ASTRI’s Electronic Packaging Innovation Awarded First-class Prize of the 2020 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Appointment of New Directors to ASTRI Board

  • [Hong Kong, 21 October 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) today announced the appointment of two new Directors and re-appointment of six Directors to the ASTRI Board for the period from 21 October 2021 to 20 October 2023.

    The new appointees are:

    • Prof Christopher Chao Yu-hang
      Vice President (Research and Innovation), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
      Chair Professor of Thermal and Environmental Engineering
      Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering
    • Mr Wilfred Wong Kam-pui, BBS, JP
      Managing Director, RESOLUTIONS HR & Business Consultancy Co. Ltd.

    Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP is re-appointed as the Chairman of the ASTRI Board, and the other re-appointees are:

    • Prof Chan Chun-kwong
    • Mr Stephen Chau Kam-kun
    • Mr Stephen Ho Wai-chung
    • Mr Peter Ng Hon-yu
    • Ir Prof Joseph Ng Kee-yin

    Chairman of ASTRI’s Board of Directors Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong said, “I am honoured to be re-appointed as ASTRI’s Chairman to lead ASTRI and to contribute to the ecosystem of innovation and technology in Hong Kong. I hereby extend my warmest welcome to the two newly appointed members to the Board of Directors. I look forward to working with them closely to bring ASTRI to the next level.”

    On behalf of the Board, Ir Lee also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the two retiring Directors, namely Mr Ha Yung-kuen, BBS and Mr Andy Liu An-ting whose term of office has expired after 20 October 2021, for their support for and contributions to ASTRI in the past.

    As from 21 October 2021, the composition of ASTRI’s Board of Directors is as follows:

    Chairman
    Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP

    Members
    Prof Chan Chun-kwong
    Prof Christopher Chao Yu-hang
    Mr Stephen Chau Kam-kun
    Mr Charles Chow Sai-keung
    Mr Steve Chuang Tzu-hsiung
    Mr Stephen Ho Wai-chung
    Prof Lam Tak-wah
    Mr Edmund Lee Chi-wai
    Prof Sabrina Lin Man-yee
    Mr Theodore Ma Heng
    Mr Peter Ng Hon-yu
    Ir Prof Joseph Ng Kee-yin
    Dr Alfred Ng Man-cheuk
    Ir Dr Samson Tai Kin-hon
    Mr Anthony Tong Tat-hay
    Mr Wilfred Wong Kam-pui, BBS, JP
    Ms Ada Wong Yin-man
    (In alphabetical order according to surname)

    Official Members
    Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP, Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology
    Ms Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology

     

    – END –

     

    About ASTRI

    The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (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 competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions: Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics; Communications; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems; and IoT and Sensors. It is applied across five cores areas which are Smart City, Financial Technologies, Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits.

    Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. To date, ASTRI has transferred over 750 technologies to the industries and been granted more than 900 patents in the Mainland, the US, and other countries.

    For further information, please visit www.astri.org

     

    Media Enquiries:

    Ms Choi Yiu
    Manager, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications
    Tel: +852 3406 2506
    Email: [email protected]

    ASTRI leverages privacy-preserving “Federated Learning” technology to facilitate credit scoring for MSME financing in collaboration with Standard Chartered, PAOB, OpenRice and FreightAmigo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    END

    Captions:

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

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

    ASTRI Supports CE’s Policy Address to Bolster Innovation & Technology Development in Hong Kong

  • [Hong Kong, 6 October 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has expressed full support to the initiatives of the Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address in bolstering the development of innovation and technology (I&T) which will help transform Hong Kong into an international I&T hub and build a bright future.

    Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, said: “We are immensely pleased to see that the government continues to actively promote the development of I&T in Hong Kong via diversified policy initiatives, including providing more land and infrastructure, promoting research and development, investing in innovation and technology, accelerating re-industrialisation, as well enriching our talent pool. In addition, collaboration in I&T between Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and other mainland cities will be strengthened. Let us join hands to seize the opportunities of the National 14th Five-Year Plan and contribute to Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T hub.”

    Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, added: “ASTRI has leveraged cutting-edge technologies in a wide range of areas. We will render our full support to the government to implement the initiatives, which include accelerating the adoption of innovative 5G applications across multiple industries, realising intelligent manufacturing, making use of the Commercial Data Interchange platform developed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to promote alternative credit scoring, etc., in a view to continuously foster smart city development and enhance quality of life of citizens.”

    ASTRI’s core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions: Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics; Communications; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems; and IoT and Sensors. It is applied across five cores areas which are Smart City, Financial Technologies, Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits.
    Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. To date, ASTRI has transferred over 750 technologies to the industries and been granted more than 900 patents in the Mainland, the US, and other countries.

    ASTRI showcases cutting-edge 5G (Easy 5G) technologies Joining PT Expo China for the 6th Year

  • [Hong Kong, 27 September 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) showcases a portfolio of its cutting-edge 5G technologies at the PT Expo China 2021 in Beijing from 27-29 September.

    Adopting the theme of “5G Innovation for Digital Future”, ASTRI demonstrates its technologies and innovations that enhance the competitive strength of enterprises in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and around the world.

    PT Expo China is the ICT ecosystem’s leading annual event, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. It provides an international platform and networking opportunities for the ICT ecosystem in research and development, applications, and market trends. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Innovation lights up Digital Future’ – focusing on emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, blockchain, XR, quantum computing, and their applications.

    Dr Justin Chuang, Vice-President, Communications Technologies at ASTRI, said: “We have been developing 5G and C-V2X technologies since 2015 and continuously collaborating with various industry partners to address market needs. We are happy to showcase the fruits of these efforts. Our latest Easy 5G solution covers 5G O-RAN base station, 5G Core and 5G MEC, and is customisable to support emerging and diverse applications. Our C-V2X solution is already in open road test, aiming to provide real-scenario experiences to support the road map of smart mobility that eventually enables autonomous driving. We look forward to joining hands with more partners and contributing to smart city in China and globally.

    ASTRI’s technologies showcased at PT Expo include:

    EASY 5G technology solution

    It is a cutting-edge end-to-end mobile network technology solution, covering 5G base station, 5G MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) and 5G Core. It is innovative, with commercial-grade and proven quality, strong market potentials and social benefits. It can lower the entry barrier for SMEs to enter 5G market. Easy 5G technologies have been licensed to many customers including quite a few technology giants for commercialisation and contributed to Hong Kong’s 5G rollout.

    • 5G O-RAN Solution: ASTRI’s Easy 5G adopts O-RAN (open radio access network) base station design — an emerging 5G network deployment and business model that enables open, virtualised, and fully interoperable RAN. It supports diversified hardware platforms (ARM/x86/SoC) and allows mobile network operators (MNOs) to mix-and-match RAN equipment components from different suppliers.
    • 5G SA Core and UPF: ASTRI’s 5G core network software on Intel platform has demonstrated a world-leading UPF data throughput exceeding 1.3Tbps earlier in 2020. ASTRI’s 5G Core is evolving to support 3GPP Rel. 16/17, including TSN (Time Sensitive Networking) over 5G and 5G-LAN for industrial IoT; network slicing, which enables operators to maximise the return on investment via efficient usage and management of the network resources; and Orchestrator for network autoscaling.
    • 5G MEC: ASTRI’s MEC delivers intelligence-enabled services at the network edge with benefits of reducing latency, enabling disruptive vertical services and improving infrastructure’s efficiency.

