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The ASTRI Story
Chairman’s Message
CEO’s Report
Board of Directors
Our Organisation
Governance and Control
Achievements
Technology Divisions
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD)
Communications(COM)
Cybersecurity,Cryptographyand TrustedTechnologies(CCT)
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS)
InternetofThingsandSensors(IoTSEN)
Engaging with the Community
Performance
Financial Report
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18
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Table of Contents
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-20202 3
The ASTRI Story HongKongisacitydefinedbyits“LionRockSpirit”,acorevalue thathasbeenpassedon fromgenerationtogenerationover theyears. It involvesabelief thatnothing isachievedwithouthardwork,anda tenacitythatneverknowswhenit isbeatenandthatcarriesondauntlessly in thefaceofadversityandhardship.TheHongKongAppliedScienceandTechnologyResearchInstitute(ASTRI)hascelebrated its20thanniversaryatatimewhentheLionRockSpirithasneverbeenmoreessential.However,thisisalsoatimewheninnovationand technology ishelpinghumanitypush through thechallengestowardsabrighterfuture.ASTRIisplayingafullpartinmakingthishappen.
Established by theHongKongSARGovernmentin2000,ASTRIstrives toenhance thecity’sglobalcompetitiveness inwaysthatwillenable its traditionalsectors to thrive,and thatwillunleash thepotentialofemergingsectors.ASTRI isdoing thisbypursuingappliedResearchandDevelopment (R&D) todeliver
Connecting information and communication
ASTRIactsasavitalbridgethatconnectstwoendsoftheInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(ICT)spectrum:academicspursuingbasic ICT research,and industries thatapply ICT technologies.Throughthisconnection,ASTRIcreatesapositive impactonoursocietyandplaysan important role inourcity’stechnologyeco-system.
innovativeandground-breaking technology thathasa resoundinglypositive impacton theworldaroundus.We are creating technological solutions thatare strengthening our institutions, improving ourbusinesses,andbenefitingourcommunities.
HongKongenjoyssomedistinctstrategicadvantages.They include strong institutions, solid rule of law,a business-friendly regulatory climate, extremelyfavourablegeographicpositioning,aswellasseamlessregional and international connectivity. ASTRI isleveraging theseadvantages in itspursuitofvibrantandprolificdevelopmentinInnovationandTechnology(I&T),working in fullalignmentwith theHongKongSARGovernment’sSmartCityBlueprint.
Overthepast20years,ASTRIhashelpedtodriveHongKong’ssuccessasadynamic, innovative,globalcityonmultiplefronts,by:
Since2000,ASTRIhas:
Training technology
talents and generating
innovation-centric
jobs
Completedalmost
Beengrantedmorethan
Transferredalmost
Won numerous
Smart City Financial Technologies
Intelligent Manufacturing
Health Technologies
Application Specific Integrated Circuits
researchprojects patentsforitsinnovations
technologiestodifferentindustries
foritstechnologicalcontributions
550 850 750 AWARDS
Enabling and
attracting
investment in
technological
innovation
Boosting the
contribution of the
tech sector to Hong
Kong’s economy and
development
Creating long-term sustainable
value for the I&T ecosystem through
active collaborations with the
industry and other I&T ecosystem
players
Our R&D strategy
TheHongKongSARGovernment in2006setupfiveR&DCentres todriveandcoordinateappliedR&DinselectedfocusareasandtopromotecommercialisationofR&D resultsand technology transfer.ASTRIhasbeendesignatedastheR&DCentreforInformationandCommunicationsTechnologies.OurR&Dendeavoursfocusonfivekeyareasofapplications:
Helping Hong Kong thrive
ASTRI’sR&Dinitiativesarepoweredbycollaborationwith partners of all shapes and sizes, leading tocommercialisation.Workingwithgovernmentagencies,quangos,academia, industry leadersandstart-ups,ASTRIcreateshigh-quality,affordableand innovativeICTsolutionsforbothexistingandemergingindustries.
The aim is to ensure that HongKong thrives asa dynamic, global Smar t City, able to tap intooppor tunities across the I&T ecosystem locally,regionallyandglobally.
By attracting and training a talented technologyworkforceandpartneringwithacademiaand industry,ASTRIalsoactsasa ‘partnershipsarchitect’acrosstheecosystem. Its role includescultivating thenextgenerat ion of Hong Kong’s technology talents,professionalsandentrepreneurs.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-20204 5
Our guiding principles
We innovate to achieve
betterment for Hong Kong,
our nation and the world.
We deliver timely and world-class services
to our stakeholders.
We work in an ethical, honest,
open and fair manner and are
responsible for our actions.
We strive to overcome all challenges.
We give due respect to all parties, including others
and ourselves, to establish and support an
environment of teamwork and growth.
To enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness
through applied research
Our Mission
AsthelargestappliedR&DinstitutioninHongKong,ASTRIcollaborateswithmultipleplayersintheI&TecosystemonprojectsdesignedtostrengthenHongKong’s industriesthroughtechnological innovations. Intheprocess, it ishelpingtheeconomytotransitionintoonethatisinnovation-ledandtechnology-powered.
ASTRI’sactivitiesareshapedbythefollowingcorevalues:
Our technology roadmap
In2019-20,ASTRI’sR&Dorganisationwasrestructuredtowork across f ive TechnologyDivisions (TDs):Artificial IntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics (AIBD);Communications(COM);Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies (CCT); IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS);andIoTandSensors(IoTSEN).
These f ive TDs are del iver ingmarket- relevantapplications in f ive areas: Smart City, FinancialTechnology, Inte l l igent Manufactur ing, Heal thTechnologies, andApplicationSpecific IntegratedCircuits (this latter throughourmandateas theHongKongbranchof theChineseNationalEngineeringResearchCentre(CNERC)).
Innovation
Service
Accountability
Tenacity
Respect
To be a world-class technology developer
and an enabler to enrich lives
Our Vision
SmartCityASTRI combines i ts ICT talents with sensors,intelligence,andnextgenerationnetworkandsecuritytechnologies to improve howHongKong sharesinformationand theoperationandefficiencyof thecity’sinfrastructureandenhancingthequalityoflifeforitsresidents.
TheHongKongSARGovernment has a detailedblueprint forSmartCitydevelopmentwhich,whenfully realised,willpositionHongKongasAsia’smostadvanced21stcenturycity.
TheSmartCity revolutionwill impacteveryaspectof our lives, our businessesandour communitiesandcreateenormousopportunities for sustainableeconomic growth.We are developing tools andplatforms thatwill enableSmartCity technologiestoseamlesslycommunicatewithoneanother.Thisinvolvesmakingfulluseoftheupcoming5Grevolutionand increasing the functionality of existing smarttechnologies.
FinTechFinancialTechnology(FinTech) isacornerstoneof thefinancialsector’scontinuedgrowth.AdvancedFinTechsolutionsaremaking financialservices faster,morereliable,andmoresecure.Theyaremakingiteasierforbanks, insurersandotherfinancialserviceproviderstocatertotheneedsoftheircustomers.Atthesametime,theyareenablingcustomerstoaccesstheiraccountsandinformationinamoresecureandpersonalisedway.
To helpHongKongmaintain its role as aworld-classfinancialhub,ourFinTechteamsaredevelopingFinTechsolutionsbyleveragingBlockchaintechnology,strengtheningcybersecurity,makingsenseofbigdata,andprovidingvaluableproofs-of-concept.AsoneofHongKong’sstrongestFinTechR&Dgroups,wearefindingwaystobenefittheentirefinancialindustryandhelpdrivethesector’sgrowthintoanewera.
IntelligentManufacturing
OurIntelligentManufacturingR&Disdesignedtomakeproductionprocessesfaster,easierandmoreefficient.As an emergingSmart City, HongKong has thepotentialtounlocktheIndustry4.0visionbyleveragingArtificial Intelligence (AI), roboticsanddata-centricsolutions.TheapplicationofAIandroboticsismakingmanufacturingmorereliableandeffective,whilemakingmaintenancesignificantlyeasier.
Together,SouthernChina,HongKongandMacaurepresenta leadingcentreofadvancedmanufacturingandmodernservice industries.HongKongstandstogainmuchby leveraging the transformation takingplace in theGuangdong – Hong Kong –MacauGreaterBayArea.ThroughitsR&Dwork in IntelligentManufacturing technologies,ASTRI isdevelopinganumberofadvancedplatforms,toolsandsolutionsthatarehelping toreshapethe industrialsector.Theyarebeingusedtocreate interconnected,fullydigitalsmartfactories,andenablingbusinessestostreamlinetheiroperations,workmoreefficiently,andbecomemoreenvironmentallyfriendly.
HealthTechnologies
ASTRI is fully committed todevelopingHealthcareTechnologysolutions thatsupport themedicalsectorandbenefitthecommunity.WithsupportfromtheHongKongSARGovernment,wehavemadebreakthroughsinfieldssuchasbiomedical imagingandmedicaldataanalytics thatareenablingmedicalprofessionals tobettertreatpatientsandevensavelives.
ASTRI’sHealthTechnologiesstrategy involvesusingR&Dto increasetheefficiencyofhealthcare,enhanceand personalisemedical services, and ultimatelyimprovethequalityofpeople’s lives.This involvesusdevelopingnewapplicationsinareassuchaseldercaresolutions, preventativehealthmonitoring,medicaldiagnosisandmedicalcomputing.
ApplicationSpecificIntegratedCircuits
IntegratedCircuits (IC)arekeycomponents requiredtoachieve innovation-ledgrowthanddevelopmentformany high-tech industr ial sectors. As thesesectorsstrivetosignificantlyupgradetheircapabilities– especially in telecommunications, Smar t Citytechnologyandelectronics– reliableand robust ICresearchisparamount.
OurR&D initiatives inApplicationSpecific IntegratedCircuitsarise from themandategiven tous in2012whenthefirst-everHongKongbranchof theChineseEngineeringResearchCentre(CNERC)forApplicationSpecificIntegratedCircuitSystemswasestablishedatASTRI,incollaborationwithSoutheastUniversity(SEU)inNanjing.Thebranchfocusesonmicroelectronicsandintegratedcircuitsappliedacrossvariousindustries.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-20206 7
Chairman’s Message
It is a great honour to presentASTRI’sAnnualReportfor2019-20,aprivilegeIamenjoyingforthefirst time.Thishasbeena landmarkyear forHong
Kong’slargestresearchanddevelopmentcentreaswecelebrateour20thanniversary.
Established in 2000with themission tomakeourcityand itsenterprisesmorecompetitive through theapplicationof innovative technology,ASTRIhas filed1,220patents(ofwhich866havebeengrantedand23sold),completed544researchprojectsandhadalmost750of its in-house-developedtechnologiestransferredtoandusedinvariousindustries.In2019-20alone,wefiled66patentsandhad45granted.
TheseaccomplishmentsarethanksinnosmallparttoASTRI’shighlyskilledteamofprofessionalstowhomIwouldliketoexpressmymostsincereappreciationforalltheirdedicationanddiligence.
Celebrating our past, looking to the futureTwenty years is a signif icantmilestone for anyorganisation.Twodecadesof relentlesspursuit forexcellencehaveearnedASTRI its leadership in5Gcommunications,FinTech, IntelligentManufacturing,HealthTechandsemiconductors.
I believeASTRIwill continue to create impactfulinnovat ions, helping Hong Kong develop as apioneeringSmartCity. Iseeaworldwhereconnecteddeviceswill runonASTRI technology,manufacturedin factoriesoperatingwithASTRIroboticsandAGVs;andwhereconsumerswillmanage their financeandbuypropertieswithconfidence,knowing theplatformhasbeenmadesecurebyASTRI.ThesearejustafewexamplesofthepositivechangesandlastingvaluethatASTRIisbringingtooursociety.
Healthier, happier, more productiveThere isnoescaping the fact thatouroutlookhaschangeddramatically throughthe12monthscoveredby this report.First,ourcitywitnessedconsiderablesocialunrest,andthenthewholeworldwasdisruptedby theCovid-19 pandemic. In the face of thesedevelopmentsourapproachhasremainedunwavering,focusedonourmission tomakeoursocietyabetterplace.
I believe ASTRI will continue to create impactful innovations, helping Hong Kong develop as a pioneering Smart City
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-20208 9
Ourrecoveryfromtheseuncertaintimeswillbedrivenbydigital innovationand inspiration,whichwilldeliversolutionson thenational, regionaland internationallevels. I t wi l l come through progress in HealthTechnologiesthatallowustodetectpotentialthreatstoourwellbeingearlierandprovidemoreefficientwaysoftacklingthem.
Itwill come through thehugeopportunitiesbroughtaboutby5G,whichwillenhanceourabilitytoworkandcollaborate remotely,enableus to tap intoskillsandexpertise thatmaybeon theothersideof theworld,andenhance theefficiencyandsafetyofconnectedvehicles. Itwill come through trustable,secureandefficientFinTech thatwillallowus tocarryoutmanymoretransactionssafelyandquickly,whereverweare.
Teamwork drives our every successAt ASTRI , we p lace great impor tance on thedevelopment of thenext generationof technologytalent, nur turing ourR&D team through industryengagement,universitycollaborationsandcreatingopportunities for students and graduates. Thesescientists, engineers and researchers sit behindevery inspired idea,successfulpatentor technologytransferredintoindustryuse.
Wewillcontinue todevelop thisbridge thatconnectsthetalentandinventionsemergingfromourworld-classeducationalinstituteswiththeopportunitytocreatelife-changingtechnologythatbenefitsoursociety.
Greater role in Greater Bay AreaIwould like to thank the InnovationandTechnologyBureauandtheInnovationandTechnologyCommissionfor their continuedsupportandguidance toASTRIandexpressmydeepestgratitudetoall themembersofASTRI’sBoardofDirectorsfor their leadershipandsharedwisdom.
The HKSAR Government has shown i ts greatcommitmenttoinfrastructureandtalentdevelopmentinourcity,aimingtomakeusan international innovationhub.ASTRIstrivestobeakeyplayerinthisinnovationand technologyecosystem,notonly inourcitybutnationally.
Asmajor initiatives suchas theGreaterBayAreadevelopment planand theBelt andRoad schemegatherpace,HongKongmustbring itsstrengths tothe table. Itsexpertise in financialservices,creativedesign, technologyresearch,flowof information, legalandIPframeworksallmakeourcityuniquelyplacedtocementitsplaceinthishistoricmoment.
Wenow live inaworldunlike theonewehadgrownaccustomed to.However, it remains one inwhichtechnology isshapingeveryaspectofour livesandprovidingsolutionstomanyofourbiggestchallenges.Ourcityhasshownitsresilienceanditsabilitytoadapttochangingcircumstances in thepast,and itwilldosoagain.ASTRIwillplayavitalpart inthenextstageofHongKong’sevolutionpropelling it toevengreatertechnologicalheights.
Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JPChairman, Board of Directors
ASTRIChairmanIrSunnyLeeWai-kwongwithCEOHughChow(left)andoutgoingChairmanMrWongMing-yamSBSJP(centre).
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202010 11
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
Ourlandmarkanniversaryyear,celebrating20yearsofsuccessfulinnovation,isonethatwillcertainlystick in thememoryfora longtime.
Someof thiswasnotnecessarily for thereasonswemighthavehoped.However,manyof the“painpoints”wehaveexperiencedrecentlyareexactlytheonesthatweatASTRIarestrivingtoaddressandforwhichweareworkingtocreateground-breakingsolutions.
Undeterredby theglobal lockdowncausedby theCovid-19pandemic,ourASTRIANscontinued theirday-to-daybusinessofcreatingcutting-edgesolutionsandpromotingacultureof innovation,even thoughtheyhavehad todo it remotely.Thesuccessof theirresearcheffortsdespitehavingtomanagehomeofficeinconveniencesandonlybeingable tocommunicateelectronicallyhassimplyserved toconfirmmy long-
held belief: our talentedanddedicatedworkforceiswhat forms thesolid foundationonwhichall oursuccesseshavebeenbuilt.
In thefaceof thepandemic,our innovationcontinuedapace.Wecontinuedourcollaborationswithabroadrangeofpartners, rangingfromgovernmentagenciesandquangos,multinationals,smallandmedium-sizedenterprisesandacademicgroups.
We reacheda significantmilestone in the field ofcommercial, high-performance 5G core networkswhen,togetherwithtechnologygiant IntelCorporationandUnitedStates-based IT firmSupermicro,ASTRIdemonstratedaground-breaking trafficvolumeof1.3Tbpsthroughputperformanceona5Gcorenetwork.
Ourworkwith Intelalso included thedevelopmentofourRoadsideEdgeAIforCellularVehicle-to-Everything(C-V2X) technology, followingon fromoursuccessfultrials and demonstrations last year. Thepowerfulpotentialof this technologywasdemonstratedat theMobileWorldCongress (MWC) inShanghai.At thesameevent,wepartneredwithChinaMobileHongKongtoshowcaseourintelligentIoTandBlockchainplatform,which stores data collected from vehicles, smartlamppostsandcarparks.
AnASTRIagreementwithCITICTelecomCPCwillbringtogethertalentfrombothpartiestoworkonnext-generationoperationsandmaintenance technologiesusingAugmentedReality (AR)glasses, improvingef f ic iency and enhancing real - t ime operations.Meanwhile,awhitepaperauthoredbyagroupofourresearchershasbeenpublished that explores theimmensepotentialofFinTech toolsandapplications,especially forTreasuryprofessionalsacrossdiverseindustries.Wecontinue toworkcloselywithawidevarietyofstakeholdersacrossourcity,unitingtalentedmindstobenefitHongKong’stechnologyecosystem.
Thisisjustasmallselectionfromthemanyendeavoursunder taken over the 12months covered by thisreport thatdemonstrateourcommitment tocreatingameaningful impactonHongKong’seconomyandcommunity.
AcrossourfiveTechnologyDivisions,weundertook117projects in2019-20,upfrom101 in thepreviousyear.In total,46 technologieswere transferred todifferentindustries,generatingHK$127.32millioninincomefromthoseindustries.ASTRIfiledover66patentapplicationsinChina, theUSandothercountries,while45newpatentsweregranted.
Throughouttheyear,weparticipatedinleadingindustryevents locally,regionallyandinternationally,promotingandchampioningourcity’sgrowingI&Tdevelopment.For the second consecutive year,we took part intheworld’s largest innovationexpo inGeneva, theInternationalExhibitionofInventions,bagging21awards–a50percentincreaseonthe14wereceivedtheyear
before.Wealsowonmultipleawardsatotherprestigiousevents,includingtheHongKongICTAwards,theHongKongAwardsfor IndustriesandtheAsia InternationalInnovativeInventionAwards.
AtthesecondeditionofourflagshipthoughtleadershipeventTechnovationSummit,wewerehonoured tocount the thenSecretary InnovationandTechnologyMrNicholasWYang,GBS,JP,amongourspeakersaddressing the themeofHongKong’ssmart future.Ourguestsenjoyed insights into topical issuesandwayswecanallcontributetoHongKong’stechnologyecosystem.ASTRIexpertsalsocontributedinsightsandviewstomanyotherconferencesandexposaroundtheworld,coveringextremelydiversefieldsoftechnologicaladvancement.
As we cont inue to adapt to our unusual newcircumstances, Ihavenodoubt thatASTRIandHongKongwillcontinue todrive innovation.Timeandtimeagain,ourcityhasproven itselfaswegrew fromanAsianDragonpoweredbymanufacturing tobecomeChina’sgatewaytotheworld.NowtheHongKongSARGovernmenthasablueprint toestablishourcityasaglobalI&ThubandavitalpartoftheGreaterBayArea.ASTRI isworking in fullalignmentwith thisambitiousgoal.
Thepresentmightfeelunfamiliar,butourfutureisbright.
Hugh Chow Chief Executive Officer
Our talented and dedicated workforce is what forms the solid foundation on which all our successes have been built
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202012 13
Board of Directors
1 MrKwongChi-keung,JP2 ProfLamTak-wah3 MrAndyLiuAn-ting4 MrCharlesChowSai-keung5 MrDuncanChiu6 IrDrAlanLamHiu-fung7 MrStephenChauKam-kun8 MrSteveChuangTzu-hsiung9 ProfChanChun-kwong10 MrPeterNgHon-yu
11 ProfSabrinaLinMan-yee12 MsSeraphinaWong
13 MsCallyChanShan-shan14 MsCammyYung15 MsAdaWongYin-man
16 IrSunnyLeeWai-kwong,JP17 DrMartinSzeto18 DrLucasHui19 IrProfJosephNgKee-yin20 MrAaronHo
21 MrHaYung-kuen,BBS22 DrDavyLoKwok-wai23 MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP24 MsAnnieChoiSuk-han,JP25 MrHughChow26 MrStephenHoWai-chung
1 2 34 5 6 7 8
9 10
11
21 22 23 24 2526
12 13 14 1516 17
1819
20
ASTRI Board of Directors and Senior Management
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202014 15
Composition of the BoardAsof31March2020,theBoardwasheadedbyaChairmanandincluded19othermembers,twoofwhomwereex-officiomembers.
Board Functional CommitteesThreefunctionalcommitteesassisttheBoardinitsoversightofASTRI:theFinanceandAdministrationCommittee(FAC), theTechnologyCommittee(TC),andtheAuditCommittee(AC). TheFACoverseesASTRI’sfinancialandadministrativearrangements;theTCoverseesitsR&Dinitiatives;andtheACensuresthatinternalandexternalauditprocessesareproperlycarriedout.
Themembersofthecommitteesasat31March2020wereassetoutbelow:Name of Board Member Title and Company of Board Member
Chairman
IrSunnyLeeWai-kwong,JP Vice-President(Administration),CityUniversityofHongKong
Official Members
MsAnnieChoiSuk-han,JP PermanentSecretaryforInnovationandTechnology,InnovationandTechnologyBureau
MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP CommissionerforInnovationandTechnology,InnovationandTechnologyCommission
Members (in alphabetical order of surname)
ProfessorChanChun-kwong ProgrammeDirector,MScinFinancialTechnology, FacultyofEngineering,ProfessorofPracticeinFinTech, DepartmentofSystemsEngineeringandEngineeringManagement,TheChineseUniversityofHongKong
MsCallyChanShan-shan GeneralManager,HongKongandMacau, MicrosoftHongKongLimited
MrStephenChauKam-kun ExecutiveDirector&ChiefTechnologyOfficer, SmarToneTelecommunicationsHoldingsLimited
MrDuncanChiu Chairman,LaiYuenCompanyLimited
MrCharlesChowSai-keung SouthChinaandHongKongAssuranceLeader,PricewaterhouseCoopers
MrSteveChuangTzu-hsiung ChairmanandChiefExecutiveOfficer,ProVistaGroup
MrHaYung-kuen,BBS -
MrStephenHoWai-chung -
MrKwongChi-keung,JP SeniorPartner,Sit,Fung,KwongandShumSolicitorsandNotaries
IrDrAlanLamHiu-fung ChiefExecutiveOfficer,SengitalLimited
ProfessorLamTak-wah Head,DepartmentofComputerScience, TheUniversityofHongKong
ProfessorSabrinaLinMan-yee SeniorAdvisortothePresident,OfficeofthePresident, TheHongKongUniversityofScienceandTechnology
MrAndyLiuAn-ting CEO,CWDataTechnologiesandViceChairman, HongKongBiotechnologyOrganization
DrDavyLoKwok-wai Consultant
MrPeterNgHon-yu VicePresident,Technology,EnablingTechnologyGroup,ASMPacificTechnologyLtd.
IrProfessorJosephNgKee-yin Professor,DepartmentofComputerScience, HongKongBaptistUniversity
MsAdaWongYin-man ExecutiveDirector,Wong’sInternationalHoldingsLtd
Finance and Administration Committee
MrHaYung-kuen,BBS (Chairman)
MsCallyChanShan-shan
MrDuncanChiu
ProfessorSabrinaLinMan-yee
MrAndyLiuAn-ting
DrDavyLoKwok-wai
MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP
Technology Committee
MrStephenHoWai-chung(Chairman)
MsCallyChanShan-shan
MrDuncanChiu
MrSteveChuangTzu-hsiung
MrHaYung-kuen,BBS
IrDrAlanLamHiu-fung
ProfessorLamTak-wah
IrSunnyLeeWai-kwong,JP
DrDavyLoKwok-wai
MrPeterNgHon-yu
IrProfessorJosephNgKee-yin
MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP
Audit Committee
DrDavyLoKwok-wai(Chairman)
ProfessorChanChun-kwong
MrCharlesChowSai-keung
MrKwongChi-keung,JP
IrDrAlanLamHiu-fung
MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP
MsAdaWongYin-man
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202016 17
Date of Appointment
MrsMillieNgKiangMei-nei,JP 12April2019
MsRebeccaPunTing-ting,JP 30July2019
ProfessorChanChun-kwong 1March2020
MrStephenChauKam-kun 1March2020
MrPeterNgHon-yu 1March2020
IrProfessorJosephNgKee-yin 1March2020
Date of Retirement
MrCheukWing-hing,JP 12April2019
MrsMillieNgKiangMei-nei,JP 30July2019
MrWongMing-yam,SBS, JP 21October2019
MsHeraSiuKit-wan 2January2020
ProfessorLiewSoung-chang 1March2020
DrArchieYehTsuei-chi 1March2020
New Directors Retired Directors
Meeting AttendanceAtotalof fourBoardmeetingswereconvenedduringthe2019-20year. TheattendancerecordsofmembersatBoardmeetingsaswellasBoardFunctionalCommitteemeetingsheldbetween1April2019and31March2020areasfollows:
Board Meetings
26 Jun 2019 24 Sep 2019 11 Dec 2019 1 Apr 2020*
Totalnumberofdirectorsduringtheperiod 20 20 19 20
Totalnumberofdirectorspresentatmeeting 12 15 12 19
Totalnumberofapologies 8 5 7 1
Percentageinattendance 60% 75% 63% 95%
*originallyscheduledon26March2020
FAC Meetings
21 May 2019 26 Aug 2019 13 Nov 2019 20 Feb 2020
Totalnumberofdirectorsduringtheperiod 7 7 7 7
Totalnumberofdirectorspresentatmeeting 5 5 4 6
Totalnumberofapologies 2 2 3 1
Percentageinattendance 71% 71% 57% 86%
TC Meetings
5 Jun 2019 3 Sep 2019 22 Nov 2019 6 Mar 2020
Totalnumberofdirectorsduringtheperiod 14 14 12 12
Totalnumberofdirectorspresentatmeeting 10 10 6 11
Totalnumberofapologies 4 4 6 1
Percentageinattendance 71% 71% 50% 92%
AC Meetings
30 May 2019 30 Aug 2019 27 Nov 2019 3 Mar 2020
Totalnumberofdirectorsduringtheperiod 6 6 6 6
Totalnumberofdirectorspresentatmeeting 5 6 5 6
Totalnumberofapologies 1 0 1 0
Percentageinattendance 83% 100% 83% 100%
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202018 19
Our organisationOperatingundertheauspicesoftheHongKongSARGovernment’sInnovationandTechnologyCommission(ITC),ASTRIisledbytheChiefExecutiveOfficer,whoisaccountabletotheBoardofDirectors.TheCEOisresponsibleforallmattersrelatingto theoverallmanagementof theorganisation,assistedbyaSeniorManagement teamofC-officers–responsible forR&D,operations,finance,marketing,administrationandothersupportingfunctions–andTechnologyDivisionHeadswholeadASTRI’sfiveR&Dteams,overseenbytheChiefTechnologyOfficer.
Overthepast20years,ASTRIhashelpedtodriveHongKong’ssuccessasadynamic, innovative,globalcityonmultiplefronts,by:
C-officersIn 2019 -20, the fol lowing C-of f icers weremembersoftheSeniorManagementteam:
Annual Remuneration* (HK$)Annual remuneration of staff in the organisation’s top three tiers
Technology Division HeadsASTRI’s fiveTechnologyDivisionsare responsible for thedevelopmentoftheirrespectivetechnologies.Eachisheadedbyanexperiencedleaderinthefield.TheDivisionalHeadsin2019-20wereasfollows.
*Annualremunerationincludesbasesalary,salaryadjustment,actingallowance,performance-linkedpayment,variablepaymentandcashaward(InventorAward).ItisroundedtothenearestHK$10.Annualremunerationofstaffwhoareappointedduringthefinancialyearwerecalculatedonaproratedbasis.
Mr Hugh ChowChief Executive Officer
Dr Lucas HuiChief Technology Officer
Dr Martin SzetoChief Operating Officer
Ms Cammy YungChief Financial Officer
Mr Aaron HoChief Administrative Officer
Ms Seraphina WongChief Marketing Officer
Dr Daniel ShiSenior Director, Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICS)
Dr Tsai Chen JungSenior Director, IoT and Sensors (IoTSEN)
Dr Justin ChuangVice President, Communications Technologies (COM)
Mr Alan CheungSenior Director, Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies (CCT)
Dr James LeiSenior Director, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics (AIBD)
Post Annual Remuneration* 1 Apr 2019 – 31 Mar 2020 (HK$)
FirsttierChiefExecutiveOfficer $4,027,500
SecondtierFiveseniorexecutives $9,728,620
ThirdtierNinefunctionalleaders/seniortechnologyexperts $16,359,010
Annual Remuneration* (HK$) Number of staff in the top three tiers
1,000,000orbelow 2
1,000,001to1,500,000 0
1,500,001to2,000,000 6
2,000,001to2,500,000 4
2,500,001to3,000,000 1
3,000,001to3,500,000 1
3,500,001to4,000,000 0
4,000,000to4,500,000 1
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202020 21
Teamwork makes the dream workPeople represent themost important part of ourorganisation.Our success stems from combiningahighlyskilledworkforce, the right leadershipandguidance,andadynamicorganisationalstructure.Withover600dedicatedandhighlycompetent individualsallworkingtowardsacommongoal,weoperateasasingle teamhelping tocreateabetter,brighter futureforHongKongandournation.
