HONG KONG, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to foster collaboration in innovation and technology (I&T), marking a significant milestone in research and technology exchange between Hong Kong SAR and Slovakia Republic.
The signing ceremony formed part of a delegation visit co-organised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia and the Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic to Hong Kong SAR. Senior representatives from ASTRI, among other stakeholders in the I&T ecosystem, participated in the mission to showcase Hong Kong’s innovation capabilities to Slovakia’s technology sector, while exploring new opportunities in the Belt and Road countries.
Promoting Research Collaboration and Talent Development
The MoU establishes a framework for joint research activities, personnel exchanges, and application of technologies between ASTRI and SAS, aiming to strengthen research collaboration across both regions.
“This partnership exemplifies the strategic alignment between Hong Kong’s ambition to become a global innovation hub and Slovakia’s digital transformation agenda,” said Ir Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of ASTRI. “By pooling our strengths, we aim to accelerate technology adoption and translate research breakthroughs into market-ready solutions. Most importantly, we seek to nurture a pool of I&T talents for tomorrow.”
Building Closer I&T Ties
Martin Venhart, D.Sc, President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, remarked: “This document represents a framework for future cooperation between the Slovak Academy of Sciences and ASTRI. I believe that joint activities in the field of research and technology will be beneficial for both parties and will enable us to effectively share experience and expertise.”
SlovakiaTech Forum-Expo
The delegation will participate in the opening ceremony of the SlovakiaTech Forum-Expo on 17 September. Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of the Board at ASTRI, and Dr Ying Huang, Chief Technology Officer, have been invited to speak at this high-profile event.
Ir Lee will address the topic of “Cooperation between the State and the Private Sector to Boost the Innovative Performance of the Economy,” while Dr Huang will participate in the “Hong Kong Innovation Forum.” Both speakers will highlight Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem and share ASTRI’s achievements and success stories.
During their visit, the delegation will also engage with Slovak enterprises to explore potential collaborative opportunities. In addition to ASTRI, high-level representatives from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council also participated in the visit.
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Ir Sunny Lee (right), Board Chairman of ASTRI and Martin Venhart, D.Sc., (left), President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster research collaboration in innovation and technology (I&T)
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 close to 1,600 technologies to the industry and has been granted about 1,200 patents in the Mainland, the United States, and other countries. For further information, please visit https://www.astri.org.
About SAS
The Slovak Academy of Sciences is a platform for co-operation and development of the best scientists in Slovakia. It has three missions: (1) to carry out top-level basic research at the frontiers of knowledge that leads to new discoveries and concepts; (2) to make the scientific infrastructure for technically demanding research available to all interested parties, be it universities or other organisations of research and development; and (3) long-term strategic and applied research and development, whereby SAS intensively and effectively co-operates with the business sector, the public sector, and civil society to transfer knowledge into practice. It consists of 48 organisations, of which 22 are budgetary and 26 are contributory. There are 51 scientific and scholarly associations, societies and unions affiliated with the SAS, which operate in accordance with the Law on Civic Associations. The Academy publishes 57 scientific and professional journals and eight yearbooks. For further information, please visit: https://www.sav.sk/.
