ASTRI Summer Interns explore Hong Kong's I&T Ecosystem Contributing Ideas to Smart City Technology

HONG KONG, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) concluded its "Summer Internship Programme" and "Fintech Future Leader Academy (Internship)" on 16 August.  A total of 110 interns from prestigious universities worldwide selected from over 3,000 applicants successfully completed an eight-week work experience.

Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, stated, "The two summer internship programmes at ASTRI are pivotal in nurturing talents. These programmes provide students with the opportunity to acquire essential knowledge and skills through various research and development (R&D) projects, enabling them to explore Hong Kong's innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. I greatly appreciate their numerous innovative proposals, which have invigorated ASTRI this summer. I hope these programmes will empower more young R&D talents to seize development prospects in Hong Kong and pursue careers in the I&T industry upon graduation."

Guided by senior researchers, interns at ASTRI actively engaged in a range of R&D projects, including testing C-V2X technology, creating models for crane safety technology, programming virtual avatars, researching retail technology solutions, and drafting white papers. Some interns were involved in marketing, technology transfer, and client development, gaining insights into every step from development and promotion to customer communication and knowledge transfer, discovering the diverse opportunities within R&D institutions.

Interns Successfully Construct a Tower Crane Model
Ishita Jaiswal, an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Manchester, shared her experience, "During the internship, I worked with two other interns to construct a tower crane model for testing new construction technology. This project, from the initial CAD design to hands-on assembly and programming the motor controls, provided an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge from our engineering degree. We learned and grew through the continuous questioning by experienced mentors, inspiring us to enhance project design."

Anna Tse, a PhD candidate in Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, chose to join Ecosystem and University Technology Transfer department to explore work beyond research. She said, "The position is very different from my university research, where I focus solely on research. During the internship, I supported organising various talks and seminars, gaining insights into customer needs from a different perspective, which helps explore new paths for my future career development."

In addition, ASTRI organised "Tech Talk" R&D seminar for interns and arranged visits to a variety of corporates and organisations, including Bank of China (Hong Kong), Cyberport, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, IBM, Microsoft Hong Kong and HKSTP Experience Centre. These opportunities allow interns to engage with industry experts, gain insights into corporate operations, and stay abreast of developments in Hong Kong's I&T sector, thereby broadening their perspectives. ASTRI also organised a series of networking and sports events, including a running day along Pak Shek Kok Promenade and a bowling challenge, enriching their life experiences in Hong Kong.

ASTRI's internship programme is among the largest and most international summer internship programmes offered by research institutions in Hong Kong. It is funded by the STEM Internship Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission. With a record number of 110 interns this year, over 40% came from Europe, nearly 40% from the United States and Canada, with approximately 10% each from the Asia-Pacific region and Hong Kong.

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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; Innovative Mind, 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