Organisedunder the fiveTechnologyDivisions,ourR&D teamsaccount for73%of the totalworkforce.The remaining por tion ismade up of personnelproviding various support servicesand functions.They include teamsworking inourdepartmentsofFinance andAccounts,Marketing, Procurement,
Legal, InformationTechnology,FacilitiesManagement,HumanResources,ClientDevelopment, IntellectualPropertyandKnowledgeManagement,andProjectManagement.
Expert focusOurTechnologyDivisionsutilise theirdiverse talentpoolsandspecialisedskills todevelopinnovativetoolsand technologies.Wealsoworkasasynchronisedorganisation thatbrings togetherskillsandexpertisefromacrossourTechnologyDivisions,inordertocaterto the specificmarket-orientedneedsof particularindustriesorsector-specificapplications.
Thefollowingchart representsASTRI’sorganisationalstructureasat31March2020:
Diverse career optionsASTRIofferscareerpaths thatsuit scientists, researchers,engineersandprofessionalswithdiverseskills,backgroundsandaspirationsfromaroundtheworld.
Asof31March2020,ASTRIhadatotalof630employees.
Employee numbers by function
ASTRI organisational structure
ASTRI R&D organisational structure
Academic qualifications of R&D staff as of 31 March 2020
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Headquarters 86
120
77
98
110
52
24
63
Communications
Artificial Intelligence andBig Data Analytics
Cybersecurity, Cryptography and
Trusted Technologies
Integrated Circuits andSystems
IoT and Sensors
Others
Total:630
Interns
PhD
22%
Master
56%
Bachelor
21%
Others
1%
Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer
Major Incident Group*
Finance and Administration
Committee
Technology Committee
Business, Sales and Contract
Management
IP and Knowledge
Management
Artificial Intelligence and
Big Data Analytics
Public Affairs AccountingCentral Office Administration
Services
ASTRI Science and Technology
Research (Shenzhen)
Company Limited
ASTRI FinTech Limited
Audit Committee
Internal Audit
Project Planning and Execution Communications Marketing
Finance & Corporate Planning
Corporate Secretariat CNERC (HK)
Quality Management
Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies
Liaison Office Procurement HR Operations
Client Development
Integrated Circuits
and SystemsTalent Acquisition
Business Process IoTand Sensors
Talent Development
IT and Facilities
LegalChief
Operating Officer
Chief Technology
Officer
Chief Marketing
Officer
Chief Financial
Officer
Chief Administrative
Officer
Mainland Strategy
and Operations
Technology Divisions
Core Competence Groups
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics
Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies
Integrated Circuits and Systems Communications IoT and Sensors
Intelligent Cognitive Systems Cyber Security and Analytics RF Systems Baseband Solutions Intelligent Machine Vision
Cyber-Physical Systems Data Analytics Technology Co-Design Networking Software Emerging Sensing and
Display System
Cloud Computing Applied Cryptosystems Visual Computing Emerging Systems Sensing Devices
and Integration
Smart IoT Analytics and Applications
Secured System Platforms Machine Learning Platforms Mobile and IoT Platforms
Computational Linguistics and Intelligence
Multimodal Image Analytics 3D IntegrationMedium Access Control and Intelligent Solutions
Multimedia Systems and Analytics
Smart Power and Energy Systems
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202022 23
Governance and ControlAsapublicly fundedR&Dcentre,ASTRIadheres tothehigheststandardsofcorporategovernance.Wework in linewithourmission, in the interestsofourstakeholdersandthetaxpayersofHongKong.
ASTRI operates in accordancewith itsCorporateGovernanceManual,which clearly articulatesourpolicies and principles. TheManual also guidestheeffortsof theBoardandSeniorManagement toensureASTRIalwaysoperates ina transparentandaccountablemanner.
Internal auditIn2003,ASTRIsetupan InternalAuditDepartment(IAD)undertheAuditCommittee.TheroleoftheIADistoensureeffectivecorporategovernanceandtoprovidetheBoardwithinformationaboutandassuranceoftheeffectivenessofASTRI’sinternalcontrols.
The IADprovidesobjective reviewsandassurancesthatprovideuswithasystematic,disciplinedapproachtoevaluatingand improvingour riskmanagement,controlandgovernanceprocesses.
Over thepastyear, the IADhasconducted internalaudit reviewsonvariousareasofASTRI’soperationsin linewith the risk-based rolling 3-year InternalAuditPlanapprovedby theAuditCommittee.Theseareashave includedprojectmanagement, inventorymanagement, intellectualpropertymanagement,staffrecruitmentmanagement, insurancemanagement,user education and awareness on cybersecurity,corporate governance, and secretar iat suppor tmanagement.While these reviews identifiedsomeareas for improvement, theyconfirmed thatASTRIhadsignificantcontrols inplaceand that theexistingregulationsandprocedureswerebeingobserved inallmaterial respects.The IADsubmittedhalf-yearlyreportsofthesereviewsandtheirrecommendationstotheAuditCommittee.
TheManualcontainscomprehensiveguidelineson:
•Organisationandmanagementstructure
•HRpoliciesandstaffconduct
•Financialmanagementandcontrol
•Internalcontrolandexternalreporting
•Riskmanagement
TheManual isupdatedperiodically to incorporateanydevelopmentsneededto improveASTRI’soperations,andtoreflectthechangingbusinessenvironment.
ComplianceAs theComplianceOff icer, theHead of InternalAudit helps theBoard toensuregoodgovernanceby reportinganysignificantnon-compliance issuesidentif ied by a teamofDepartmentalComplianceOfficers.TheComplianceOfficersubmitsquarterlyrepor ts to the Audi t Commit tee on impor tantcompliancematters.
Safeguards against conflicts of interestASTRIhas strict controlsandsafeguards inplaceagainst conflictsof interest.TheCodeofConductis regularly reviewedandupdatedasnecessary toensure thatpotential conflictsarealwaysdeclaredandadequatelymanaged.AllASTRIemployeesarerequiredtomakeanannualdeclarationtoconfirmthattheyhaveread,understoodandareincompliance.ThelastupdateoftheCodeofConductwasmadeinJune2019,andtherelevantchangeswerecommunicatedtoeveryoneinASTRI.
Workplace policyASTRI has zero tolerance for discrimination andharassment.Weorganiseregularseminarsonrelevantpoliciesand regulations,with theaimofpromotingequalopportunitiesandpreventingdiscriminationandharassmentintheworkplace.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202024 25
Risk managementASTRIhasaRiskManagement (RM) framework inplace to identify,evaluateandmitigate risks. IthasbeendesignedbasedonASTRI'sRMpolicy,whichcovers issuessuchas the rolesandresponsibilitiesofdifferentparties,theRMprocess,andriskcommunication.
ARiskRegisterisalsomaintainedtokeeptrackofvariousrisksthatASTRIencounters.TheRiskRegistercoversthefollowingbroadthematiccategories:
Updated on a regular basis, theRiskRegister isrepor ted periodically to the Board via the AuditCommittee.
Strategy and partnership
Human resources
Corporate governance and ethics
Finance
Compliance
Information technology
Corporate communications
and relations
Health and safety, premises and
facilities
Research and development
Reporting
Quality management systemForASTRI,quality isparamount forall its researchdeliverables. The high standard of our researchand innovationwork indifferent technologyareas is
supportedbyourorganisation-wideadoptionof theISO9001QualityManagement standard.The ISO9001standardhelpsASTRI todeliver consistentlyhigh-quality products and services thatmeet theexpectations and enhance the satisfaction of ourclients and partners. In June 2019, internationalqualityassurancebodyBureauVeritasCertificationconductedanISO9001certificationauditonASTRI’soperations.TheAuditcertifiedthatASTRI’soperationswerefullycompliantwiththestandards,withzeronon-conformance.
ASTRIalsoactivelyseeksopportunities to improvethe qual i t y of i ts operat ions through ef fect ivecommunicationandexchangeswithallitsstakeholders.
Information security management systemCyber-crimeposesoneof themostseriousthreats togovernmentsand legitimatebusinessesworldwide.ASTRIhasadoptedtheISO27001InformationSecurityManagement standard for itsR&Dendeavours in
FinancialTechnologiestosafeguardtheconfidentiality,integrityandaccessibilityofinformation.Thisstandardishelpingusmitigatecybersecurityrisksand improveour cyber-defence capabilities.OurFinTechR&Dprofessionals regularlyattend information securityawareness trainingsessionson the latestandmostadvanced tools formitigating cyber-risks. Everyquarter,anexternalconsultancycompanyperformsvulnerability assessment andpenetration tests onASTRI’s InformationTechnology infrastructureandnetworkequipment toensureour security controlsremaineffective.InOctober2019,thecertificationbodySGSHongKongLimitedconductedan ISO27001surveillanceauditofASTRI’soperationsandfoundnonon-conformance.ASTRIiscontinuingto improveandstrengthenitsdata,informationandoperations,stayingabreastof the latest technologies tocombatevolvingcybersecurityrisks.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202026 27
Achievements
Awards and recognitions
21awardsforASTRIatworld’slargestinnovationexpo
ASTRIcontinueditsstreakofsuccessatthe47thInternationalExhibitionofInventionsofGeneva,winning21awardsincludingfourGoldMedalswithCongratulationsoftheJury,sevenGoldmedals,nineSilvermedalsandoneBronzemedal.
TheInternationalExhibitionof InventionsofGeneva,knownastheworld’smostprestigiouseventfor inventors, isorganisedannually jointlybytheWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganisation(WIPO),theSwissFederalGovernment,theStateand theCityofGeneva. In2019,around1,000new inventionsandproductswereshowcased there,createdbyover800exhibitors from40countriesandterritories.Wellover31,000visitors fromallfivecontinentsmadethisthelargestinnovationexpointheworld.TheHongKongdelegation,comprisingaround15institutionsanduniversities,won117awardsintotal.
HighaccuracylowpowertimeandfrequencysynchronisationmethodsforBluetoothLowEnergywirelesscommunicationsystem
NomadicMobileBaseStationforEmergencyService
ThreeDimensionalFullyMoldedPowerElectronicsModuleforHighPowerApplicationsandtheMethodThereof
Intelligentindustryrobot:3Dvision&cognition
IntegratedBi-sensingOpticalStructureforHeadMountedDisplay
EfficientandRobustHumanDetection/TrackingMethodandSystemwithVideoInput
MobileBiometricsAuthenticationTechnology
Samplingfrequencyoffsettrackingbasedondecisionfeedbackchannelestimation
BluetoothLowEnergy(BLE)Network,SecurityandPositioning
CellularVehicle-to-Everything(C-V2X)SystemforRoadSafetyandSmartMobilityApplications
3DPowerDevicePackagesforHighFrequencyPowerConversion
Micro-nanoStructuredNano-sizeAggregateEncapsulatedinMicro-sizeConglomerateforConductivityElectrode
MethodforErrorCorrectionforaMulticastMessage
Multi-locationLearningActivityStateManagementforDistanceEducation
MachineLearningArtificialCharacterGeneration
EfficientandAccurateNamedEntityRecognitionMethodandSystem
EnhancedMobileEdgeComputing(MEC)withInternationalMobileSubscriberIdentity(IMSI)Acquisition
SeparatorCoatedwithSelfShutdownLayerofHighPorosityforLithiumIonBattery
CompactSpectrometerHavingReflectiveWedgeStructure
MedicalImageDataAnalyticsPlatform
ModifiedPseudo-CylindricalMappingofSphericalVideoUsingLinearInterpolationofEmptyAreasforCompressionofStreamedImages
Gold Medals
Silver MedalsGold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury
Bronze Medal
ASTRI’smedalhaulattheeventmadeitthemostawardedorganisationofalltheHongKongexhibitors.Itsaward-winningprojectswere:
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202028 29
ASTRI ’s Cer v ical Cancer ScreeningManagementSystemwinsSilveratHongKongICTAwards
ASTRI’sCervicalCancerScreeningManagementSystem (CCSMS) won the Smar t Living (Smar tHealthcare)SilverAwardattheHongKongICTAwards2019.MrsCarrieLam,ChiefExecutiveofHongKongSAR,officiatedat theawardspresentationceremony,whichtookplaceon4April2019.
ASTRI honoured for two except ionalinnovations
ASTRI received twoawardsat theprestigiousHongKongAwardsforIndustries(HKAI)2019:
AnEquipmentandMachineryDesignAwardfortheBiometricsOpticalSeeThroughHeadMountedDisplay,jointlywithASTRI’sindustrypartnerProfitPeakHongKongHoldingsLimited
ADesignCertificateofMeritfortheFastMulti-FocusAutomaticInspectionEquipmentforOpticalCommunicationComponents,jointlywithASTRI’sindustrypartnerO-NetTechnologies(Group)Limited
MrHughChow,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,DrMartinSzeto,ChiefOperatingOfficer,andDrChenJungTsai,SeniorDirectorof the IoTandSensorsTechnologyDivision,representedASTRIat theHKAIpresentationceremony,whichwasofficiatedoverbyDrBernardChan, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce andEconomicDevelopment, andMsSalinaYan, JP,
Director-GeneralofTradeandIndustry.
TheCCSMS isahighlyaccuratescalablecomputer-aideddiagnosticplatformthatenablesuserstoprocessandviewmedical images fromdifferentvendorsandindifferent image formats. Italsoprovidesdiagnosisrecommendations fordoctors,andallowshealthcareprofessionals tocarryout remotemedicaldiagnoses.CCSMShasbeencommercialisedthroughoneof thelargestdiagnosticserviceproviders inMainlandChinaandHongKong.
TheHongKongICTAwardswereestablishedin2006.Theyrecogniseandpromoteoutstanding informationand communications technology (ICT) inventionsand applications, thereby encouraging innovationandexcellenceamongHongKong’s ICT talentsandenterprises.
ASTRIstrikesgoldinAsiaInternationalInnovativeInventionAward
ASTRI’sFlexibleIntegrationofRecognitionandSemanticproject, ledbyDrArvinTang,wonaGoldAward intheAsiaInternational InnovativeInventionAward2019.TheHandwrittenOCRtechnologycanrecognisehandwrittentraditionalandsimplifiedChinese,HongKongcolloquiallanguageandspecialcharacters,andEnglishblocklettersandnumericdigits.HighlyaccurateinChinesecharacterrecognition,theapplicationisespeciallyusefulforChineseaddresscorrection,savingtimeandimprovingreliabilityfororganisationsthatprocessalargenumberofhandwrittenforms.