    5G+AI application technologies

    Cover from Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), smart city neuron platform to visual positioning technologies for emerging applications such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV). Combining with 5G high bandwidth, ultra-low latency and massive IoT capabilities, these technologies provide new and innovative applications:

    • 5G C-V2X for Smart Mobility: C-V2X is the future of transport. ASTRI’s C-V2X network solution is in Open Road Test now, which symbolises a milestone in Hong Kong’s Smart Mobility. Together with 5G technologies, C-V2X solution will enable effective, accurate and faster information sharing that improves road safety and traffic efficiency and pave a way towards future development of autonomous vehicle.
    • Neuron Platform for Smart City: ASTRI’s Neuron Platform is a 5G-based ICT software platform for smart city that enables a framework of data collection, processing, and sharing to accelerate the adaptation of smart city development. The platform is cloud-based and can be deployed at network edge and central office. The Platform trial network has been deployed in Hong Kong Science Park.
    • 5G AGV solution for Industrial IoT: ASTRI develops a new semantics visual SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping) technology — a method used for autonomous vehicles that lets drivers build a map and localise their vehicles in that map at the same time. The developed solution integrates machine learning and AI to enable a smarter and simpler indoor/outdoor navigation for AGV.
    • Perception and High Precision Positioning Technology: The technology is based on single camera with innovative camera calibration technology that provides low-cost, low-latency and high precision positioning services such as C-V2X, Autonomous Driving, and Smart City. ASTRI’s technology is field verified and used by our partners in mass-production.

    For more information, please visit ASTRI’s booth E2756 during the exhibition.

    ASTRI showcases a portfolio of its cutting-edge 5G technologies at the PT Expo China 2021 in Beijing.

    ASTRI announces appointment of new CEO

  • [Hong Kong, 23 September 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has today announced the appointment of Dr. Denis Shing Fai YIP as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from 5 October 2021.

    ASTRI Board Chairman Ir. Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP, said that he and his Board members are confident that Dr. Yip would lead Hong Kong’s largest applied research and development institute well with a view to developing Hong Kong’s technology-based industries.

    Ir. Lee said, “We are impressed with Dr. Yip’s extensive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors, covering management, strategy, operation, research and development as well as marketing. I am confident that he will lead ASTRI to continue strengthening its research and commercialisation work, and make significant contribution to Hong Kong’s development into a remarkable smart city as well as an international innovation and technology hub.”

    Dr. Yip had worked in Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo, and served at senior positions in a number of large enterprises. He has been serving as the Commissioner for Belt and Road of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau since the end of June 2019.

    From 2017 to early 2019, Dr. Yip served as President and Director of the Digital China Holdings Company and the Fujian Start Group respectively. He steered the development of the enterprises and established their business footholds. He had been the Senior Vice President and the President of Greater China of EMC Corporation since July 2006, and the Senior Vice President and President of Greater China of Dell Technologies Inc. since 2016. He was responsible for the overall business operations in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the period. From 1991 to 2006, Dr. Yip held a variety of senior management positions in the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), including as the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Storage Division.

    “I am deeply honored to join ASTRI and look forward to working closely with the team to leverage the opportunities brought by the “14th Five-Year Plan”, which enables us to exert greater influence in Hong Kong, the mainland and beyond with our research and development achievements,” said Dr. Yip.

    Dr. Yip holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from University of California, Berkeley. He also holds an MBA degree from Golden Gate University and completed Doctor of Business Administration degree in University of Management and Technology.

    ASTRI congratulates China Chippacking Technology for successfully listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange

  • [Hong Kong, 24 June 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) expresses its warmest congratulations to its partner, China Chippacking Technology Co., Ltd, which was successfully listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange today and will trade under the ticker symbol 688216.SH. Mr Liang Dazhong, Chairman and Managing Director of the Board at China Chippacking Technology, and his delegation, performed a bell-ringing ceremony on 23 June, 2021. As a strategic partner of Chippacking Technology, ASTRI was invited to the listing reciprocal banquet and Ms Tina Yang, ASTRI’s Director of Mainland Strategy and Operations was in attendance.

