41...2020/11/16 · 6 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 7 Chairman’s Message I t is a great honour to present ASTRI’s Annual Report for 2019-20, a privilege

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

2

6

10

12

18

22

26

41

41

44

48

52

56

59

61

66

Table of Contents

ASTRI Annual Report 2019-20202

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

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

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

ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 3

Connecting information and communication

ASTRIactsasavitalbridgethatconnectstwoendsoftheInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(ICT)spectrum:academicspursuingbasic ICT research,and industries thatapply ICT technologies.Throughthisconnection,ASTRIcreatesapositive impactonoursocietyandplaysan important role inourcity’stechnologyeco-system.

Smart City Financial Technologies

Intelligent Manufacturing

Health Technologies

Application Specific Integrated Circuits

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.


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


It is a great honour to present ASTRI’s Annual Report for 2019-20, a privilege I am enjoying for the first time. This has been a landmark year for Hong Kong’s largest research and development centre as we celebrate our 20th anniversary.

Established in 2000 with the mission to make our city and its enterprises more competitive through the application of innovative technology, ASTRI has filed 1,220 patents (of which 866 have been granted and 23 sold), completed 544 research projects and had almost 750 of its in-house-developed technologies transferred to and used in various industries. In 2019-20 alone, we filed 66 patents and had 45 granted.

These accomplishments are thanks in no small part to ASTRI’s highly skilled team of professionals to whom I would like to express my most sincere appreciation for all their dedication and diligence.

Celebrating our past, looking to the futureTwenty years is a signif icant milestone for any organisation. Two decades of relentless pursuit for excellence have earned ASTRI its leadership in 5G communications, FinTech, Intelligent Manufacturing, Health Tech and semiconductors.

I believe ASTRI will continue to create impactful innovat ions, helping Hong Kong develop as a pioneering Smart City. I see a world where connected devices will run on ASTRI technology, manufactured in factories operating with ASTRI robotics and AGVs; and where consumers will manage their finance and buy properties with confidence, knowing the platform has been made secure by ASTRI. These are just a few examples of the positive changes and lasting value that ASTRI is bringing to our society.

Healthier, happier, more productiveThere is no escaping the fact that our outlook has changed dramatically through the 12 months covered by this report. First, our city witnessed considerable social unrest, and then the whole world was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the face of these developments our approach has remained unwavering, focused on our mission to make our society a better place.

I believe ASTRI will continue to create impactful innovations, helping Hong Kong develop as a pioneering Smart City


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.

ASTRIChairmanIrSunnyLeeWai-kwongwithCEOHughChow(left)andoutgoingChairmanMrWongMing-yamSBSJP(centre).


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


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.

Our talented and dedicated workforce is what forms the solid foundation on which all our successes have been built


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



It is a great honour to present ASTRI’s Annual Report for 2019-20, a privilege I am enjoying for the first time. This has been a landmark year for Hong Kong’s largest research and development centre as we celebrate our 20th anniversary.

Established in 2000 with the mission to make our city and its enterprises more competitive through the application of innovative technology, ASTRI has filed 1,220 patents (of which 866 have been granted and 23 sold), completed 544 research projects and had almost 750 of its in-house-developed technologies transferred to and used in various industries. In 2019-20 alone, we filed 66 patents and had 45 granted.

These accomplishments are thanks in no small part to ASTRI’s highly skilled team of professionals to whom I would like to express my most sincere appreciation for all their dedication and diligence.

Celebrating our past, looking to the futureTwenty years is a signif icant milestone for any organisation. Two decades of relentless pursuit for excellence have earned ASTRI its leadership in 5G communications, FinTech, Intelligent Manufacturing, Health Tech and semiconductors.

I believe ASTRI will continue to create impactful innovat ions, helping Hong Kong develop as a pioneering Smart City. I see a world where connected devices will run on ASTRI technology, manufactured in factories operating with ASTRI robotics and AGVs; and where consumers will manage their finance and buy properties with confidence, knowing the platform has been made secure by ASTRI. These are just a few examples of the positive changes and lasting value that ASTRI is bringing to our society.

Healthier, happier, more productiveThere is no escaping the fact that our outlook has changed dramatically through the 12 months covered by this report. First, our city witnessed considerable social unrest, and then the whole world was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the face of these developments our approach has remained unwavering, focused on our mission to make our society a better place.