Initsninthyear,theAsiaInternationalInnovativeInventionAwardrecognisestheachievementsoflocalcompanies,researchteamsandindividualsfortheirpatentedinventions,andmoregenerallypromotesaspiritofcreativityandinnovation.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202030 31
ASTRItechnologiesshowcasedatPTExpoChina2019inBeijing
ASTRI showcasedseveral of its new technologiesat thePTExpoChina2019 inBeijing.Hostedby theMinistryofIndustryandInformationTechnology,thisisoneofAsia’sleadingInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT)events.Itexplorestheexcitingimpactof next-generation ICT developments on variousindustries,aswellas tracking trends in thedynamicandfast-growingICTmarket.
Under the theme “Embracing5G for InnovationandIntell igent Connectivity”, ASTRI showcased thetechnologiesbehindsomeof its innovativesolutionsthat are enhancing the competit ive strengths ofenterprisesacrossHongKong, theGreaterBayAreaandinternationally.Theseincluded:
Powering theSmartCity revolution:ASTRIpresents5G innovationsatMobileWorldCongressShanghai2019
With theworldnowstepping into the5Gera,ASTRIshowcased a ser ies of 5G-enabl ing hardwareand sof tware solutions it is developing with itsecosystempartnersat theMobileWorldCongress(MWC)Shanghai2019,held from26 to28June. Inaddition,ASTRI jointlyperformedvarious technologydemonstrationsat itspartners’booths.The followingtechnologiesand solutionswereondisplayat theevent:
Leading expos and industry events
InternationalICTExpo2019
ASTRI tookpart in the International ICTExpo2019,organised by theHongKongTradeDevelopmentCouncil,held from13 to16April2019at theHongKongConventionandExhibitionCentre.Over600organisationsparticipated,and theeventattractedmorethan30,000visitors.ASTRI’spavilionshowcasedanumberof innovativeR&Dprojectsalignedwith theExpo’stheme,‘Tech-ForwardIdeasforSmartCities’.
Amonga long listofdistinguishedpersonalitieswhovisitedASTRI’spavilionwere theHonourableAlvinYeungNgok-kiu,LegislativeCouncillor;MrVictorLam,GovernmentChief InformationOfficerof theHongKongSARGovernment;MrDuncanChiu,ChairmanoftheHKTDCInformation&CommunicationsTechnology(ICT)ServicesAdvisoryCommittee andMemberof ASTRI’s Board ofDirectors; andMrBenjaminChau,DeputyExecutiveDirectorof theHongKongTradeDevelopmentCouncil. Inaddition to localandinternationalVIPsandindustryleaders,alargenumberofstudentsandyoungpeoplealsoviewedASTRI’sR&DdemonstrationsandlearnedmoreaboutitsmanyinnovativeventuresfromR&Dexpertsstationedat thepavilion.
InnovationsshowcasedbyASTRIattheexpoincluded:
VirtualandAugmentedRealitysolutions
HandwrittenChineseformprocessingsystem
IntelligentActivityTrackerforhealthyliving
CellularVehicle-to-Everything(C-V2X)SoftwareSystem
Mixed-languageChatbot
WirelessPowerTransferTechnology
PalmFusionBiometricAuthentication
Blockchain-basedKYC
SmartPole
ASTRIend-to-end5Gsystemssupportingstand-alone(SA)andNon-standalone(NSA)networks
Smartmobilitytechnologies,includingCellularVehicle-to-Everything(C-V2X),ElectronicRoadPricing(ERP)andotherIntelligentTransportSystem(ITS)services
IntelligentBlockchain-basedIoTPlatform
NarrowbandInternetofThings(NB-IoT)Chip
LoRaWANApplication
SmartphoneSpectrometer
4Kx2KUHDAugmentedRealityHeadMountedDisplay
5Gend-to-endsystem(5GC-RANbasestationand5GCore)
5GstandaloneCoreNetworkat200Gbps(jointlywithIntel)
EdgeComputingandAIforroadsafety(jointlywithIntel)
Smartmobilitytechnologies(jointlywithHKT)
NarrowbandInternetofThings(NB-IoT)Chip(jointlywithKeysight)
BiometricOpticalSeeThrough(OST)HeadMountDisplay(HMD)
VirtualMobileCoreNetworkautoscalingwithONAPDataLake(jointlywithQCTandCMRI)
IntelligentBlockchain-basedIoTPlatform(jointlywithCMHKatGSMAInnovationCity)
Held from31October to3November, thePTExpoChina2019showcasedahugearrayof5Gandothernext-genICTsolutions. Itattractedmorethan60,000attendeesfromall ICTecosystemsectors,aswellasover400leadingcompaniesandorganisations.
MWCShanghaiisoneofthelargesttelecommunicationindustryexposintheworld,bringingtogetherthelatestinnovationsand leading-edge technology frommorethan 550 leading companies, for a 60,000-strongbusiness-to-businessaudience.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202032 33
ASTRIsupports theChina InternationalOpto-electronicExpo(CIOE)–oneof the largestindustryshowsforOpto-electronics
TheChinaInternationalOpto-electronicExpo(CIOE),oneofthesector’slargestindustryevents,tookplaceattheShenzhenConventionandExhibitionCentrefrom4to7September2019.Thiswasthe21stanniversaryoftheExpo,whichgatheredexpertsandprofessionalsfromtheOpto-electronicandSensorsectorsandfacilitatedexchangesandin-depthexplorationsoffuturedevelopmenttrendsandopportunities.
ASTRIwasoneof the leadingparticipants in theExpo,where it presentedanumberof newlydevelopedtechnologies:
Lighting-oninspectionforMurainspection
Eye-in-HandFlexibleVisualInspectionTechnologyforIndustrialRobots
3DAutomaticOpticalInspectionsystem
ARHeadMountedDisplaywithEyeTracking&IrisRecognitionHead-mountdisplay
Head-UpDisplayProjector
Multi-sensingdemo
WirelessJewelleryUVFluorescenceImagingAnalyser
Smartphonespectrometer
Over3,200organisations tookpart,showcasing thelatest technologies involvingArtificial Intelligence(AI),IntelligentManufacturing,aswellasnext-generationdisplay and sensor technologies for Smar t Cityapplications.
ExpertsatCybersecurityForumorganisedbyASTRIurgeenterprisesto‘getstrongercyber-defencenotonlyforsurvival,butalsoforgrowth’
ACybersecurityForumtitled ‘TheNext-GenDefenceagainstCyber-Threats’wasorganisedbyASTRI torunontheseconddayofthe4thInternetEconomySummitinApril2019.Cybersecurityisakeyconcerninthedigitalera,for individualsandbusinessesalike.Theforumexploredtoolsandstrategies forbettercyberpreparedness,andcoveredregulatoryandcompliance issues,professionalapproaches tocybersecurity,securingcloudandothertrustedservices,andsafeguardingbusinessesagainstincreasinglysophisticatedcyber-crimes.
DrLucasHui,ASTRI’sChiefTechnologyOfficer,presentedanoverviewofcybersecurityandsharedviewsandinsightsontheoverallcybersecuritylandscapeandecosystem.OtherspeakersincludedMrStefanEigler,PracticeLeaderMasteringRisk&ComplianceofTÜVRheinland;MsSamanthaAlexander,PrincipalAccreditorof theglobalcybersecuritycertificationbodyCREST;DrQingniShen,ProfessorandViceDirectorof theDepartmentofCybersecurityinPekingUniversity,andDrFrankLaw,SeniorSuperintendentoftheCybersecurityandTechnologyCrimeBureauoftheHongKongPoliceForce.
Wellover200techexperts,publicandprivatesectorrepresentatives,entrepreneursandinvestorsparticipatedintheforum.HostedbyASTRI,itwasoneofthethematicforumsrunduringtheInternetEconomySummit2019,organisedbytheHongKongSARGovernmentandCyberport.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202034 35
ASTRIInspiresa“SmartFutureforAll”attheTechnovationSummit2019
Technologyexperts,entrepreneursandtop-levelexecutivesjoinedMrNicholasWYang,GBS,JP,thethenSecretaryforInnovationandTechnologyatASTRI’sTechnovationSummit2019inNovembertoexplorewhata“smartfuture”meansforHongKong.
During thesummit, industry leadersandgovernmentofficials focusedonapplicationsof the latest technologiesacrossawidevarietyofsectors, including intheareasof ‘smartgovernment’, ‘smartmobility’, ‘cybersecurity’and‘smartmanufacturing’.Speakersalsoaddressedtopicalissuesoninnovationandtechnology,andexploredwaysofencouragingallstakeholderstoleveragenewtechnologiestoachievesustainableandinclusivedevelopment.
ASTRIalsoshowcasedsomeofitslatesttechnologiesandsolutions,including:
ASTRIshowcases its latest technologiesat theChinaHi-TechFair (CHTF)2019 inShenzhen
At theChinaHi-TechFair (CHTF)2019 inShenzhen,ASTRIshowcasedcutting-edge5G technology thatis providing innovative business solutions to helpshape theSmartCities of the future.ASTRI alsodemonstratedtheVR/ARSmartMaintenancesystem,agreatproductivitytoolforfieldengineers.CHTFwasheld from13 to17November2019at theShenzhenConvention&ExhibitionCenter.
BiometricsOpticalSeeThroughHeadMountedDisplay
4Kx2KUHDAugmentedRealityHeadMountedDisplay
DiffractiveOpticsforAnti-Counterfeit
SmartLocker2.0
GemAnalyser
UnobtrusiveHealthChecking
Canto-EnglishRecognitionChatbot
ASTRIProprietary5GEnd-to-EndSolution
ASTRIC-V2XEndtoEndSystem
AIMedicalPlatform
ASTRIunveilsopticalsolutionatthelargestSouthKoreaexpo
AttheVRExpo2019inOctober,thelargestindustryexpoinSouthKorea,ASTRIunveiledareferencedesignforaproduction-ready4Kx2Kaugmentedreality(AR)HeadMountedDisplay(HMD),withenhanceduserexperience.
The latestsolution isacollaborationwithMAYDisplayCo.Ltd.,akey industryplayerpossessingproprietarymanufacturingtechnologyandmassvolumeproductioncapabilityforLCoSmicrodisplays.ThecompleteARHMDsolutioncombinesMAY’sworldfirst true4Kx2KLCoSpanelwithASTRI’sreferenceopticaldesigntoprovideanindustry-leading70-degree-widefieldofview.
VREXPO2019broughttogethermajorVR/AR-relatedindustriesinareassuchasmanufacturing,defence,medical,education,architecture,platforms,games,themeparks,andvideosusing5G.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202036 37
Building the tech ecosystem
ASTRIdrives forward5G,C-V2XandAIinnovation and transformationwith Inteltechnology
ASTRI revealed its collaborationwith Intel on 5GStandalone (SA)CoreNetworkandRoadsideEdgeAI (Artificial Intelligence) forC-V2X(CellularVehicle-to-Everything)at theMobileWorldCongress (MWC)Shanghai2019.This technologywillpower theneweraofnetworktransformationbybringingtogetherthecompellingcapabilitiesof5G,C-V2XandAI.
ASTRIand Intelhavecollaboratedon the research,development and optimisation of a 5GSACoreNetwork,especiallyontheUserPlaneFunction(UPF)throughput,tomeet5Grequirements.Thecollaborationmakes itpossible forover200Gbps throughput tobeprocessedona single serverbyASTRI’s5GUPFwithoutpacketloss.Thekeyfeaturesthathavehelpeddeliveredabreakthroughperformanceforthe5GCoreNetworkinclude:
TheUPFofASTRI’s5GSACoreNetworkcanachievehighper-coreperformance;
DynamicDevicePersonalisation(DDP)technologyonIntel®EthernetNetworkAdaptershasbeenutilisedtoachievefine-gradeloadbalancingtoallowthroughputtoscaleuplinearlywithadditionalCPUcores
ASTRI’s5GSACoreNetworkcanscaledowntoasinglehardwareplatformforsmall-scaledeployments,orscaleoutandbedistributedincloudarchitecture
SupportbyASTRI’S5GSAcorenetworkfortheN9interfaceformobileedgeandadditionalService-BasedNetworkFunctions,enablingavarietyofnetworktopologiestotransformthemobilecorenetworktocaterfordifferent5Gapplicationsandscenarios.
EnablingedgeAIandvisual-sensingcapabilitiesforevolvingnext-generationsmartroadsideinfrastructure,withaninitialfocusonenablingreal-timeobjectrecognitionbyASTRI’sC-V2XEdgeSoftwaresolutiontodetectimminentdangersontheroadsandissuereal-timealertstodriversviaC-V2Xcommunicationbetweenvehiclesandroadsideinfrastructure.
ASTRIandIntel’sR&Dcollaborationalso involvedthepartnersworkingcloselyon:
China Mobile Hong Kong and ASTRIannounce new partnership on IoT andB lockcha in techno logy, w i t h debu tdemonstrationatMWCShanghai2019
ASTRIandChinaMobileHongKongpartnered tointroduceHongKong’sfirstapplicationofBlockchain-basedInternetofThings(IoT)technology.ChinaMobileGroup’sOneNETIoTPlatformandASTRI’sBlockchainsolutioncametogether inacombinedapplicationthatwasdemonstratedforthefirsttimeattheMobileWorldCongress(MWC)Shanghai2019from26to28June.
For thefirst time, thepowerofBlockchain technologyisbeingapplied toan IoTapplicationwherebydataiscollectedandstored in real-time–making itsafer,traceableandverifiable.ThesolutioncansignificantlyhelpthedevelopmentofSmartCity.
CITICTelecomCPCandASTRIannouncecooperation to developNextGenerationAR-poweredOperationsandMaintenanceTechnology
CITICTelecom InternationalCPCLimited (CITICTelecomCPC),awholly-ownedsubsidiaryofCITICTelecom InternationalHoldingsLimited,andASTRIannounced plans to join forces on research anddevelopment for next-generation operations andmaintenance technologiesusingAugmentedReality(AR)glasses.
The agreementwill involve ASTRI’sworld-classsof tware development talents collaboratingwithCITICTelecomCPCtoprovidesolutions foranarrayof complex scenariosbasedon real-life customerrequirements, on-site condit ions and technicalconsiderations.The introductionofARglasses forfieldengineerswillmean that real-time intelligence,troubleshooting logs,graphicsandencrypteddata
fromback-endsystemscanbestreamedandmadeaccessibleonsitetoengineersanytime,anywhere.