    ASTRI and Chippacking Technology have been partners for many years. Chippacking Technology focuses on providing customers with competitive packaging and testing products, while ASTRI’s Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICS) Technology Division is committed to researching and developing advanced packaging technologies. The parties have jointly developed many advanced packaging technologies and products, as a result improving product performance and reducing packaging and testing costs. Joint projects by the two parties have been developed and mass-produced on the three-dimensional packaging pilot line located in the Hong Kong Science Park. They were also the first mass production projects completed by the local advanced packaging pilot line in Hong Kong.

    Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer at ASTRI and Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer, congratulated Chippacking Technology on its successful listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Dr Hui said: “We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Chippacking Technology. We hope Chippacking Technology and ASTRI will continue to develop more innovation and technology projects in the future, contributing to growth of the sector and the Greater Bay Area.”

    Dr Szeto said: “ASTRI is committed to developing market-oriented and competitive solutions. We are delighted to witness Chippacking Technology’s successful listing. We hope ASTRI will help our partners create more value in future.”

    Mr Liang Dazhong said: “Chippacking Technology has been collaborating with ASTRI in developing BGA and Flip-chip packaging technologies since 2014. We have laid a strong foundation but there is plenty of room for further cooperation. We are most grateful to ASTRI for its relentless support, and we look forward to continuing the strong collaboration to create more remarkable achievements.”


    Chairman and Managing Director of Chippacking Technology’s board Mr Liang Dazhong delivers a speech at the listing ceremony before ringing the bell.

    ASTRI Director of Mainland Strategy and Operations Ms Tina Yang (left), congratulates Mr Liang Dazhong (right), Chairman and Managing Director of Chippacking Technology’s board, and his wife at a reciprocal banquet to celebrate the company’s listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

    ASTRI welcomes and supports “Early Vaccination for All” and encourages employees to get a COVID-19 Vaccination in Hong Kong

  • [Hong Kong, 31 May 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has welcomed and expressed its full support for new government initiatives under Early Vaccination for All and again encouraged its employees to take advantage of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

    ASTRI, as a governmentfunded institute, will follow the new government policy to recognise and facilitate its employees to participate in the vaccination programme by granting vaccination leave to those who have already been inoculated and those who get vaccinated between 1 June and 31 August, 2021.

    As Hong Kong’s Covid-19 vaccination programme gathers pace, we call on our colleagues to participate if they havent already done so and protect themselves and their loved ones from the coronavirus that has caused so much disruption to our lives, said Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI.

    Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, said: The more of us that join the vaccination programme, the stronger our society can become and the sooner we can all return to the activities that have been suspended or restricted because of the pandemic.

    Employee health and safety has always been ASTRIs top priority. Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, ASTRI has adopted a people-first approach by offering support and flexibility to its employees as they fight the virus together.

    ASTRI develops Next Generation Food Safety Management Platform for smart import of frozen meat to enhance monitoring and traceability

  • [Hong Kong, 27 May 2021] The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has adopted blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to create the “Next Generation Cold Food Import Safety Management Platform” to digitise and enhance the monitoring and control of the import of frozen or chilled meat from Mainland China.

    The Next Generation Cold Food Import Safety Management Platform stores all import documents and container temperature data on the blockchain. Those who have been granted access rights, including farms, processing plants, importers and exporters, and approval units, will share the same documents and data to ensure consistency. Trucks will use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to record their driving routes and use an advanced electronic lock and thermometer to monitor the status of the container door and the temperature inside, uploading it to the system platform and storing on the blockchain in real time.

    Dr Lucas Hui, ASTRI’s Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer, said, “ASTRI has always been committed to using advanced scientific research to assist the government and the industrial and commercial sector in addressing problems and optimising operations, thereby improving the quality of life for our citizens. With the Next Generation Cold Food Import Safety Management Platform, we can assist importers and relevant government departments in more efficiently processing food import applications.”

