ASTRI’s CEO introduces development plans for ASTRI in support of international I&T hub vision

[Hong Kong, 25 January 2022] Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), announced today a number of development plans to align ASTRI with the vision of developing the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. These include plans for ASTRI to undertake more R&D projects in the GBA, cooperate with local universities and research institutes, attract and cultivate I&T talent, and expand its R&D resources in the GBA. In addition, ASTRI is looking to attract students from renowned universities overseas to take part in its internship programme and start their careers at ASTRI.

Dr Yip said, “ASTRI has an excellent R&D team with a mastery of cutting-edge technologies in various fields. On top of that, we are looking to further leverage the advantages of the GBA, which include its rich resources and its huge market for technology applications, as well as input from R&D professionals from the mainland and the rest of the world. These are advantages that will enable us to make more I&T breakthroughs and have an even greater social impact, while supporting the 14th Five-Year Plan and contributing to the development of Hong Kong and the country.”

Since taking up the post of ASTRI CEO in October last year, Dr Yip has worked closely with his team to formulate plans and commence preparation work for expanding ASTRI’s I&T footprint in the GBA. The new development strategies include:

• Expanding activities in the mainland
  ASTRI will expand its activities in the mainland, and is consider establishing a presence in the Shenzhen Branch of the Hong Kong Science Park in Futian and the Lok Ma Chau Loop, as a way of strengthening its collaboration with ecosystem stakeholders and industry partners.
• Cooperating with local universities
  ASTRI will seek to cooperate with key universities in the GBA, as well as with the mainland campuses and research institutes of Hong Kong universities in the area.
  ASTRI is currently negotiating with the School of Microelectronics of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen on establishing a joint laboratory. The lab, which should be established in the next few months, will conduct research on leading technologies such as advanced semiconductors, 5G communications, and intelligent manufacturing.
• Developing R&D projects
  ASTRI will develop more R&D projects in the GBA with the aim of boosting technology transfer through Government-Industry-University-Research cooperation. In the first stage, priority will be given to R&D projects in integrated circuits and communications technology, and subsequently to projects in IoT and Sensors, FinTech, and artificial intelligence and big data.
• Expanding R&D resources
  ASTRI will apply for R&D funding available to applicants from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau that is offered by the state or by provincial and municipal governments, as well as for funding available in the GBA area. ASTRI will also continue to strengthen its collaborations with enterprise clients to expand its R&D resources.
• Attracting and cultivating talent
  To expand its mainland team, ASTRI will conduct recruitment in the mainland and offer Hong Kong-based employees the opportunity to transfer to its mainland headquarters. Meanwhile, to nurture international-quality talent, ASTRI will engage postgraduate students in the GBA to participate in R&D by cooperating with universities and research institutes in the area.

ASTRI is also approaching a number of world-renowned universities to promote job opportunities at ASTRI to their students. These opportunities include ASTRI’s Summer Internship Programme for undergraduates, its newly launched Fintech Future Leaders Academy internship programme, and job positions for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree graduates.

ASTRI has received consent from a number of prominent universities to make relevant outreach arrangements. They include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California—Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, and others. The University of Chicago will also sponsor up to five undergraduate students to participate in ASTRI’s summer internships this year.

Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, announces a number of development plans to align ASTRI with the vision of developing the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan.