchanging and exploring new ideas and approaches to make our cities smarter and our lives better. I hope you would enjoy our city and find today’s deliberations most fruitful and inspiring.

Thank you.

ASTRI to Partner with China’s Largest Internet Data Centre Service Provider 21Vianet Group in 5G Network Race

[Hong Kong, 17 October 2016] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) will partner with 21Vianet Group Limited (21Vianet), China’s largest carrier-neutral Internet data centre service provider, to conduct research and development (R&D) and field trials in a 5G testbed in the run-up to the launch of the next generation mobile network.

ASTRI and 21Vianet today entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a joint research and development laboratory, “ASTRI-21Vianet Joint R&D Lab”, where both parties will develop advanced technologies and explore new applications of technologies in areas of smart cities and the next generation network. According to the MoU, both parties will jointly develop TD-LTE small cell service in commercial telecommunications network and Mobile Edge Computing related technologies and related applications. The collaboration will foster R&D talent exchange and cultivation.

21Vianet also agrees to allow ASTRI to use its TD-LTE spectrum in Hong Kong free of charge to conduct field trials of private LTE networks from now to March 2019, which is a significant step towards building the infrastructure for the 5G mobile network – expected to be rolled out from around 2020.

Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI said “Smart City technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) would be made possible only with the 5G networks, which will have a much larger capacity and provide speeds that are 100 times faster than the current 4G networks. China is at the forefront of developing 5G technology. ASTRI’s strategic cooperation with 21Vianet is crucial and helps Hong Kong pave the way for the launch of 5G networks.”

“We are excited by this opportuny to collaborate with ASTRI on the R&D of Smart City and Next Generation Network technlogies. ASTRI has a strong team on LTE technologies and affluent patent portfolio in LTE, LTE-A and 5G wireless technologies. We are confident that our collaboration will bring benefits to the industry and make significant impacts on 5G network development, contributing to the evolution on the Smart City development.”, said Mr. Andrew Lee, Managing Director of 21Vianet.

A signing ceremony of the Joint Research and Development Lab was held at the Industry and University Collaboration Forum 2016 organised by ASTRI today. Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and Mr. Andrew Lee, Managing Director of 21Vianet signed the MoU under the witnesses Mr. Ming-yam Wong, BBS, JP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI and Mr. Yoshihisa Ueno, Director of the Board of 21Vianet.

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 Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org.

About 21Vianet

21Vianet Group is a leading carrier-neutral internet data centre services provider in China. 21Vianet provides hosting and related services, managed network services, cloud services, content delivery network services, last-mile wired broadband services and business VPN services.

Media enquiries:

Cherry Au of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.

Tel: (852) 3406 2993 | Email: cherryau@ astri.org

Daphne Chan of Andy Ho Public Affairs Consulting Co. Ltd.

Tel: (852) 2375 8168 / (852) 5960 7926 | Email: daphne@ andyho.hk

Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI (2nd left), and Mr. Andrew Lee, Managing Director of 21Vianet (2nd right), sign a Memorandum of Understanding to set up the ASTRI-21Vianet Joint R&D Lab, in the witnesses of Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of ASTRI (1st left), and Mr. Yoshihisa Ueno, Director of the Board of 21Vianet (1st right).

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Experts and Industry Leaders Discuss how to Use Smart City Technologies and 5G Networks to Improve Quality of Life

[Hong Kong, 17 October 2016] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) today brought together experts and industry leaders from more than 20 universities, research institutes and technology companies around the world at a forum in Hong Kong – to exchange visions of smart cities and explore possible collaborations to drive technological innovation and development that will improve quality of life in the next decade.

Around 500 people from the industry and academia attended the Industry and University Collaboration Forum (IUCF) 2016, with the theme “Smart City & 5G Wireless”, at Hong Kong Science Park. Forum speakers, including scholars from local and overseas universities as well as experts of industry heavyweights such as Airport Authority of Hong Kong, Microsoft Hong Kong, Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd., and CITIC Telecom International, etc. shared their insights into the key challenges in developing a smart city, the key drivers for cities to adopt 5G solutions and smart technologies, the trend of broadband, and the new paradigm for 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The forum’s keynote speaker, Prof. Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, CBE, GBS, JP, President of Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research, pointed out the need for better cross-border interflow of resources between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. He urged industry players to embrace the challenges and opportunities offered by the development of Qianhai New District, a pilot district in West Shenzhen for closer cooperation between Hong Kong and Mainland China.