    Mr Ricky Leung, senior manager of cybersecurity, cryptography and trusted technologies at ASTRI, and the project coordinator, said, “Our goal is to deploy blockchain and IoT technologies to ensure that the entire process of transporting and storing chilled and frozen food is efficient and hygienic, and to facilitate food traceability. If a food safety incident occurs, we will be able to trace where the problem food comes from and where it goes.”

    ASTRI, with the support from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and a meat importer, has conducted system trials on the routes between a meat processing plant on the Mainland and the Man Kam To Control Point. Two phases of the trials were successfully completed in February and March 2021. ASTRI will optimise the platform, and share the trial results with the relevant departments on the Mainland and in Hong Kong, anticipating further discussions on the development of the platform.

    ASTRI’s Ricky Leung with the Next Generation Cold Food Import Safety Management Platform, which enables users to control the electronic lock (middle) through the mobile app (left). Truck drivers can make use of the tablet (right) to access information, such as temperature and location of the container, in real time.

    ASTRI launches one of the world’s largest C-V2X public road tests, promoting Smart Mobility to improve the city’s mobility competence while enhancing road safety and efficiency

  • (30 March 2021) The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) successfully launched one of the world’s largest cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) public road tests in Hong Kong today, to study and test the technology’s application scenarios on the roads of Hong Kong, as well as the network and infrastructure required for the application. Covering a 14km route from Hong Kong Science Park to Sha Tin town centre, ASTRI’s C-V2X public road test will last about nine months.

    The launch is the start of a new journey in the development of Hong Kong as a Smart City, laying an important foundation in Smart Mobility, an enhancement in road safety and efficiency, as well as the next steps towards the future development of autonomous vehicles.

    ASTRI is an active participant in all aspects of the HK SAR Government’s Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint 2.0, published last December, as well as its earlier iteration in December 2017. With the support of the Innovation and Technology Commission and Transport Department, ASTRI has been taking the initiative to promote Smart Mobility through its C-V2X related projects.

    ASTRI’s C-V2X system makes real-time communication possible between vehicles and pedestrians, road-side infrastructure, networks and other vehicles. Information and warnings can be generated instantly to enhance road safety and assist driving. C-V2X technology can also be applied to real-time traffic monitoring, incident management, and route planning to improve efficiency. In the longer term, C-V2X paves the way for the development of autonomous driving technology, by assisting in detecting hidden dangers and improving road safety.

    Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, said: “ASTRI’s C-V2X technology fully complements Smart Mobility in the ‘Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint 2.0’ promulgated by the HKSAR Government and the different aspects in Smart Mobility Roadmap for Hong Kong to help enhance road safety and efficiency. We believe that C-V2X will create a new Smart Mobility Eco-System and new business opportunities for Hong Kong in the long term. More importantly, it will provide a safer, more convenient and efficient Smart Mobility experience for people in Hong Kong .”

    Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, said: “The C-V2X public road test starting today marks an important cornerstone for the development of Smart Mobility and Hong Kong as a Smart City. Traffic jams and accidents are the Achilles’ heels of Hong Kong’s transport network. With our C-V2X technology, we believe these issues can be addressed effectively, improving the safety and efficiency of our roads while laying a strong foundation for the development of autonomous driving and C-V2X assisted autonomous driving in Hong Kong.”

    Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, said: “The Transport Department has specified clearly in the Smart Mobility Roadmap for Hong Kong that C-V2X and autonomous driving are two of the important components in the development of future car technology. Apart from enhancing road safety, C-V2X can also be applied to other aspects of Smart Mobility. One of the most important aspects is to support and assist autonomous vehicles. In the future, C-V2X can be a key infrastructure that assists autonomous vehicles and solves the safe concerns raised when autonomous vehicles and manual vehicles share roads.”

    The launch ceremony was attended by Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Communications Technologies) of ASTRI, and partners who have contributed to the project.