Inaddition toenhancingcustomerexperience, thiscollaborationisexpectedtoimprovetheoverallqualityofoperationsandmaintenanceandboostproductivityby40-50%.Whenmature, thesolution isexpectedtobe launched forother industryverticals suchasarchitecture and construction, boosting fieldworkefficiencyandeffectivenessinthoseindustries.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202038 39
ASTRICEOappointedCo-DirectoroftheGuangdong-HongKong-MacauGreaterBayAreaCommitteeof theChina3rdGenerationSemiconductorTechnology InnovationStrategicAlliance
ASTRI’sCEOMrHughChow,MrChenShiyi,scholarof theChineseAcademyofSciencesandPresidentof theSouthernUniversityofScienceandTechnology,andMrSongYonghua,Rectorof theUniversityofMacau,havebeenappointedCo-Directorsof theGuangdong-HongKong-MacauGreaterBayAreaCommitteeof theChina3rdGenerationSemiconductorTechnology InnovationStrategicAlliance.TheCommitteewas formed todrivedevelopmentandsynergies in thesectorandtofacilitate innovationanddevelopmentopportunities. Itwill leadtomoreeffectivecollaborationsandgreaterconnectivitybetweeninnovativeplayersin3rdGenerationSemiconductorsintheGuangdong-HongKong-MacauGreaterBayArea.
DrDanielShi,ASTRI’sSeniorDirectorofElectronicComponents,wasappointedasaDeputyDirectorof theCommittee.ASTRIwillactivelyparticipate in theresearchanddevelopmentwork relating to the3rdGenerationSemiconductorsector, IntellectualPropertystrategy,andtalentdevelopmentprogrammesacrosstheGuangdong-HongKong-MacauGreaterBayArea.
ASTR I R&D ex p e r t s h a r e s l a t e s tdevelopments in smartmanufacturingatSony’sUSResearchCenter
DrT.JohnKoo,DirectorofCyber-PhysicalSystemsatASTRI,was invited tospeakon the topic ‘DigitalandPhysicalTwinsforSmartFactoryinIndustry4.0’attheUSResearchCenterofSonyElectronics Inc. inSanJose,California.
Inhispresentation,DrKoodiscussedhowthedesignofDigitalandPhysicalTwinscanhelpcreatesmartfactories for the Industry4.0era,andpresentedasuccessful industryapplication.Henoted that,sinceModel-BasedSystemsEngineering(MBSE)hasbeenintroducedandadopted in theconstructionofDigitalandPhysicalTwins, variousaspectsof thesystembehaviours canbeexaminedat different levels ofcomplexity.
ASTRIjoinsEMSD’sE&MInnoZone
ASTRIpartneredwith theElectricalandMechanicalServicesDepartment (EMSD) in June to help thedepartmentachievehigherproductivityandgreatersuccess.At theE&M InnoZone in theEMSDHQ,ASTRIunveiled twoground-breaking innovations–a smart locker fittedwithaPalmFusionBiometricAuthenticationsystem,andanAI-poweredhandwrittenChinesecharacterrecognitionsystem.
ASTRIWhitepaper paves the way forFinTechbreakthroughinTreasuryoperations
AgroupofASTRI researchers ledbyDrJamesLei,SeniorDirector,Artificial IntelligenceandBigData(AIBD),hasauthoredawhitepaper titled ‘Unlock theFinTechValue forTreasurers’.DrStephenLeung,ExecutiveDirectorofMindsConnect,wasaco-authorof thepaper.ThewhitepaperaimsathelpingTreasuryprofessionalsacrossdifferent industriesexplore theimmensepotentialofFinTech toolsandapplications,particularlyBlockchain andArtif icial Intelligence.CorporateTreasury is a core financial functionofmostbusinessesand institutions,and theapplicationofBlockchain andother informationmanagementsolutionscangreatlyboostproductivity, informationsecurity and transparency. Thewhitepaper waspublishedincollaborationwithMindsConnectandtheAsiaTreasuryCommunity(ATC).
ASTRIdelegationvisitsimportantscientificresearchinstitutionsinBeijing
AnASTRIdelegationheadedbyCEOMrHughChow,DrDanielShi,SeniorDirector,andDrXieBin,PrincipalEngineer,visitedseveralimportantscientificresearchinstitutionsinBeijinginSeptember2019.TheseincludedtheInstituteofMicroelectronicsof theChineseAcademyofSciences, theBeijingCollaborative Innovation Institute,and theStrategic IndustryAlliance forThirdGenerationSemiconductorTechnology Innovation. In thevisits.ASTRI’sseniorexecutivesexploredvariousappliedtechnologyfieldsandexchangedideasonfuturecollaborationopportunitiesintheGuangdong-HongKong-MacaoGreaterBayArea.
ThedelegationalsometwithMsWuLing,Chairpersonof theStrategic IndustryAlliance forThirdGenerationSemiconductorTechnologyInnovation,todiscusstopicssuchasThirdGenerationSemiconductorapplicationsfor5Gcommunications,electricaswellasunmannedvehicles,railways,DCbuildings,energyrouters,andphotovoltaicinverters.ThedelegationanditscounterpartsagreedtostrengthencollaborationandexchangeinthefieldofThirdGenerationSemiconductorapplications,recognisingthatthehealthydevelopmentofthissectorintheGuangdong–HongKong–MacaoGreaterBayAreaisanimportantpriorityinthecontextofChina’soverallnationaldevelopmentstrategy.
Blockchain foreco-friendlyapparel?ASTRIandWWF partnership aims tomake ithappen.
ASTRIhaspartneredwith theWorldWideFundForNature (WWF)HongKong todevelopaBlockchain-basedsystemthatwillenablesustainability footprinttrackingof textilesandapparel fromsourcedown toconsumer level, bringingusersgreater awarenessof thesustainabilityandenvironmental footprint oftheclotheswewear.WWFvolunteersareworkingalongsideASTRI’sBlockchainR&DexpertsontheLowCarbonManufacturingProgram(LCMP) todeviseaBlockchain-poweredsystemfor thetextileandapparelsupplychain.
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Partnership architect and innovation enabler
PartneringintheBlockchainAcceleratorProgrammeforstart-ups
ASTRIispartneringwiththeHongKongScienceandTechnologyParksCorporation(HKSTP)andMolecularHubonaBlockchain-focusedacceleratorprogrammeforstart-ups.Akeypartner intheprogramme,ASTRI’srole istobuildupandenhancethetechnologicalknow-howandcapabilitiesof theparticipatingstart-upsbyprovidingthemwithBlockchain-relatedtraining.Thestart-upsarealsoabletoleverageASTRI’sR&DinfrastructureviathefacilitiesavailableattheSmartCityInnovationCentreoperatedbyASTRI.
HelpingtobuildaFinTechtalentpipelineforHongKong
TheFinTechCareerAcceleratorScheme (FCAS) isnurturingHongKong’s financial and technologicaltalents tomeetemergingandevolvingneedsof theindustry.AlongwithHongKongCyberportand theHongKongSciencePark,ASTRI isaco-organiserofthisscheme,spearheadedbytheHongKongMonetaryAuthority.FCASParticipantsgo throughayear-longprogrammeof technicalandregulatory training,alongwithinternshipplacementsinHongKongandShenzhenandagap-yearindustryplacement.
Cultivatingstudents’interestinsportwiththehelpoftechnology
ASTRIhaspartneredwiththeHongKongJockeyClubandtheChineseUniversityofHongKonginthe‘FuntoMove@JC’ initiative,afive-yearpilotprogrammethatisdevelopingasustainablemodeltoenhancephysicalactivityamongprimarystudents.Theprogrammeaimsto improvestudents’motivation toengage insportsandtheirefficiency indoingsobypromptingsystemicchanges in their lifelongphysicalactivityattitudesandhabits.Theinitiative,nowinitsthirdyear,aimstoserveover30,000studentsfrom35primaryschoolsinHongKongiscurrentlyontargettomeetthisgoal.
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics (AIBD)TheArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD)DivisionconductsappliedresearchonArtificialIntelligence(AI)andBigData(BD)with theaimofsolvingreal-worldproblems. Itsworkcovers theoretical foundations(dataprocessing,computationalmodels,andreasoningmechanisms),systemcapabilities (includingsensorsgettingdata,networksexchangingdata,and interactionwithpeople),andapplicationdomain technologies.TheAIBDDivisionfocusesondataprocessing(distributed,edgeIoT,blockchain), tocomputationalmodels(consensus,highperformance,quantumcomputing),tointelligence(analytics,cognitive,linguistics).
Industriesserved
AIBDcontributes tomany sectors and industries,inc luding banking, manufactur ing, governmentorganisations, disciplined servicesand thehealthsector. It provides technologyplatforms, solutions,designs,anddevelopmentservicessothatitspartnersandcustomerscanfocusontheircorebusinesses.
CloudComputing(Cloud)
ComputationalLinguisticsandIntelligence(CLI)
IntelligentCognitiveSystem(ICS)
SmartIoTAnalytics&Applications(SIAA)
Cyber-PhysicalSystems(CPS)
Core Competence Groups
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CloudComputing(Cloud)
Builtonmulti-disciplinaryresearchanddevelopmentinnetworking,computing,andmachine learning,Cloudprovideshighperformanceand largescaledistributedcomputational platformswithefficiency, reliability,per formance and f lexibility for a range of cloudcomputingapplications– includingcommunicationsystemsoverLoRaWAN,industrialIoTcloudplatforms,IoTdataanalytics,andblockchain.
ComputationalLinguisticsand Intelligence(CLI)
CLI leverages state-of-the-ar t AI algorithm andmachine learning technologies toprovidemachineperceptionrelatedspeechrecognition,naturallanguageprocessing, imageanalysis,andpattern recognitiontailoredtoindustriesandkeystakeholders.
IntelligentCognitiveSystem(ICS)
ICSappliesartificial intelligence, InternetofThings(IoT),sensor technologiesandbigdataanalytics tothefieldsofHealthTechandSmartCity.InsupportofHongKongSARGovernment initiatives, ICSfocusesondevelopingtechnologiestargetedatdomains inthefieldsofSmartLiving(e.g.healthcareandelderlycare),SmartPeople,andSmartMobility.
SpeechrecognitionofCantonesemixedwithEnglishandMandarin
LanguageprocessingofCantonese,Mandarin,andEnglish
TexttospeechinCantoneseandMandarin
Sentimentanalysisoftoneandtext
ChatbotandVoicebot
Edgecomputing
Imageclassification
Domainspecificlanguageprogramming
IoTnetworkssimulation/implementation
Cryptocurrencytrading
Key Technologies
R&D highlight
A Hong Kong Smart Water Metering Communication Standard and Reference Design
HongKong’smountainous landscapeandmanyhigh-risebuildingsmeanthecity requiresahigh-pressurewatersupply,whichcanposechallengesfor foreign-madesmartmeters.Thisproject involvesdevelopingasmartwatermeteringcommunicationstandardforHongKongadaptedtolocalenvironmentalconstraintsandfrequencybandregulationsforLoRa(aLongRange,low-powerwideareanetworkingtechnology),aswellasareferencedesignfortheWaterSuppliesDepartment(WSD).
SmartIoTAnalytics&Applications(SIAA)
The taskof IoTanalytics&applications is to take inhugevolumesofheterogeneousdatafromIoT,andtoprocess,store,andextractbusinessvaluefromthem.SIAA’sR&Defforts includedatamining,distributedcomputing, andhigh-performance communicationnetworksintheserviceofartificialintelligence.
Cyber-PhysicalSystems(CPS)
CPSanalyses thedynamicsofphysicalprocesses,providingabstractionsandmodelling, design, andanalysis techniques for the integratedwhole.Theeconomicandsocietalpotentialofsuchsystems forsmartmanufacturingandnewindustrialapplicationsisvast.
SmartContractPlatformforFintechApplications
FinTech
Trial:EnhancingfacilitymanagementsecuritythroughIoTandsmartanalytics
SmartCity
AIAnalyticEngineforprovidingtailor-madetrainingstargetingSENstudents
HealthTechnologies
IndustrialIoTPlatformwithDNP3andLoRa
SmartCity
HierarchicalDLT(DistributedLedgerTechnology)PlatformforFinTechApplications
FinTech
Real-TimeGasSafetyMonitoringPlatformwithSensorArray
SmartCity
Digitalizedelderlyservicesplatform
HealthTechnologies
Other R&D projects
R&D highlightArtificial Intelligence Chatbot
Mostof thecurrentlyavailablechatbotandspeech-to-textsolutionscanonlyunderstandEnglishorMandarin.LeveragingAI, voice recognitionandnatural languageprocessing(NLP)–abranchofAI thatreads,deciphers,understands, andmakes senseof human languages–ASTRIhaspurpose-built andcommercialisedanAIchatbotalongwithspeech-to-textsolutions thatareabletoprocess locally spokenCantonese (mixingEnglish,CantoneseandslangaswellasMandarin)inHongKong.Thistechnologycanbeappliedtotranscribeandanalysespeech and/ormultipar ty conversations in dif ferentindustrydomains, includingpublicservices,financialandretailsectors.
R&D highlightIntelligent platform for fleet operations
Thisprojectenablesvehicle fleetoperators toadoptasmart schedulingand routingplatform for theiroperations,alongwithan integratedsafe-drivingsystemthatmonitorsvehicles’operatingdataandvideo-records thesurroundingscenariosandcircumstances. It allowsoperators to scheduleandplan theirserviceroutesmoreeffectively,aswellasenhancingthesafetyoffleetoperationsbyenablingtheproactiveidentificationof“high-risk”driversforfurtherprofessionaldevelopment.
Detaineemoodstatusalertsystem
HealthTechnologies
Unobtrusiveheartactivitymonitoringthroughmicro-movementofBCG
HealthTechnologies
IntelligentKnowledgeManagementPlatform
FinTech
MultidisciplinaryRetoolingPlatformforASTRI
SmartCity
Unobtrusiveheartactivitymonitoringthroughmicromovementofballistocardiograph
HealthTechnologies
Model-BasedDeepReinforcementLearningRoboticSystem
FinTech
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Communications (COM)TheCommunications(COM)Divisiondeliverscutting-edge toolsandapplicationsbasedon5Gandothernextgenerationnetworksolutions.Itsapplicationsarehelpingequipmentmanufacturersandoperatorstointroducefasterandmoreintelligentservicesfornetworkusers,benefitingbothindustriesandthecommunity.
Thedivision issupportingHongKong’soverallSmartCitydevelopment in termsofstandards,solutionsandinfrastructure,especiallyin5G-relatedtransformations.ItsCoreCompetenceGroups(CCGs)aredevelopingopenbroadbandwirelessnetworksandapplications, including5Gbasestationsandcorenetworks,and focusingoncreatingnewtechnologyinfrastructureandplatformsforawiderangeofsectorsandapplications.Thedivisionalsooffersend-to-endsystemsolutionsforvariousplayersatdifferentlevelsofthevaluechainintheindustryecosystem.
Industriesserved
COMworks c losely with agencies of the HongKongSARGovernment, telecommunicationserviceproviders, universities, andR&D institutions. Itspartners include theOfficeof theCommunicationsAuthority(OFCA),theEnergisingEastKowloonOffice,aswell as leading telecommunications operatorsHKTandChinaMobileHongKong. Ithasalsobeenworkingcloselywithvariousgovernmentdepartmentsandagencies responsible for transport, electricalandmechanicalservices,urbanrenewaland land. Inaddition, ithashelpedcharitableandsocialentitiesconcernedwithschoolchildren, theelderlypopulation
BasebandSolutions(BSOL)
EmergingSystems(ESYS)
NetworkingSoftware(NSOFT)
MobileandIoTPlatforms(MIP)
MediumAccessControlandIntelligentSolutions(MACI)
Core Competence Groups
andotherhealthcarerecipients.BeyondHongKong,itworkswithgovernmentbodiesandindustryregulatorsinMainlandChina, leadingglobal industryplayers,aswellasinternationalbodiesincluding3GPPandGSMA.
