ASTRI announces strategic plans to bolster Greater Bay development

In line with the National 14th Five-Year Plan to develop the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) will be launching a number of initiatives to expand the technology talent pool and increase resources for research and development (R&D).

“The GBA is primed with potential as it enjoys excellent I&T talent, a comprehensive supply chain and a large commercial market for applied science and technology,” observes Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI. “To fully leverage these advantages, we will be working closely with academia and the industry to promote I&T in the region, develop more cutting-edge technologies and commercialize our R&D results. Not only will this be beneficial to the social and economic development of the GBA, it will also upgrade China’s standing in the international I&T scene.”

To attract international talent, Yip states that ASTRI has been promoting its internship and job opportunities to renowned universities around the world. These include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California – Berkeley, John Hopkins University, and Cornell University, among many others. In particular, the University of Chicago will be sponsoring a maximum of five undergraduates to intern at ASTRI this summer.

Aside from collaborating with international universities, ASTRI is working with key stakeholders in the GBA to promote I&T development. “We will be partnering with universities and research institutions in Hong Kong and mainland China to nurture international I&T talent by engaging postgraduates in our joint R&D projects,” Yip explains. “We are also currently negotiating with the School of Microelectronics of Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen on establishing a joint laboratory in the next few months.” Through conducting research on leading technologies, the joint laboratory aims to further drive innovation and knowledge transfer.

With an R&D focus covering areas of great development potential in the mainland, such as Integrated circuits, Communications, IoT and Sensors, Financial Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, Yip states that ASTRI will be actively applying to research funds offered on both a national and provincial level, along with other funding available to the GBA, in order to generate more R&D projects.

Additionally, as part of its strategy in the GBA, ASTRI will expand its development in the mainland and actively consider establishing its presence in the Shenzhen Branch of the Hong Kong Science Park in Futian and the Lok Ma Chau Loop. “This will allow us to enjoy closer cooperation with the park’s ecosystem stakeholders and industry partners, as well as benefit from the policy support from the local government,” says Yip.

On a broader level, ASTRI has recently launched the FinTech Future Leader Academy to build an I&T talent pipeline. Designed for undergraduates and postgraduates majoring in I&T, Business, or Finance-related subjects, the 8-week immersive internship programme offers participants the opportunity to intern at ASTRI and engage in Fintech R&D this summer. They will gain exposure to major FinTech services institutions and develop deeper industry insights through visiting Bank of China (Hong Kong), China Life (Overseas), Cyberport, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, IBM, Microsoft Hong Kong, and Ping An OneConnect Bank.