    The officiating guests were invited to take a ride in the test vehicle to personally experience the advantages that C-V2X will bring, including safer, more reliable and convenient journeys for road users.

    The following examples, which were showcased on 30 March, are some of the many applications of C-V2X:

    Case 1: Pedestrian WarningPedestrian Warning” can help prevent accidents when the driver’s sight is blocked by notifying the driver of pedestrians crossing the road.

    Case 2: Roundabout WarningA vehicle can get into another vehicle’s blind spot easily on a roundabout. “Roundabout Warning” can help prevent accidents by predicting the running paths of relevant vehicles and generate an alarm if a collision is going to occur.

    Case 3: Front Collision WarningFront Collision Warning” can help prevent collision by alerting the rear vehicle immediately when the front vehicle reduces speed or brakes abruptly.

    Case 4: Blind Spot and Lane Change WarningAn accident may occur if the front vehicle changes lanes when the rear vehicle is in the front vehicle’s blind spot. “Blind Spot and Lane Change Warning” can help prevent accidents by notifying the front vehicle promptly.

    Case 5: Speed AlertThe driver may violate traffic rules or cause danger if he/she does not notice the speed limit on a road. “Speed Alert” can help prevent the situation by notifying the driver of the road’s speed limit.

    Case 6: Traffic Light InfoThe driver may not be able to see traffic lights when there is a long queue or a large vehicle ahead. “Traffic Light Info” can show the sequence of the lights in real time to the vehicle through reliable communication provided by the C-V2X network.

    Case 7: Congestion / Traffic Control WarningCongestion / Traffic Control Warning” can notify the vehicle of congestion ahead, allowing the vehicle to choose another route beforehand and avoid going into the congested area.

    Case 8: Intersection WarningIntersection Warning” can help prevent accidents by predicting the running path of the vehicle and alert the vehicle when it is near an intersection.

    Case 9: Emergency Stop WarningEmergency Stop Warning” can help prevent accidents by notifying other vehicles of the situation of abnormally stopped vehicles on the road.

    Case 10: Roadworks AlertRoadworks Alert” can notify the vehicle when there is a roadwork area ahead.

    For further information about ASTRI C-V2X, please visit www.astri.org/smart-mobility.

     

    The C-V2X public road test launch ceremony is officiated by Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI.

    (From left) Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, and Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department join the C-V2X public road test launch ceremony.

    (From left) Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Communications Technologies) of ASTRI, Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department, and Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, join the group photo.

    (Back row from left) Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Communications Technologies) of ASTRI, Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, and Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI.

    (Front row from left) Mr Michael Lam, General Manager of QTC Traffic Technology Limited, Mr Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science Park, Ms Venessa Wong, Director of Business Development of Scania China, Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department, Mr Peter Lam, Managing Director of HKT Engineering, Mr Rex Wong, JP, Chief Executive Officer of Kum Shing Holdings, and Mr Andy Ng, Project Manager of Shun Hing Group, join the C-V2X public road test launch ceremony.

    (From left) Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, presented the first passenger certificate to Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology and Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department.

    (From left) Dr. Justin Chuang, Vice President (Communications Technologies) of ASTRI, Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department, and Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, join the group photo in front of the C-V2X test vehicle.

    (From left) Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President (Communications Technologies) of ASTRI, Dr Martin Szeto, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI, and Dr Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, Mr Michael Lam, General Manager of QTC Traffic Technology Limited, Mr Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science Park, Ms Venessa Wong, Director of Business Development of Scania China, Ms Rebecca Pun, JP, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ir Sunny Lee, JP, Chairman of ASTRI, Mr Michael Law, Assistant Commissioner of Transport Department, Mr Peter Lam, Managing Director of HKT Engineering, Mr Rex Wong, JP, Chief Executive Officer of Kum Shing Holdings, and Mr Andy Ng, Project Manager of Shun Hing Group, and Dr. Lucas Hui, Acting Co-CEO cum Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, join the group photo before C-V2X public road test commence.