I believe ASTRI will continue to create impactful innovations, helping Hong Kong develop as a pioneering Smart City


Board of Directors

1 Mr Kwong Chi-keung, JP2 Prof Lam Tak-wah3 Mr Andy Liu An-ting4 Mr Charles Chow Sai-keung5 Mr Duncan Chiu 6 Ir Dr Alan Lam Hiu-fung7 Mr Stephen Chau Kam-kun8 Mr Steve Chuang Tzu-hsiung9 Prof Chan Chun-kwong10 Mr Peter Ng Hon-yu

11 Prof Sabrina Lin Man-yee 12 Ms Seraphina Wong13 Ms Cally Chan Shan-shan14 Ms Cammy Yung 15 Ms Ada Wong Yin-man16 Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, JP17 Dr Martin Szeto 18 Dr Lucas Hui 19 Ir Prof Joseph Ng Kee-yin20 Mr Aaron Ho

21 Mr Ha Yung-kuen, BBS22 Dr Davy Lo Kwok-wai23 Ms Rebecca Pun Ting-ting, JP 24 Ms Annie Choi Suk-han, JP 25 Mr Hugh Chow26 Mr Stephen Ho Wai-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


Composition of the BoardAsof31March2020,theBoardwasheadedbyaChairmanandincluded19othermembers,twoofwhomwereex-officiomembers.

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


Board Functional CommitteesThreefunctionalcommitteesassisttheBoardinitsoversightofASTRI:theFinanceandAdministrationCommittee(FAC), theTechnologyCommittee(TC),andtheAuditCommittee(AC). TheFACoverseesASTRI’sfinancialandadministrativearrangements;theTCoverseesitsR&Dinitiatives;andtheACensuresthatinternalandexternalauditprocessesareproperlycarriedout.

Themembersofthecommitteesasat31March2020wereassetoutbelow:

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


Audit Committee

DrDavyLoKwok-wai(Chairman)

ProfessorChanChun-kwong

MrCharlesChowSai-keung

MrKwongChi-keung,JP

IrDrAlanLamHiu-fung


MsAdaWongYin-man


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





TC Meetings

5 Jun 2019 3 Sep 2019 22 Nov 2019 6 Mar 2020





AC Meetings

30 May 2019 30 Aug 2019 27 Nov 2019 3 Mar 2020






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:

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


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.

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


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:

ASTRI organisational structure

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 SensorsTalent

Development

IT and Facilities

LegalChief

Operating Officer

Chief Technology

Officer

Chief Marketing

Officer

Chief Financial

Officer

Chief Administrative

Officer

Mainland Strategy

and Operations


Diverse career optionsASTRIofferscareerpaths thatsuit scientists, researchers,engineersandprofessionalswithdiverseskills,backgroundsandaspirationsfromaroundtheworld.

Asof31March2020,ASTRIhadatotalof630employees.

Employee numbers by function

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%

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


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.

TheManualcontainscomprehensiveguidelineson:

•Organisationandmanagementstructure

•HRpoliciesandstaffconduct

•Financialmanagementandcontrol

•Internalcontrolandexternalreporting

•Riskmanagement

TheManual isupdatedperiodically to incorporateanydevelopmentsneededto improveASTRI’soperations,andtoreflectthechangingbusinessenvironment.


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.

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.


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.


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 ’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.


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


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:

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.


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.


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.


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:

BiometricsOpticalSeeThroughHeadMountedDisplay

4Kx2KUHDAugmentedRealityHeadMountedDisplay

DiffractiveOpticsforAnti-Counterfeit

SmartLocker2.0

GemAnalyser

UnobtrusiveHealthChecking

Canto-EnglishRecognitionChatbot

ASTRIProprietary5GEnd-to-EndSolution

ASTRIC-V2XEndtoEndSystem

AIMedicalPlatform


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.

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.


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.


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.


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.

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.


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)



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


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)


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.


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


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)



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


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.


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).CNERCislocatedwithinASTRIandfocusesonAppl

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41...2020/11/16 · 6 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 ASTRI Annual Report 2019-2020 7 Chairman’s Message I t is a great honour to present ASTRI’s Annual Report for 2019-20, a privilege