In the welcome remarks, Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI said, “The launch of 5G network will enable smart technologies to be applied to every possible part of our daily lives, such as infrastructure, transportation, waste management, energy and healthcare. Not only will our city’s resources and services be used and managed more efficiently, but also our quality of life will be improved. Hong Kong has world-class Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructures which bring about technological and socio-economic progresses in the economy. We, at ASTRI, are dedicated to innovation and technology pursuit and we have been working proactively with different stakeholders from government, industry and universities. Together, we develop innovative ICT ideas and solutions for a smart city.”

In his opening remarks, Mr Nicholas W. Yang, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology said that promoting “smart city” is one of the priority tasks of the Innovation and Technology Bureau. “The Innovation and Technology Bureau will work closely with the research, public and private sectors on the use of innovation and technology to address urban challenges to enhance city management and improve quality of living, sustainability, efficiency and safety of our city. As part of the consultancy study, we will set up a portal to crowd-source innovative ideas from the community, and to share public’s views in building Hong Kong as a true ‘smart city’.” Mr Yang added.

According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook, Hong Kong has ranked first globally in technology infrastructure for five consecutive years. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2016, Hong Kong ranks second in International Internet Bandwidth and third in Asia in the Networked Readiness Index. In the State of LTE 4th Quarter 2015 Report, Hong Kong’s 4G LTE mobile network coverage ranks third in the world.

The HKSAR Government is using Kowloon East as a testbed for smart mobility. ASTRI has been working with the Energising Kowloon East Office in a pilot scheme to develop a geographic information system (GIS) and a smart parking system in Kowloon East to help drivers avoid traffic jam and locate the closest available parking space.

Data security and smart health management are also important in a smart city such as Hong Kong. ASTRI has close collaborations with the Hong Kong Police Force, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the financial industry to launch R&D in cyber security, Fintech and big data analytics. For smart health management, ASTRI has developed multiple easy accessible, non-invasive and cost effective health devices for Pulse Oximetry & Heart Rate Monitoring and Continual Blood Pressure & Arterial Stiffness Measurement. In China, ASTRI has also developed an IoT management system which has been used in major cities for managing street lights and solar power stations.

The IUCF is ASTRI’s annual signature event organised annually to provide a meaningful platform for the industry and academia to discuss about latest technological development and cultivate cross-sector or cross-border collaborations in future R&D projects. In addition to the dynamic and exciting discussions on Smart City and 5G for this year, ASTRI also showcased different technologies via demos in IUCF.

About ASTRI

Media contacts:

Cherry Au of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.

Tel: (852) 3406 2993 | Email: cherryau@ astri.org

Daphne Chan of Andy Ho Public Affairs Consulting Co. Ltd.

Tel: (852) 2375 8168 / (852) 5960 7926 | Email: daphne@ andyho.hk

Honourable guests and speakers at the ASTRI Industry and University Collaboration Forum. From right: Prof. Sham Mai-har, Associate Vice-President (Research) of HKU, Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI, Prof. Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, CBE, GBS, JP, President of Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research, Mr. Nicholas Yang, JP, Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Prof. Andy Hor Tzi-sum, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU, Ms. Annie Choi, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, and Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI.

Around 500 people from the industry and academia attend the Industry and University Collaboration Forum 2016 – with the theme “Smart City & 5G Wireless”.

HKU partners with ASTRI to establish Joint Research Laboratory on FinTech, HealthTech and Smart City

[Hong Kong, 17 October 2016] The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the HKU-ASTRI Joint Research Laboratory. This is the first time that HKU establishes collaboration with a research institute to focus on financial technologies (FinTech) education, health technologies (HealthTech) and smart city technologies.

A signing ceremony of the Joint Research Laboratory was held at the Industry and University Collaboration Forum 2016 that was organised by ASTRI today. Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and Professor Andy Hor Tzi-sum, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU signed the MoU, witnessed by Mr. Ming-yam Wong, BBS, JP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTRI and Professor Sham Mai-har, Associate Vice- President (Research) of HKU.

Professor Andy Hor is delighted to partner with ASTRI in advancing translational research. He said: “This is not only a new chapter for both institutions, but also the ‘Moment of Truth’ for Hong Kong as we strive to extract the value of academic and applied research to our community and society. The synergistic partnership in which the collaboration is complementary, mutually enhancing, and create a win-win-win formula not only for HKU and ASTRI, but also Hong Kong and its people. The collaboration allows creative basic research to flow through the value chain to become innovative technology and impact, in the form of products, processes, services, even new industries or setting consumer trends and industry standards.”