BasebandSolutions(BSOL)
BSOLdevelops industry leading5Gwirelesssolutionsandreferencedesigns for industryplayers.Theteamspecialises inbasebandalgorithms,L1-L3embeddedsoftware, andDSPandFPGA reference designsbased on open plat forms. BSOL is dedicated todeveloping low-cost,high-qualityandcutting-edge4Gand5Gradiocommunicationssystemsforbothpublicandprivate telecommunicationnetworks.Specifictechnologycompetences includeEnhancedMobileBroadband (eMBB),Ultra-ReliableandLowLatencyCommunications(URLLC),andmassiveMachine-TypeCommunications(mMTC).
EmergingSystems(ESYS)
ESYS develops open p lat form-based networktechnologiesfor5Gcellularsystemsthatareincreasingspectrumefficiency,andthusreducingbothhardwarecosts and energy consumption. The CCG alsodevelops forward-looking radioaccess technologiestoaddress theneedsofnewandquicklymaturingsectorssuchas4G/5GC-V2Xcommunicationsandsolutions(e.g.RSU,IVU)inareassuchasconnected-vehicleapplications,wireless technologysupportingUnmannedAerial Systems (drones) connectivity,andmmWavecommunication forenhancedmobilebroadbandapplications.
NetworkingSoftware(NSOFT)
NSOFT enables the development of end-to-endnetworks that leverage next generation networkconnectivity, in the service ofSmartMobility andSmartCity infrastructureandapplications.Theteam'stechnology competences include thedevelopmentofNetworkComponents (4G/5GCoreNetworkswithhigh throughput packet processing software), andNetworkFormation (networkvirtualization,softwaredef ined networks, orchestration to allow f lexibleandmanageable4G/5G -V2Xnetworkdeploymentscenarios). NSOFTisplayingamajorrole increatingsmartcityinfrastructureusing4G/5G/C-V2Xnetworkingsolutionswithsoftwaresystemsandalgorithms thatenablesmartmobilityapplications,includingconnectingcarswithenhanced roadsafety,V2X-based trafficmanagement,roadsidesensingcapabilities,enhancingautonomousvehiclesafety,andmore.
TheNSOFTteamenjoyedatechnologybreakthroughin2020,achievingover1.3TGbpsthroughputona5GCore,afterthesuccessofdemonstrating17usecasesofC-V2Xroadsafety inWuxi in2018,andorganisingthecommercialdeploymentofa4G/LTEcorenetworkin the industry'sfirstLTE-basedsubwaycontrolsignalcommunicationsystemin2016.
NSOFT isactively collaboratingwith various localpar tners to enable C-V2X deployment for roadsafety inHongKong,andapplying5G toenable thedevelopmentoffutureSmartCityinfrastructure.
MobileandIoTPlatforms(MIP)
MIPdevelopstechnologiesandtotalsystemsolutionsthatareunlockingthepotentialofmobileapplicationsand IoT. Its innovationsareenablingcommunicationsystemstoaccommodatethevastamountsofnetworktraffic triggeredbymillionsof devicesandmobileusers,whileworkingcohesivelywithcloudresourcesthatcanscalehorizontally insteadofvertically.MIPfocuses on developing and advancing proximity,geographicinformation,andrealtimetelemetric-relatedtechnologies for applications suchas positioning,navigation,map rendering,sensordataprocessing,smar t distr ibuted gateways, IoT Blockchain andadvancedIoTtrackingsystems.
MediumAccessControl and IntelligentSolutions(MACI)
MACI developsMedium Access Control (MAC)technologiesandconducts technicalcorporationandsystem integrationswithotherCCGs,providing5Goverallsolutions forsuchemergingmarketsassmartfactories,smartmobility,smartcitiesand5Genterprisenetworks.The teamhasanexcellent track record inthecommercialisationofwireless technologies,andhasenabledmultiple customer tenders for designcommercialisation.ExtensivecollaborationsarebeingcarriedoutacrossCCGsandTDswithinASTRI,withindustrypartners(particularlyHongKongandGreaterBayAreacompanies),andwithHongKonggovernmentagentsandpublicgroups.
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5GO-RANbasestationtechnologies,includingwirelesstechnology,basebandalgorithm,referencedesign,andembeddedL1/L2/L3systemintegrationwith5GCoreNetwork
5GCoreNetworkandOrchestrator
MobileEdgeComputing
CellularVehicle-to-Everything(C-V2X)networksolution
IoTBlockchainfordataexchange
Key Technologies
R&D highlightNext Generation Ultra-Dense Networks: PHY Core, Procedures and Interworking
The5GUltra-DenseNetworks (UDN) technologiesdelivered in this project include a 5GUDN basestationwithaPHY layer referencedesign,aswellasPHYproceduresand interworkingon theCloud-RANplatform.Theteamhasalsocompletedaninfrastructuretesttovalidateandverifystandardsrequirements.
R&D highlightMobile Core leading to 5G Service-based Architecture
This innovativenew5Gcorenetworksolution,created inpartnershipwith Intel,supports5Gstandalonedeployments(AMF,SMF,UPF). Itoffersacompelling5Gcorenetworkperformance,withover1.3TbpsofnetworktrafficusingIntel’s4Ufootprintserver.
R&D highlightC-V2X Networking System for Smart Mobility
This industry-leadingC-V2XNetworkingSystemsupports 17 road safety use cases, includingroadside edge gateways, vehicle on-boardunit software, and display applications. Thesystem representsabreakthrough innovationforHongKongandbeyond.Theproject involvedundertakingHongKong’s first-everC-V2X trial,incollaborationwithHKT,andcarryingout theworld’s first-evercity-wideC-V2Xdeployment inWuxiinpartnershipwithleadingindustryplayers.
SmartIoTPlatformforActivityTracking
SmartCity
EvaluationofV2XEdgeArchitectureandManagement
SmartCity
Studiesof5GRANTechnologiesforSmartIndustrialIoT
SmartCity
Vehicle-to-Everything(V2X)CommunicationSystem
SmartCity
Software-DefinedWideAreaNetwork
SmartCity
EvolutionofMissionCriticalandReliableCommunications
SmartCity/IntelligentManufacturing
NextGenerationMobileCoreforVerticalApplications
SmartCity
EvolutionofMobileBroadbandwith5G
SmartCity/IntelligentManufacturing
NextGenerationNB-IoTBasebandSolution
SmartCity
IoTBlockchainforDataExchange
SmartCity
Long-haulIoTandLocationServicesforSmartVisitingPlatform
SmartCity
NewRadioEnhancedVehicle-to-EverythingCommunications
SmartCity
EdgeComputingPlatformfor5GEnterprise
SmartCity
5GNROptimisedHeterogeneousNetworks
SmartCity
SmartCity5GICTInfrastructure SmartCity
SmartMobilityRoadsideInfrastructure
SmartCity
5GMobileBroadbandSmallCells
SmartCity
Other R&D projects
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Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies (CCT)TheCybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT)Divisionusesadvancedapplied technologiestoenhancethereliability,protectionandtrustworthinessofdata invariousdomainareas. Itsresearchexpertise,appliedacrossmanysectorsandindustries,issupportedbysixcorecompetencygroups.
Industriesserved
CCTservesawidevarietyofsectorsand industries,including banking, insurance, retail, logistics, lawenforcement,publicservicesandtelecommunications.Oneof thedivision’smajorgoals is tohelptopositionHongKongasapremierinternationalFinTechhub.
AppliedCryptosystems(ACS)
Cybersecurity&Analytics(CSA)
DataAnalytics(DATA)
MultimodalImageAnalytics(MMIA)
MultimediaSystemsandAnalytics(MSA)
SecuredSystemPlatforms(SSP)
Core Competence Groups
AppliedCryptosystems(ACS)
ACSexplores technologies related to theapplicationofcryptography indifferent industrysectors. ItsR&Dexpertsaredevelopingcryptosystems in theareasofFinTechsecurity,privacypreservation, federatedlearning,andmultimediacontentanalytics.
Cybersecurity&Analytics(CSA)
CSA brings together humans andmachines forresearch intocyber-threathuntingandanalysis. Inanagewhere thebulkofbusiness, institutionalandpersonaldataisstoredonline,theincreasingfrequencyand sophistication of cyberattacks posesamajorthreat.Tohelpbusinessesandthecommunity,theCSAteamisapplyingdataanalytics,machine learningandAI-powered tools tocombatcyber threats,combininghuman skil ls with advanced hardware-sof twarecapabilities.
Automatedcontentunderstandingthroughdeeplearning
Blockchain;Knowledgegraph;Cybersecuritythreatanalytics
Medicalimagedataanalyticsincapsuleendoscopy
MobilevisualcomputingwithAR/VR,3Dmetrology
HardwareAcceleratorsinCryptography
Key Technologies
algorithmsfocusonimageprocessing,ML/DL,CVandSLAM.Theteam'scurrentfocusareasincludeMedicalImagingDevicesandIntelligentImageAnalysis,SmartMaintenanceand Intelligent3DMetrology. Itsgoal istoprovidehigh-performanceandintelligentapplicationsolutionsforpartners in theareasofHealthTechandSmartCity.
MultimediaSystemsandAnalytics(MSA)
MSAprovides solutions across different capturedmedia inmultiple dimensions, with its solutionscurrentlybeingdeployedinFinTechandInsurTech.Itsalgorithmdevelopmentcoversimage/videoprocessing,handwritten character recognition (ICR), artif icialintelligence,computervision,simultaneouslocalisationandmapping (SLAM),natural languageprocessing(NLP),behaviouralandbiometricsauthenticationandinformationverification. MSA’soutput includesanAutomatedFormProcessingSystem,anAutomatedContent Process ing P la t fo rm, an AutomatedIntelligentDocumentProcessingSystem, aFraudDetectionsolutionfor insuranceclaims,andCharacterRecognitionEngines.
SecuredSystemPlatforms(SSP)
SSPdevelopsBlockchainsystemprotocolstoenhanceandoptimiseBlockchainsecurity,performanceandscalability. Italsocarriesout researchonhardwareaccelerators for Blockchain transactions. SSPhasbuilt robust blockchain platforms for propertymortgage, insuranceandsupplychainoperations formultiplecorporations. The team isalsoworkingonopendataandbankingdevelopment insupportof theHongKongMonetaryAuthority (HKMA)’s initiativeofOpenApplicationProgrammingInterface(API) for thebankingsector.
DataAnalytics(DATA)
TheDataAnalytics teamdevelopsscalable, real timebigdataanalyticsplatformsandadvancedAIsolutionsusingdeep learning /machine learning technologies,insupportofarangeofdifferentindustries.Theteamdevelopstechnologiesforthewholedatalifecycle,fromdataacquisition todatastorage,datamanagement,dataanalyticsandvisualisation. Itscurrent technicalfocusesincludefinancialriskanalytics,frauddetection,time-seriesdataanalytics,knowledgegraphandgraphanalytics,carriedoutinsupportof industrypartnersinthefieldsofFinTech,RegTech,IntelligentManufacturinganddigitalmarketing.
MultimodalImageAnalytics(MMIA)
MMIAworks on the technology associatedwithacquiring, analysing and processingmulti-modalimages. Its technologydevelopmentcovershardware,f i rmware, sof tware and algor i thms, where the
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R&D highlightHeterogeneous Computing Platform for Embedded Vision
Augmentedreality(AR)isatechnologythatsuperimposesacomputer-generatedimageonauser’sperceptionsof therealworld,andhasbecomeoneof thetoptechnological trendsof thedecade.ThisprojectappliedEnterpriseARtodevelopanARfieldservicemanagementsolutionforCITICTelecomtocarryouton-siteinstallation,maintenanceandtroubleshooting.UsingARglassesandavisualanddepthsensingplatform,on-sitetechnicianscanaccessreal-timedata,atroubleshootinglog,andgraphicsandencrypteddatafromback-endsystemsanytime,anywhere.Incomplexcases,remotesupportexpertscanviewstreamedreal-timeimagestransmitted fromARglasseswornbyon-sitetechniciansthroughtheARoperationconsole.For futuresmart industrialapplications, the teamwillleverageavarietyofcomputingand3Dimagingtechnologies todevelopuseful technical features,includingsimultaneous localisationandmapping(SLAM)algorithmsforembeddedsystems,dense3DmappingforEnterpriseARandrobotapplications,anddepthandvisualsensorfusion.
R&D highlightAI OCR Software Development
ASTRI’shandwrittenChineseOpticalCharacterRecognition(OCR) technologycanrecogniseover8,000traditionalandsimplifiedhandwrittenChinesecharactersandEnglishtypedlettersandnumbers,withabetter-than-humanaccuracyofupto97.12%.It isalsoequippedwithcontextual intelligencewhichmakesitcapableofauto-correctinglocaladdresses.Thisproject involvedthedevelopmentofanAutomatedFormProcessingSystem(AFPS)andaDigitRecognitionmodule.Thesesystemsare inuseatanumberofcompaniesandorganisationstospeedupformprocessing.
SecureTransactionAccelerationinCloudComputing
ASIC
NextGenerationColdFoodImportSafetyManagement(CFISM)Platform
SmartCity
Smartcreditassessment&analyticsenginestomicro,small&medium-sizedenterprises(MSMEs)andlendersforloanapplications
FinTech
Dark-webIntelligencePool-aprototypeofthesuper-sensitivedataframework
FinTech
Cyber-attackssimulationforintrusiondetectionsystembenchmarking
FinTech
AIAlgorithmOptimizationPlatformforMedicalImageAnalytics
HealthTech
Collaborative&IntelligentKYCSystem
FinTech
IntelligentMediaAnalyticsSystemforFinancialInstitutions
FinTech
AutomatedContentProcessingPlatformthroughDeepLearning
FinTech
DeepLearningFacilitatedMedicalImageAnalytics
HealthTech
PerformanceEvaluationandOptimizationforGoogleAds
SmartCity
AutomatedFormProcessingSystem FinTech
AIdrivenDataAnalyticsPlatformforRiskManagement
FinTech
SmartAds:IntelligentAdvertisingManagementSystem
SmartCity
Trial:IntelligentAutomatedDocumentProcessing
FinTech
Other R&D projects R&D highlightSupply Chain Workflow Blockchain system
Thisproject involvesdevelopingaresilientsupplychainworkflowsystemusingblockchaindistributedledger technology,enablesourclient toexecutethecompleteprocessforprocuringandreceivingvital parts. Thesystemprovides full processtransparencyandimmutabletransactionrecordingandenablesclose interactionbetweenvariousdepartmentsandtheirsuppliers.
