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Following is the speech delivered by the Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, at the commencement ceremony of the 10th anniversary celebrations cum open day of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute at the Hong Kong Science Park today (April 23):
Dr (Patrick) Wang, Dr Cheung (Nim-kwan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
I am delighted to join you all today in celebration of ASTRI's (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute) 10th anniversary.
It is greatly appropriate for us to mark this very special occasion right here in the newly named Charles Kao Auditorium at the Hong Kong Science Park. Professor Kao has dedicated a lifetime of commitment in his work in fibre optics over the past four decades, changing dramatically the way that we communicate.
ASTRI has not been around that long, but in the comparatively short period of 10 years, ASTRI has already made significant contributions to technological advancement, embracing the irreversible global trend towards knowledge-based enterprises and adding value to products and services through innovation and technology.
The Hong Kong Government established ASTRI in 2000 with the goal of bringing together academia and industry to advance mid-stream research and development (R&D) in our economy and helping to drive long-term economic development, to foster growth of technology-based industries and to sharpen our cityˇ¦s overall competitiveness in world markets.
Since its inception, ASTRI has taken the lead in responding to developments locally and overseas. In April 2006, the institute launched the R&D Centre for Information and Communications Technologies as a platform for industry participation and collaboration.
So far, ASTRI has launched over 200 market-oriented R&D projects with total funding support of some $1.3 billion from the Innovation and Technology Fund. Many of these projects have won international recognition and awards. ASTRI is developing a strong catalogue of intellectual property, particularly in the areas of IC (integrated circuit) design and LED technology. The items in the catalogue are ready for adoption by industry for commercialisation purposes. No doubt, there are many untapped business opportunities just waiting to be discovered.
I am particularly pleased that many local industry players have already benefited from the state-of-the-art technologies developed by ASTRI. In 2009 alone, 63 companies engaged in 100 cases of technology transfer with ASTRI through technology licensing, contract service and other means. There are also many cases of successful commercialisation. For example:
(a) Technologies generated from a project on LED lighting have been licensed to a local company. Subsequently two new products have been launched onto the world market. These products are more efficient than the traditional incandescent lights, and they fit right in the green industry growth worldwide.
(b) Free Internet broadcasting was launched during the 2008 Beijing Olympics using ASTRI's iShare P2P technology. Viewers were able to watch the Olympics on-line through their PCs.
(c) A local manufacturer of cable television and communications products has made use of ASTRI's technologies to develop improved set-top boxes for commercialisation. The product was welcomed by the market and chosen by readers of a popular local AV magazine as the winner of the set-top box category in 2009.
(d) A local company has commissioned ASTRI to develop low-cost MRI machines. By making MRI technology more affordable, healthcare in developing countries can be enhanced.
(e) A leading Mainland provider of network testing solutions has adopted ASTRI's multi-channel voice module for developing a massive automatic call testing system for 2G and 3G mobile networks.
(f) RF jammers, one of the deliverables of another ASTRI project, have been installed at the Lion Rock Tunnel to eliminate the chance that drivers are charged twice for their road toll. The jammers confine the RF just to the Autotoll lanes and ensure that only drivers in those lanes have charges deducted.
(g) Last but by no means least, researchers of ASTRI are working tirelessly with Mainland partners to demonstrate 4G technology at the Shanghai World Expo next month.
Through collaboration with stakeholders, ASTRI is acting as a crucial catalyst in stimulating the growth of technology-based industries in Hong Kong and also facilitating the development of hi-tech products in the Mainland.
Human capital is the most important asset in our economy.
Upgrading human resources is key to economic success, particularly in the course of becoming a knowledge-based economy. In this respect, the contribution of ASTRI is significant and far-reaching.
Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured numerous young engineers and creative researchers. While many of them stay with ASTRI to help the institute scale new heights, some have left to start their own businesses or to join other organisations helping to invigorate our local industry.
In the past decade, ASTRI has grown into a renowned applied research institute. Looking ahead, I am confident that ASTRI will carry on its good work in innovative and outstanding R&D. Another area is to further strengthen collaboration with local industries to transform its research excellence through successful commercialisation to add value to our economy.
The Government is firmly committed to supporting the technology sector. We have designated innovation and technology as one of the six new priority industries for further development. Last year, we set aside additional resources for the R&D Centres to strengthen their R&D and commercialisation capabilities.
We will also inject some $5 billion to develop Hong Kong Science Park Phase 3. The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council is considering this funding application, and I am confident they will support this important project.
Our latest initiative is the new R&D Cash Rebate Scheme launched earlier this month. We hope to instill a research culture among enterprises and encourage them to establish long-term partnerships with research institutes. Our commitment to innovation and technology development in Hong Kong is stronger than ever.
Finally, there are a number of people to thank on the special occasion of the 10th anniversary of ASTRI. First, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the past and present chairmen and board members of ASTRI for their unfailing support and commitment to the institute. We are also grateful to the CEO and his colleagues for their work in realising the missions of ASTRI. Also, thanks to our friends from the academic and industrial sectors who have shared their expertise and advice. Your joint efforts have contributed greatly to ASTRI's achievements.
I look forward to seeing what the next decade will bring for ASTRI and its partners.
I wish you a successful 10th anniversary and a very enjoyable open day.
Thank you.
Ends/Friday, April 23, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:20
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