“Despite our joint research efforts with the public and private sectors over the years, this joint research laboratory marks ASTRI’s close collaboration with tertiary institute to develop Fintech education, as well as R&D in HealthTech and Smart City. These are areas which ASTRI has devoted significant research efforts to, and will enhance our city’s competitiveness and contribute to its transformation into a sustainable and diversified economy. We look forward to further collaborating with HKU and other tertiary institutes in the long run to groom tech talents for Hong Kong,” said Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI.

According to the MoU, both ASTRI and HKU agree to jointly carry out R&D projects in areas covering FinTech, HealthTech and Smart City and promote scientific and technological co-operation. The co-operation will last for five years and it is expected that a new generation of researchers will be trained through scientific and student exchanges.

About ASTRI

About HKU

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is the first and oldest institution of higher learning in Hong Kong, and was founded in 1911, incorporating the Hong Kong College of Medicine (est. 1887). For over a century, the University has dedicated itself to creating knowledge, providing education, and serving society. It has grown with Hong Kong and generations of its graduates have helped shape the city from which the University takes its name. Today, HKU has an established worldwide reputation for being a research-led comprehensive University with ten Faculties and a strong commitment to intellectual freedom, liberty and diversity. HKU’s research areas and themes reflect issues of local, regional and global concern and bring together experts from diverse disciplines. The university has academic partnerships with over 300 universities and research institutes around the world. Through these endeavours, the University will continue to contribute to the development of leaders and to the advancement of society locally, regionally and internationally. For further information about HKU, please visit www.hku.hk

Media enquiries:

Ms Rhea Leung of the University of Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2857 8555/ (852) 9022 7446; email: rhea.leung @hku.hk

Cherry Au of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.

Tel: (852) 3406 2993 | Email: cherryau @astri.org

Dr. Frank Tong, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI (2^nd right), and Professor Andy Hor Tzi-sum, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of HKU (2^nd left), sign a Memorandum of Understanding to set up the HKU-ASTRI Joint Research Laboratory, in the witnesses of Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of ASTRI (1^st right), and Professor Sham Mai-har, Associate Vice- President (Research) of HKU (1^st left).

Group photo of ASTRI’s representatives and the HKU team after the signing ceremony.

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ASTRI’s Board Chairman shares insights on technologies for smart city in Symposium on Innovation and Technology

Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of Board of Directors of ASTRI was invited as the moderator of the Panel Discussions session to share insights on technologies for smart city development at the Symposium on Innovation and Technology held on 13 October 2016 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

In the discussion session, Mr. Wong discussed with a number of panelist speakers from the industry the emerging technologies that can contribute to the development of Smart City and smarter living. Mr. Wong also shared his views on the future technologies direction and the possible challenges.

Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of Board of Directors of ASTRI shares insights at the Symposium on Innovation and Technology.

Mr. Wong Ming-yam, BBS, JP, Chairman of Board of Directors of ASTRI (left) with one of the panelist speakers the Hon Charles Mok, JP (right).

Delegates of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region visit ASTRI

Mr. Cao Kunhua, Director-General, Mr. Du Wenhong, Director, Division of Hi-tech Development and Industrialisation, Mrs. Chen Dan, International and Regional Science and Technology Cooperation Division of Science and Technology Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Mr. Jiang Dongzhou, Head of Reporters Centre of Guangxi of Science and Technology Daily visited ASTRI on 13 October. Ms. Elaine Wong, Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Thomas Liu, Vice President, Intelligent Manufacturing and Mr. Ryan Chung, Director of Chief Technology Officer Office warmly received the delegates and presented to them ASTRI’s latest technologies. They had a fruitful discussion on technology collaboration and talent cultivation. Mr. Cao Kunhua remarked that Guangxi provincial government has put in special project funding for promoting technological development of Guangxi and is keen on exploring collaboration opportunities on intelligent manufacturing and electronics and information technology with ASTRI.

Senior Management of ASTRI visit Southern University of Science and Technology

Dr. Frank Tong, CEO, Dr. Duncan Wong, Vice-President, Financial Technologies and Dr. Thomas Liu, Vice-President, Intelligent Manufacturing led a delegation to visit Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen on 11 October.

The delegates had a fruitful discussion with Prof. Wang Duoxiang, Vice-President, Innovation, Prof. Xia Zhihong, Chair Professor, Department of Mathematics and other senior members of the University on four major research areas including Fintech, Intelligent Manufacturing, Next Generation Network and IC Design. They also explored collaboration opportunities on talent acquisition and talent nurturing programme.