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Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICS)TheIntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS)Divisiondevelopshigh-value-addingtechnologiesforPower&RFrelatedICs&Systems,helpingtoenhancelocalindustrialcompetitivenessintheareasofSmartCityandIndustry4.0.Thedivisionspecialises inadvancedsemiconductor technologies,covering3rdgenerationsemiconductordevices,AIchips,wirelessIoTchips,3Dintegration,SiCandGaNbasednewpowerandenergystoragesystems,andmore.ICS isalsoakeyconstituentof the first-everHongKongbranchof theChineseNationalEngineeringResearchCentre(CNERC).CNERCislocatedwithinASTRIandfocusesonApplicationSpecificIntegratedCircuitsresearch,technologytransfer,andtalenttraining.
Industriesserved
ICS caters to various technology-centric industryverticals,which includedatacentres, robotics,newenergyvehicles,powerandchargingsystemsandhigh-speedtrains.
3DIntegration(3DI)
MachineLearningPlatforms(MLP)
RFSystems
SmartPowerandEnergySystems
TechnologyCo-Design
VisionComputing
Core Competence Groups
3DIntegration(3DI)
3DIprovidescomprehensiveadvancedsolutions forpowerelectronicsproducts,with specialisations inSiliconCarbide(SiC)andGalliumNitride(GaN)baseddevices,control/driver ICs,packages,modules,andsubsystems. Theapplicationdomainsservedby theGroup include5Gnetworksand infrastructure,datacentres, industrial robots,newenergyvehicles,powerandchargingsystemsaswellasrailwaytransportation.
MachineLearningPlatforms(MLP)
MLPdevelopsAI chips for imageprocessingandcomputervisionapplications. The teamhasstrongspecial isat ions in Deep Neural Network (DNN)optimisation, dataf low neural network processordesign,andAIalgorithms.Italso innovateshardware-enabledsolutionsforintelligentvideoproduction,smartcameras,smartlocksandvariousothersmartdevices.
RFSystems
TheRFSystemsgroupprovideswirelessconnectivitychipswith state-of-the-ar t low power integratedcircuitdesign for IoTapplications. ThesesolutionsincludeBluetoothLowEnergy(BLE)supportingaudiostreamingapplications(LEAudio),NarrowbandInternetofThings (NB-IoT)and5G IoT (NR-light).All thesetechnologiesare facilitatingSmartCityandSmartHomedevelopment, andenablingawide rangeofconnectivitysolutionsforpersonal,industrialandothersystems.
SmartPowerandEnergySystems
The Smar t Power and Energy Systems team isdevelopinginnovativeSiC-andGaN-basednewpowerandenergystoragetechnologies.Theseareenhancingenergyefficiencyandoptimisingpowerusage in theareaofSmartCity development and for industrialapplications.
TechnologyCo-Design
TheTechnologyCo-DesignCCGdevelopsandmodelsadvancedsemiconductordevices.ItprovidessolutionsforESDprotection,semiconductorsensors,andothernovelsemiconductordevices. Its technologicalcore
DCBuilding
WirelessPowerTransfer
Energystoragesystems
Smartpowerhubs
High-densitypowermodules
FinFET
NB-IoT
RFTransceiver
AIchips
Key Technologies
competences includevirtual fabricationandcompactmodelextraction.Thesetechnologiesmakeitpossibleto vir tually develop processes and devices in anoptimised,efficientmanner.TheGrouphasdevelopedcomprehensive IPportfolios fordevicedesignandmodelling, includingarea-efficientESDstructure IPs,process independentscalable I/O libraries,andBSIMmodels. Itcollaboratescloselywith IC foundriesanddesignhousesinthedevelopmentofuniqueadvanceddevicesandmodel IPsusingComplementaryMetal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. It hassuccessfullydelivereddevice,IOlibraryandmodelIPsfrom0.5nmto14nmFinFETprocesses.
VisionComputing
TheVisualComputingCCGprovidessoftwareandhardwaresolutions for2Dand3D imageanalysis.Thegroupprovidessolution forvisionbasedremotephotoplethysmography, point cloud clusteringandobject trackinganalysis,andhumanposeestimationapplications. Thegroupalsoprovides3Ddisplaytechnologyandimmersivevideoapplicationtechnology.
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R&D highlightAdvanced Ceramic Substrate for High Power & High Frequency Applications
Thedirectplatingcopper(DPC)ceramicsubstratewithfeaturepatterns issuitableforhighpowerandhighfrequencyapplications,as ithastheadvantagesofsurfaceflatnessandsmaller tracealignmenterror,andlowercosteffectivelybychangingtheAg-pluggedholeprocesstotheCu-filledholeprocess.However,duetothesizeandaspectratiocharacteristicofthrough-holesinDPCceramicsubstrates,completelyfillingthethrough-holesalongwiththesurfacecircuitryformulationareextremelychallenging.Thisprojectdevelopedanovelfabricationprocessandmaterialstorealisevoid-freethrough-holefillinginDPCceramicsubstrates,meanwhilemettherequirementofsurfaceplatedthicknessandsurfaceflatnessforcircuitryformulation.Theresultantprocessesandmaterialsequipmanufacturerstorealizevoid-freethrough-holefilling infabricatinghigh-qualityceramicsubstratestocompeteinthehigh-endelectronicsmarketglobally.
R&D highlightDual-mode RF Transceiver for Enhanced eMTC and NB-IoT
EnhancedMachineTypeCommunication (eMTC)andNarrowband InternetofThings (NB-IoT)arekeytechnologiesforcellularIoTconnectivity.Thisprojectinvolvesdevelopingahighlyefficientyetcost-effectivedual-modeRFtransceiver foreMTC/NB-IoTterminals,enablingubiquitous, reliableandsecurewirelessconnectivity forSmartCityapplications.ThisprojectwillhelpHongKong takeona leading role in theIoT fieldandcreateacompetitiveedge for local ICdesignhouses, IoTsolutionvendors,OEMandODMmanufacturers.
NextGenerationSiC-basedMatrixConverters
ASIC
GaN-basedHigh-densityPowerModuleforNextGenerationPowerConversions
ASIC
NextGenerationPowerDeliverySolutionforSmartCityApplications
ASIC
SensorHubSoCEmbeddedwithNB-IoTConnectivity
ASIC
CrossPlatformIODesignforFinFETTechnology
ASIC
DedicatedVisualIntelligencePlatform
ASIC
HardwareAccelerationforVRVideoStreaming
SmartCity
SiliconCarbide(SiC)CompactModule(SCM)forElectricVehicle
ASIC
NextGenerationPowerElectronicsasanEnablerforElectricVehiclesandRobots
ASIC
FastChargeAutomatedGuidedVehicle
IntelligentManufacturing
ImmersiveAudioTechnologies ASIC
Other R&D projects R&D highlightNext Generation Energy-Saving Solution for Smart City
Energyefficiency isacriticalcriterionofsmartbui ldings, and of Smar t City developmentgenerally.Adoptingnewgreen technologies toreducebuildings’energyusage isessential.ThisprojectisdevelopingaDirectCurrent(DC)powersystemplatform forsmartbuildingapplications.The idea is to power a home/building byDCinstead ofAlternatingCurrent (AC), bringingsignificantpowersavings.ThesystemisflexibleinDCvoltagelevels,from375Vto400Vcontrollable,whichmakes it suitable formarkets inHongKong,China,Europe and theUS.Advancedtechnologies includingaSilicon-carbide (SiC)basedefficientpowerconversionsolution,ultra-fastDCprotectiondevices, real-timemonitoringandonlinecapacitorpreventivemaintenancewillbedevelopedinthisproject.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202056 57
Internet of Things and Sensors (IoTSEN)The InternetofThingsandSensors (IoTSEN)Divisionhas threecorecompetencegroups thatspecialise indevelopingandcommercialisingmarket-drivensolutions.Over theyears, IoTSENhasbeengrantedover200inventionpatentsandmade160technologytransferstotheindustry.Inrecentyearsthedivisionhasalsosteppedintonewareassuchasdeep learning-baseddefectsclassificationtechnologyfor intelligentmanufacturing,palmfusionbiometricsensingtechnologyforsecuritycontrol,andmini-spectroscopytechnologyforsmartliving.
Industriesserved
IoTSENservesmanydifferentindustriesinHongKong,theGreaterBayAreaandbeyond. Itsupportssmartfactoriesandawiderangeofsmartcityapplicationswithitssophisticatedsensingandopticalsolutionsthatenableautomationandboostproductivity.Itsindustrialbusiness partners include tier-1manufacturers ofmobilephones,electricalandopticalcomponents,andhead-mounteddisplayproducts,alongwithMainland
IntelligentMachineVision(IMV)
EmergingSensing&DisplaySystem(ESDS)
SensingDevices&Integration(SDI)
Core Competence Groups
and local enterprise companiesandnewstart-upslookingforsensingsolutionsforsmartsecuritycontrol,smarteducationandsmartliving.Thedivisionhasalsobroughtefficientsolutions tosome localgovernmentdepartments.
IntelligentMachineVision(IMV)
IMV focuseson vision technology, anddealswithadvancedandminiaturisedopticalenginesaswellasimageunderstandinganddeep learningalgorithms. ItworksinparticularwithtechnologiessuchasAutomaticOptical Inspection (AOI) andHigh-precision 3DMetrology,AutomatedAIgenerationsystems,intelligentindustry robotvisionandcognition,andmedicalandhealthcareimagesensing.
EmergingSensing&DisplaySystem(ESDS)
ESDSdevelopssmartdevicesforvariousapplications.It focusesonDiffractiveandHolographicOptics fordisplayandsensing,HumanCentricSensingFusionforbiometricsandhumanmachine interaction(HMI),andNextGenerationMixedReality(MR)Displays.
Biometricsensingdeviceforaccess&securitycontrol
Diffractivenanostructuresforanti-counterfeitsolutions
Augmentedreality(AR)displaytechnologiesforhead-mounteddisplays(HMDs)
HumanCentricSensingFusionplatform
HardwareAcceleratorsinCryptography
Mobilespectroscopyforenvironmentalsensingandpersonaleverydayapplications
High-resolutionandhigh-speedareaconfocaltechnologyforbiomedicaluses(suchasdentalclassification,tumourdetection,eyeexaminations,newmaterialclassification,initialdiagnosisofAlzheimer'sdisease,etc.)
Deep-learning-basedsoftwareplatformfordefectdetectionandclassification
FlexibledisplayinspectionsystemforOLED/Miro-LEDlighting-ontest
Intelligent2D/3DEye-in-Hand(EiH)visualsensingmoduleforindustryrobots
AutomatedAIgenerationsystemforqualityinspection&automaticpick-&-place
Key Technologies
SensingDevices&Integration(SDI)
SDI deve lops in tegrated opt ica l modu les fo renvironmentalsensingand foruse inmanufacturing.Threemajortechnologicalplatformsarebeingexploredbythisteam:Sensingdevicesandmodulesintegrationfor environment sensing, Hyperspectral imagingfor industrial inspections, andSmartphone-basedspectroscopy.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202058 59
FlexibleDisplayInspectionSystem(FDIS)
IntelligentManufacturing
Eye-in-handFlexibleVisualInspectionSystem(EiH)
IntelligentManufacturing
Confocalspectralimagesensingtechnology
IntelligentManufacturing
FeasibilitystudyonDiffractiveOpticalSystemforAnti-Counterfeit
SmartCity
Other R&D projects
R&D highlight
Deep Machine Vision Platform (DMVP)
Thisprojecthasdevelopedadeepmachinevisionplatformenablingawiderangeofapplicationsforindustrialmeasurementsandadvanceddefectanalysis.Theseincludevision-basedmeasurementsoftware,customer-specificdeep-learningbaseddefect-detectionrulediscovery,advanceddefectanalysisusingdeep-learningclassification,aswellas2.5D/3Dglassinspectionilluminationandcapturingtechnologies.Theplatformreplacestheneedforhumanstomanuallydesignapplications.Ithasenhancedthethroughputofinspectionsinmanufacturing,andboostedoverallproductquality.Onedevelopedapplicationhelpedaclientincreaseitsimageprocessingspeedmorethantwenty-fold,savingasmuchasHK$288,000permonthinoperatingcosts.
R&D highlightBiometric Sensing Fusion (BSF) for AR/VR Display
Headmountdisplays(HMDs)willactasnextgeneration informationproviders,making iteasierandmoreeffectivetoacquire informationbychangingthedataformatfromdigital tovirtual.Usingeye-gazingandirisidentificationtechnology,thisprojectdeliveredalargefieldofview(FOV)see-throughHMDsolutiontoatier-1communicationdevicemanufacturerandalocalSTEMeducationcompany.Thesolutionenablesusersto“pointandclick”withtheireyes,freeingupbothhandsforothertaskssuchasdrivingoroperatingindustrialmachinery.Thistechnologycanbeimplantedinwearabledisplaydevicesintendedforawidevarietyofmarkets,includingeducation,traininganddesign.AlargeFOVsee-throughHMDwithinternalandexternalsensingcouldalsobeusedinpublicplacessuchasairports,exhibitioncentresandmuseums,greatlysupportingthedevelopmentofHongKong’stourismandexhibitionindustries.
Diffractive&HolographicOpticsforSeeThroughARDisplay(DHOD)
SmartCity
PortableRemote-gas-sensingDeviceforFirefighters
SmartCity
IntegratedSmartInspectionandIdentificationSystemforJewelleryandAntiques
SmartCity
FeasibilityStudyofActiveIlluminationEnhancedHyperspectralImagingPlatform
SmartCity
Engaging with the Community
Civil Service Bureau
VisitorsfromtheCivilServiceBureauatatalk
AdelegationfromtheHongKongInstituteofPublicAccountantsviewedademonstrationofourtechnologyduringavisit
ASTRIwelcomedCommissionerforInnovationandTechnologyRebeccaPunTing-tingJP(left)totheSmartCityInnovationCentre
DirectorofIntellectualPropertyDavidWongFuk-loiJP(fourthleft)viewedourautonomouscarinaction
KumShingGroup’sExecutiveDirectorIrBKMak(right)metwithourCEOHughChowduringavisittoASTRI
MrStephenChau(fifthright),SmarToneChiefTechnologyOfficer, visitedASTRI
SmarTone
Kum Shing Group
Intellectual Property Department Commissioner of Innovation and Technology
Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
29May,2019
12March,2020
16July,2019
11December,201915August,2019
14January,2020
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202060 61
ASTRI strikes gold in Asia International Innovative Invention Award
ASTRI wins two Awards at Prestigious Hong Kong Awards for Industries 2019
Commerce and Economic Development Bureau
ASTRI’s innovations win 21 international accolades in GenevaExecutive Councillor
Silver Awards in HK ITC Awards
18July,2019
9May,2019 Performance
Number of patents filed by Technology Division
Technology Division 2019-20
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD) 9
Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT) 13
Communications(COM) 11
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS) 25
IoT/Sensors(IoTSEN) 8
Total 66
ASTRI is dedicated to developing innovative technologies that havean impact on society and increasecompetitivenessinHongKong.Oursuccesscanbemeasuredthroughthescaleofourinnovations,theeconomicimpactofoursolutions,and the tangible improvementsbrought topeople’s lives.Toaddress theuniqueneedsofcustomersandcommunities inmeaningfuland tangibleways,ASTRIhasplacedthecommercialisationof itstechnologiesasitscentralfocus.
