The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the Housing Bureau (HB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today (November 14) to establish a strategic partnership, aiming at exploring innovative technology solutions for enhancing construction efficiency and safety, as well as optimising property management processes.

Witnessed by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; the Under Secretary for Housing, Mr Victor Tai; and the Board Chairman of the ASTRI, Ir Sunny Lee, the Permanent Secretary for Housing/ Director of Housing, Miss Rosanna Law, signed the MOU with the Chief Executive Officer of the ASTRI, Dr Denis Yip. The MOU signifies the collaboration between ASTRI and the HB to join hands to develop solutions and optimisations for construction and property management through innovative technologies.

Ms Winnie Ho, Secretary for Housing, said, "The HB has been actively adopting advanced technologies and innovative thinking to enhance construction safety and efficiency and to optimise property management. With ASTRI's rich experience in research and development and application, through joint technical studies with the HB as well as conjoint efforts from various sectors, I believe that the quality and efficiency in areas such as construction, estate management, customer services will be significantly enhanced."

Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said, "The Innovation and Technology Bureau welcomes that the HB actively utilises and integrates innovation and technology (I&T) solutions into aspects of construction and property management, aiming to make Hong Kong a more liveable city. Leveraging ASTRI's rich experience in the transfer of research and development (R&D) deliverables in Hong Kong and the Mainland, combined with the diversified application scenarios provided by the HB, will help facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration to accelerate the transfer of R&D, and bring about new opportunities and perspectives for the I&T development of Hong Kong's housing."

Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI, said, "The partnership between ASTRI and the HB marks a new chapter in the development of construction and property management in Hong Kong. It also promotes the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G communication, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and optical sensing, resulting in improved construction efficiency and quality, worker and site safety, and energy and resource conservation. These new technologies also help reducing environmental impact and injecting new impetus into the synergistic development of smart cities in Hong Kong and the Mainland."

Dr Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with the HB in leveraging innovative technologies and mindsets to create a more liveable environment for citizens and optimise property management services. The adoption of construction and property management technologies can simplify complex tasks, reduce manpower, and ensure completion of tasks in a more precise and secure way. Addressing future housing needs, I believe this collaboration holds immense potential. With the application scenarios provided by the HB, we are able to promote our technologies to the Mainland and global markets."

The 2023 Policy Address set out the vision of a liveable, innovative and green Hong Kong. Next year, the Housing Authority will launch a pilot scheme in selected Smart Estates for the adoption of innovative technologies, improving daily estate management and smart estate implementation. The signing of the MOU between ASTRI and the Housing Department will promote the development of such innovative technologies. The first batch of technologies under study includes:

• Smart Optical Sensing for High Precision Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) Positioning – Through Smart Optical Sensing, positioning tracking, edge AI and other technologies, and using the data provided by dynamic visual sensors for real-time data analysis to calculate the precise location of the MiC modules for installation. This technology can perform under extreme environments, minimises human physically demanding tasks and enhances site safety.
  
  
• Enhanced 5G Coverage for Remote Crane Control – Deploying a low-latency and reliable 5G private network solution with advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technology on-site, supporting massive number of device connections and enabling remote control of cranes. The implementation of real-time safety and progress monitoring will help lower safety risks of workers and improve the accuracy of crane tasks.
  
  
• Universal AI Predictive Maintenance System for Lifts – Leveraging IoT data to analyse and develop an AI system capable of predicting lift breakdown patterns, this AI Predictive Maintenance System is compatible with lifts from various manufacturers. The lift downtime is reduced by enabling more efficient on-site maintenance checks through remote, real-time monitoring and accurate breakdown prediction, enhancing the quality of property management services.

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 four Technology Divisions: Trust and AI Technologies; Communications Technologies; IoT Sensing and AI Technologies and Integrated Circuits and Systems. 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. As of 2022/23, ASTRI has transferred more than 1,400 technologies to the industry and has been granted over 1,050 patents in the Mainland, the US, and other countries.

For further information, please visit www.astri.org

Media Enquiries:
Connie Lau       Tel: 3406 2506/ 9497 5390        Email: connielau@astri.org