HONG KONG, April 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) showcase a diverse range of emerging solutions for smart city innovation at the third edition of InnoEX, running from 13-16 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. ASTRI’s technologies on display include advancements in the low-altitude economy (LAE), smart manufacturing, smart mobility, and smart pharmacy, underscoring Hong Kong’s growing influence in the global innovation and technology (I&T) arena.

Driving I&T Collaboration

As Hong Kong’s leading R&D centre, ASTRI remains steadfast in its mission to accelerate I&T commercialisation, supporting industry transformation and enhancing operational efficiency, said Ir Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of ASTRI. “At InnoEx, we engage with high-quality potential partners from home and abroad, exploring future partnerships through our cutting-edge, market-ready solutions,” he said. “ASTRI celebrates its silver jubilee in 2025. To mark this milestone, we have set up a ‘time-tunnel’ at our booth to reflect on ASTRI’s achievements over the past 25 years. As we enter a golden era for I&T development, we remain committed to leveraging technology for societal advancement, enabling smarter living and driving the development of new quality productive forces in Hong Kong.”

Ir Chris Chong, Acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI said ASTRI’s award-wining technologies have been well-received by the industry. To date, ASTRI has been granted 1,100 patents and has completed 1,500 technology transfers. “We are excited to exhibit at InnoEX once again to showcase our R&D outcomes. We look forward to fostering deeper collaborations among the government, industry, academia, researchers and investors. By working together, we can expedite the journey of I&T breakthroughs from laboratory to the market, further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a global I&T hub.”

Showcasing Cutting-Edge Technologies

InnoEX is jointly organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). As Asia’s flagship I&T event, it has attracted distinguished visitors, including government officials and industry leaders keen to explore Hong Kong’s thriving I&T ecosystem.

Visitors to ASTRI’s booth (3C-E03) in Hall 3C are introduced to an impressive array of pioneering technologies that promise to transform industries and enhance quality of life. These include:

Smart LAE Delivery: This UAV-based solution delivers lightweight packages across urban areas with exceptional precision. Utilising ASTRI’s RSU-Assisted GNSS-RTK Visual/INS Tightly-Coupled Positioning Algorithm, the system maintains accurate positioning even amid NLOS disturbances. This enables the UAV to deliver critical medicine efficiently and reliably to patients during emergencies. By circumventing urban traffic congestion, ASTRI’s aerial delivery system significantly outpaces traditional vehicle-based delivery methods.

Smart Pharmacy: The Smart Pharmacy initiative was first outlined in the Hospital Authority’s Strategic Plan 2022-2027. In line with this visionary development, ASTRI has developed an innovative and effective Sensing Fusion Platform for Accurate and Smart Dispensing. The platform is designed to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of pharmacy operation in public hospitals, while alleviating the workload of frontline staff. To minimise the risk of human error, it introduces a range of unique features, including instant access to drug information, real-time monitoring of medication types and quantities, analysis of staff workloads and activities, and early warning alerts.

Smart Mobility with C-V2X: ASTRI’s Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology facilitates seamless communications between vehicles, pedestrians, roadside infrastructure, and networks. This ensures that road users receive timely reports and warnings, enhancing road safety effectively.C-V2X technology can be applied to real-time traffic monitoring, incident management, and route planning, significantly improving traffic efficiency. In the long run, C-V2X technology will play a crucial role in advancing autonomous driving by helping vehicles detect hidden dangers, further enhancing road safety and supporting the development of autonomous transportation systems.

Smart Mobility with Risk Map: The Risk Map System, co-developed by ASTRI and MTRC, provides an automated and efficient way for managing, monitoring and alerting the condition and position of trackside equipment, and ultimately to enhance maintenance efficiency and railway safety. The innovation won the bronze medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Smart Manufacturing with IndustriNET 5G: ASTRI’s invention, IndustriNet, facilitates time-sensitive communications over 5G network through novel time synchronisation methods. It enhances the capabilities of 5G networks, making them suitable for applications in smart manufacturing and smart transportation. The solution fulfils smart factories’ demanding requirements for high mobility and dependable wireless networking, expediting the advancement of new industrialisation. It garnered the gold medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Smart Manufacturing with TrainLite: As manufacturers increasingly seek to upgrade and transform their operations with technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), many face the challenge of lacking access to mature big data systems. To address this general industry pain point, the TrainLite platform empowers manufacturers to develop AI learning prototypes using limited datasets. This enables automated quality inspection on production lines at a lower cost while simultaneously enhancing production efficiency and quality. TrainLite’s technology is versatile and applicable across a wide range of products, including fabrics, printed circuit boards, chips, automobiles, and displays. It received the Special Award for Innovation – King Abdulaziz University at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Championing Innovation at the Forum

As a panellist at the “Tech-Driven Industry and Economy Conference Powered by HKSARG OASES” this morning, Ir Chris Chong shared insights into ASTRI’s successful R&D projects and demonstrate how technology transfer and commercialisation are turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Tomorrow (14 April), he will take the stage as the moderator for the Innovation Forum: France-Hong Kong Shaping Green Efficiency, Smart Mobility & Digital Transformation, organised by Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau and Business France, to explore the role of technology in shaping future smart city.

Promoting Cross-Sectors I&T Partnership

InnoEX is running concurrently with the HKTDC Electronics Fair (Spring Edition). The two fairs bring together 2,800 exhibitors from 29 countries and regions, attracting global visitors to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange across industries.

ASTRI Corporate Website – https://www.astri.org  
InnoEX – https://www.hktdc.com/event/innoex/en

Photos Download: https://bit.ly/3FT2kGA 

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions: Advanced Electronic Components and Systems; Artificial Intelligence and Trust Technologies; Communications Technologies; Intelligent Perception and Control Technologies, and IoT Sensing and AI Technologies. It is applied across six core areas which are Smart City, Financial Technologies, New Industrialisation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, Application Specific Integrated Circuits and Metaverse.

Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. ASTRI has transferred more than 1,500 technologies to the industry and has been granted over 1,100 patents in the Mainland, the United States, and other countries. For further information, please visit www.astri.org.

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SOURCE Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)

HONG KONG, April 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has made a stellar showcasing at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, securing 16 awards. These include 1 Gold Medal with Jury Congratulations, 4 Gold Medals, along with 7 Silver Medals and 4 Bronze Medals. The award-winning projects feature cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 3D integrated circuits, 5G communications, blockchain and visual sensing, with wide-ranging applications in various sectors, promising to benefit both industry and the public. 

Ir Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of ASTRI, expressed his delight of the institute’s achievements. “This success not only reflects the global recognition of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) research excellence but also underscores our commitment to accelerating commercialisation of research outcomes.”

He said that the strong backing from both the central and HKSAR governments have created unprecedented opportunities for the I&T sector.  ASTRI, he added, remains dedicated to aligning with government policies and strategic development blueprints, while fostering collaboration across government, industry, academia, research and investment sector aiming to support Hong Kong-developed technologies to go global.

Dr Ying Huang, Acting CEO and Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI, highlighted the dedication of the ASTRIANs. “Each award-winning invention reflects the relentless efforts of our teams and validates their excellence in high-quality research.”  

He was pleased to learn that ASTRI’s technologies, recognised as practical solutions to industry pain points, were well-received by the judges. “With the tremendous support from the HKSAR government and the industry, we are committed to enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness through technology, ensuring that more people benefit from our research outcomes,” he added.

Two winning innovations were co-developed by ASTRI and the MTR Corporation. The “Automatic Tunnel Inspections System” won the Gold Medal with Jury Congratulations, while the “Power Demand Optimisation AI Cohort” won the Gold Medal.

The International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held from 9 to 13 April, is one of the world’s premier events celebrating innovation. This year’s exhibition brings together over 1,000 inventions from 45 countries and regions, with awards selected by an international panel of expert judges.

Photos Download: https://bit.ly/3XZj9FZ

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About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions: Advanced Electronic Components and Systems; Artificial Intelligence and Trust Technologies; Communications Technologies; Intelligent Perception and Control Technologies, and IoT Sensing and AI Technologies. It is applied across six core areas which are Smart City, Financial Technologies, New Industrialisation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, Application Specific Integrated Circuits and Metaverse.

Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. ASTRI has transferred more than 1,500 technologies to the industry and has been granted over 1,100 patents in the Mainland, the United States, and other countries. For further information, please visit www.astri.org.

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SOURCE Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)

Elm AI, a Cornell University spinout and an AI-driven platform helping enterprises improve sustainability and operational performance across their supply chains, has successfully raised $2 million in an oversubscribed funding round. The round was led by Beta Boom Fund and Working Capital Fund, with participation from Boro Capital Partners, Very Serious Ventures, Gorges Ventures, The Bond Collective, and Textbook Ventures.

NEW YORK, April 12, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Elm AI, a Cornell University spinout and an AI-driven platform helping enterprises improve sustainability and operational performance across their supply chains, has successfully raised $2 million in an oversubscribed funding round. The round was led by Beta Boom Fund and Working Capital Fund, with participation from Boro Capital Partners, Very Serious Ventures, Gorges Ventures, The Bond Collective, and Textbook Ventures.

Global enterprises continue to face escalating costs and complexity in supplier due diligence and compliance management, driven by rapidly evolving regulatory standards. Elm AI’s advanced AI-driven technology streamlines this process by automating analysis of supplier documentation (questionnaires, audit reports, etc), and instantly providing actionable insights and recommendations—dramatically faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods.

Elm AI’s software is already trusted by a diverse range of customers, from mid-sized apparel brands to publicly listed multinational corporations generating billions in revenue. The platform currently manages data from several thousand factories globally. Amongst the company’s first few customers is Reformation, a leading sustainability clothing brand.

“Elm AI has been instrumental in transforming our responsible sourcing process, streamlining cumbersome administrative tasks and giving brands more time to focus on what matters most — building programs and management systems that benefit workers by ensuring safe, healthy, and equitable working conditions.”

– Carrie Freiman Parry, Senior Director Of Sustainability at Reformation

The company was founded in 2023 at Cornell University by Advait Raykar, Aparajita Thakker, Ken He, and Eesha Khanna. Elm AI was built on cutting-edge research of AI applications in the sustainability space, and initially secured funding from Cornell University and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator. Since then, the company has grown exponentially.

“The Elm AI team’s maturity and focus on solving customer problems continue to impress me. As someone with a long history in supply chain labor and sustainability, it’s refreshing to see such enthusiasm for making a real difference. They’ve made me a firm believer in AI’s ability to accelerate our efforts to support workers in global supply chains.”

– James McMichael, Founder of ELEVATE Global and Mosaic RSR

The newly raised capital will accelerate Elm AI’s growth, allowing the company to quickly onboard customers from its extensive waitlist and continue expanding its technological capabilities. Elm AI aims to become the definitive platform for managing comprehensive supplier performance and risk data at global scale.

About Elm AI

Elm AI provides an AI-driven system of record for supplier sustainability, performance, and risk data. The platform automates complex workflows, empowering companies to achieve unprecedented efficiency and sustainability in their supply chain operations.

For more information, visit www.elm-ai.com or contact info@elm-ai.com.

Media Contact

Aparajita Thakker, Elm AI, 1 4085680807, aparajita@elm-ai.com, www.elm-ai.com

Advait Raykar, Elm AI, 1 9783629319, advait@elm-ai.com, www.elm-ai.com

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SOURCE Elm AI