ASTRImeasuresitsperformanceannuallyagainstthreequantitativebenchmarks:
Number of patent applications filed and
granted
Number of technologies transferred to industry
Income generated from industry
*Note that in 2019-2020, ASTRI restructured its seven technical divisions into five.
PatentsPatentsreflecttheoriginalityandvalueofourinnovations.Theyalsoserveasafoundationfortechnologytransferstoindustry.Intheyear2019-20,ASTRIfiled66innovativepatentsintheUS,MainlandChina,andotherterritories.
NewPeople’sPartyChairwomanandExecutiveCouncillorReginaIpLauSuk-yeeGBSJP(thirdright)isshownASTRI’sautonomouscarduringavisit
TheFlexibleIntegrationofRecognitionandSemanticproject,ledbyASTRI'sDrArvinTang,wonaGoldAwardintheAsiaInternationalInnovativeInventionAward2019
TheHonourableEdwardYauTang-wah,GBSJP,SecretaryforCommerceandEconomicDevelopment(fourthright),visitedASTRIwithadelegationfromhisbureau
ASTRIreceivedtwoawardsattheHongKongAwardsforIndustries(HKAI)2019.ThewinningtechnologieswereASTRI'sBiometricsOpticalSeeThroughHeadMountedDisplayanditsFastMulti-FocusAutomaticInspectionEquipmentforOpticalCommunicationComponents
ASTRIscooped21awards,includingfourGoldMedalswithCongratulationsoftheJury,attheInternationalExhibitionofInventionsGeneva
ASTRI'sCervicalCancerScreeningManagementSystem(CCSMS)wontheSmartLiving(SmartHealthcare)SilverAwardattheHongKongICTAwards2019
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202062 63
Number of patents granted by Technology Division
Technology Division 2019-20
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD) 5
Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT) 2
Communications(COM) 10
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS) 21
IoT/Sensors(IoTSEN) 7
Total 45
Number of patents filed by Technology Division
Technology Division 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17
AdvancedDigitalSystems 6 4 8
CommunicationsTechnologies 18 16 10
ElectronicsComponents 14 11 14
IntelligentSoftwareandSystems 7 9 11
MixedSignalSystemsIC 6 8 6
IntelligentSensingTechnologySystems 11 16 11
SecurityandDataSciences 4 0 0
Total 66 64 60
Number of patents granted by Technology Division
Technology Division 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17
AdvancedDigitalSystems 3 1 4
CommunicationsTechnologies 15 10 7
ElectronicsComponents 9 8 7
IntelligentSoftwareandSystems 6 4 4
MixedSignalSystemsIC 8 13 9
IntelligentSensingTechnologySystems 12 13 26
SecurityandDataSciences 1 4 2
Total 54 53 59
Number of patents granted by territory
Territory 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18
US 27 35 26
MainlandChina 18 17 27
Others 0 2 0
Total 45 54 53
Number of technology transfers by Technology Division
Technology Division 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17
AdvancedDigitalSystems 8 9 9
CommunicationsTechnologies 10 18 11
ElectronicsComponents 6 7 7
IntelligentSoftwareandSystems 7 20 9
MixedSignalSystemsIC 3 5 2
IntelligentSensingTechnologySystems 7 8 11
SecurityandDataSciences 10 5 11
Total 51 72 60
Number of technology transfers by Technology Division
Technology Division 2019-20
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD) 10
Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT) 9
Communications(COM) 18
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS) 5
IoT/Sensors(IoTSEN) 4
Total 46
Technology TransfersThecommercialisationof cost-effective, innovative,andmarket-compatible technologies isoneofASTRI’smost importantobjectives.Our technologiesare transferred to industry through technology licensing, IndustryCollaborativeProjects,contractservices,andotherlegalarrangements.
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202064 65
Number of technology transfers by channel
Channel 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18
IndustryCollaborationProjects 1 - 3
ContractResearch 29 32 43
LicensingAgreements 16 19 26
Total 46 51 72
Number of projects undertaken by project type
Technology Division 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18
PlatformProjects 73 54 52
SeedProjects 39 40 44
IndustryCollaborationProjects 2 5 9
PublicSectorTrialSchemeProjects 3 2 2
Total 117 101 107
Number of projects undertaken by Technology Division
Technology Division 2019-20
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD) 27
Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT) 25
Communications(COM) 26
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS) 27
IoT/Sensors(IoTSEN) 12
Total 117
Number of projects undertaken by Technology Division
Technology Division 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17
AdvancedDigitalSystems 13 17 17
CommunicationsTechnologies 21 21 17
ElectronicsComponents 9 9 10
IntelligentSoftwareandSystems 25 25 26
MixedSignalSystemsIC 6 9 10
IntelligentSensingTechnologySystems 13 13 14
SecurityandDataSciences 14 13 13
Total 101 107 107
Certain licensing agreements consist of contract research services provided by ASTRI
Income from IndustryProjectsundertakenbyASTRIgeneratedincomeamountingtoHK$127.32millionin2019-20.Theincomereceivedfromindustry in thepast threeyearsisshownbelow.
02019-20 2018-19 2017-18
30
60
90
120
150
127.32
98.74111.36
Income from Industry (HK$M) by Technology Division
Technology Division 2019-20
ArtificialIntelligenceandBigDataAnalytics(AIBD) 9.21
Cybersecurity,CryptographyandTrustedTechnologies(CCT) 24.69
Communications(COM) 60.10
IntegratedCircuitsandSystems(ICS) 26.43
IoT/Sensors(IoTSEN) 6.89
Headquarters -
GeneralSupportProgramme -
Total 127.32
Income from Industry (HK$M)
Including cash and in-kind contributions
Including cash and in-kind contributions
Income from Industry (HK$M) by Technology Division
Division 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17
AdvancedDigitalSystems 8.11 21.74 10.98
CommunicationsTechnologies 29.00 22.96 15.59
ElectronicsComponents 13.51 9.39 8.4
IntelligentSoftwareandSystems 10.24 16.23 10.41
MixedSignalSystemsIC 11.41 18.29 10.94
IntelligentSensingTechnologySystems 14.29 9.75 12.57
SecurityandDataSciences 12.18 12.98 6.65
Headquarters - 0.02 2.46
GeneralSupportProgramme - - -
Total 98.74 111.36 78.00
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202066 67
Financial ReportOverview
For2019-20financialyear, theconsolidated incomeandexpenditureofASTRIamountedtoHK$560,700,121andHK$585,646,585respectively,resultinginadeficitofHK$24,946,464.
ThefundsfromtheGovernmentcomprisedHK$146,215,191fromrecurrentsubvention,HK$269,001,346fromITFprojectfunds(“ITF”),HK$1,284,165fromITFGeneralSupportProgramme(“GSP”),HK$3,661,969fromITFPublicSectorTrialScheme(“PSTS”),HK$535,396fromtheMinistryofScienceandTechnologyofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,HK$17,092,030fromITFInternship/ResearcherProgrammeandPostdoctoralHubandHK$9,349,478fromITFforChineseNationalEngineeringResearchCentre forApplicationSpecific IntegratedCircuitSystem(HongKongBranch). In2019-20 financialyear, the incomefromthe industryamounted toHK$112,272,831.The totaladministrativeexpensesamountedtoHK$177,115,093(comprisedofadministrativeexpensesofHK$166,527,764and financecostofHK$736,571undersubventionandadministrativeexpensesofHK$9,850,758 fundedbyaccumulatedsurplusfromotherincome),whichrepresentedanincreaseofHK$18,597,948(12%)comparedwiththepreviousyear.
ASTRI’soperationremainedsteadywithprudentfinancialmanagementthroughouttheyear.Thetotalexpenditureof theITF,GSPandPSTSprojectsamountedtoHK$362,313,505,ofwhich73%oftheexpenditurewasspentonmanpowerand27%oftheexpenditurewasspentonequipmentandotherdirectcosts.
The totalexpendituremainly represented theactualcashoutflow incurredduring theyear for82 fullprojects,43seedprojects, twoGSPprojectsandthreePSTSprojects.Meanwhile, theexpenditurerelating to Internship/ResearcherProgrammeandPostdoctoralHubamounted toHK$17,092,030,whichrepresented theactualcashoutflowofsalarypaymentfor interns/researchersandpostdoctoral talentengagedin40fullprojectsand18seedprojects.
Theconsolidated financial statementsofASTRI for theyearended31March2020havebeenauditedbyindependentauditorswithunqualifiedauditopinion,anextractof theConsolidatedStatementof IncomeandExpenditure,ConsolidatedStatementofComprehensiveIncomeandConsolidatedStatementofFinancialPositionaresetoutonpages67-69.
Consolidated Statement of Income and Expenditure and Comprehensive Income
Year ended 31 March 2020 2020 (HK$) 2019 (HK$)
SUBVENTION
IncomefromGovernmentsubvention 146,215,191 155,994,758
Administrativeexpenses (166,527,764) (158,517,145)
Financecost (736,571) -
Deficitonsubvention (21,049,144) (2,522,387)
PROJECT FUNDING FROM INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FUND AND INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONS
Project fund income
-InnovationandTechnologyFund 269,001,346 265,748,569
-Industrycontributions 85,966,025 79,607,732
Projectexpenditure (354,967,371) (345,356,301)
Balanceonprojectfunding - -
Project fund income - General Support Programme
-InnovationandTechnologyFund 1,284,165 1,920,409
-Industrycontributions 2,400,000 48,000
Projectexpenditure (3,684,165) (1,968,409)
Balanceonprojectfunding - -
Project fund income - Public Sector Trial Scheme
-InnovationandTechnologyFund 3,661,969 1,520,255
Projectexpenditure (3,661,969) (1,520,255)
Balanceonprojectfunding - -
PROJECT FUNDING FROM MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Projectfundincome 535,396 529,710
Projectexpenditure (535,396) (529,710)
Balanceonprojectfunding - -
INTERNSHIP/RESEARCHER PROGRAMME AND POSTDOCTORAL HUB FUNDING FROM INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
Internship/ResearcherProgrammeandPostdoctoralHubfund income 17,092,030 8,400,841
Internship/ResearcherProgrammeandPostdoctoralHub expenditure (17,092,030) (8,400,841)
BalanceonInternship/ResearcherProgrammeand PostdoctoralHubfunding - -
ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-202068 69
Consolidated Statement of Income and Expenditure and Comprehensive Income (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2020 2020 (HK$) 2019 (HK$)
FUNDING SUPPORT FROM INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FUND FOR CHINESE NATIONAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTRE FOR APPLICATION SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SYSTEM (HONG KONG BRANCH) (“CNERC-ASIC”)
ExpenditureincurredinrelationtoFundingSupportfrom InnovationandTechnologyFund (9,349,478) (4,780,162)
Amountforreimbursement 9,349,478 4,780,162
- -
RESERVE FUND
ReserveFund-income 1,287,715 -
ReserveFund-expenditure (1,287,715) -
- -
OTHER INCOME/(EXPENSES), NET
Otherincome 23,906,806 21,310,186
Otherexpenses (24,376,805) (16,654,639)
Otherincome/(expenses),net (469,999) 4,655,547
AMOUNT RETURN TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (3,412,961) (1,297,209)
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)BEFORETAX (24,932,104) 835,951
INCOMETAXEXPENSE (14,360) -
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR (24,946,464) 835,951
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS THAT MAY BE RECLASSIFIED TO SURPLUS OR DEFICIT IN SUBSEQUENT PERIODS
Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations (62,821) (39,564)
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR (25,009,285) 796,387
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
31 March 2020 2020 (HK$) 2019 (HK$)
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Property,plantandequipment 15,755,378 26,154,890
Right-of-useassets 43,986,131 -
59,741,509 26,154,890
CURRENT ASSETS
Accountsreceivable,contractassets,prepaymentsand deposits 32,870,291 33,766,201
AmountduefromtheGovernmentoftheHongKongSpecial AdministrativeRegion 25,984,036 4,527,231
Taxrecoverable 1,215,326 1,215,326
Cashandcashequivalents 260,094,956 224,911,696
320,164,609 264,420,454
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accountspayable,otherpayablesandaccruals 86,757,923 77,869,568
Deferredgovernmentgrants 10,826,673 8,701,427
Receiptsinadvance 158,538,317 94,119,927
AmountduetotheGovernmentoftheHongKongSpecial AdministrativeRegion 1,257,708 802,688
Leaseliabilities 22,100,460 -
Taxpayable 13,983 14,018
279,495,064 181,507,628
NET CURRENT ASSETS 40,669,545 82,912,826
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 100,411,054 109,067,716
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Leaseliabilities 16,352,623 -
Provision 11,460,469 11,460,469
27,813,092 11,460,469
Net assets 72,597,962 97,607,247
EQUITY
Sharecapital 2 2
Reserves 72,597,960 97,607,245
Total equity 72,597,962 97,607,247
Note:ThesefinancialstatementshavebeenpreparedinaccordancewithHongKongFinancialReportingStandards(whichincludeallHongKongFinancialReportingStandards,HongKongAccountingStandardsandInterpretations) issuedbytheHongKongInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants,accountingprinciplesgenerallyacceptedinHongKongandtheHongKongCompaniesOrdinance.TheyhavebeenpreparedunderthehistoricalcostconventionandarepresentedinHongKongdollars(“HK$”).
Thefinancialinformationrelatingtotheyearsended31March2020and31March2019,includedintheConsolidatedStatementofIncomeandExpenditureandComprehensiveIncome,andtheConsolidatedStatementofFinancialPositionsetoutonpages67-69,isnotpartoftheCompany’sstatutoryconsolidatedfinancialstatementsforthoseyearsbutisderivedfromthem.Furtherinformationrelatingtothosestatutoryfinancialstatementsrequiredtobedisclosedinaccordancewithsection436oftheHongKongCompaniesOrdinanceisasfollows:
AstheCompanyisaprivatecompany,theCompanyisnotrequiredtodeliveritsfinancialstatementstotheRegistrarofCompaniesandhasnotdoneso.
TheCompany’sauditorhas reportedon theconsolidated financialstatementsof theGroup forbothyears.Theauditor’s reportswereunqualified;didnotincludeareferencetoanymatterstowhichtheauditordrewattentionbywayofemphasiswithoutqualifyingitsreports;anddidnotcontainastatementundersections406(2),407(2)or(3)oftheHongKongCompaniesOrdinance.