ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

HONG KONG, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has expanded its operation to Shenzhen, in alignment with the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area". This move aims to enhance collaborative innovation among industry, academia, and research institutes in the region.

ASTRI Technology Research (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. [ASTRI (Shenzhen)], a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASTRI, relocated to the "Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone" (Hetao Cooperation Zone) earlier this year and was officially inaugurated today. This expansion marks a significant step in accelerating innovation and technology (I&T) cooperation within the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The opening ceremony was officiated by Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen, and Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI. Other guests include government officials and industry leaders from Hong Kong and Shenzhen, witnessing ASTRI's making new strides in Shenzhen, GBA and beyond.

Creating a World-Class Technology Industry Cluster

Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, stated: "The Hetao Cooperation Zone is crucial for integrating I&T development between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Our goal is to establish a world-class I&T ecosystem that fosters talent and knowledge exchange. ASTRI's presence in Hetao will enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen's innovation sectors, contributing to the national development of 'new quality productive forces'."

Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen, stated: "We will continue to provide robust support and quality services for all research and technology institutes in the Hetao Cooperation Zone, particularly those with presences in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong for promoting cross-border collaboration, such as ASTRI and ASTRI (Shenzhen). These supportive measures aim to facilitate the flow of talents, goods, capital, technology and information, which are crucial for the I&T development."

Enhancing Competitiveness Through Technology

Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI, highlighted the support from the Hetao Cooperation Zone provides for ASTRI (Shenzhen) in terms of space, policy, and funding.  "ASTRI (Shenzhen) will integrate research capabilities from both regions to strengthen collaboration with GBA corporations. We aim to undertake more cross-border R&D projects to promote technological transformation and industrialisation in the region."

He added, "By leveraging the strengths of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, we aim to advance the development of an international I&T centre in the GBA, enhancing its global influence and achieving collaborative innovation and high-quality development."

At the opening ceremony, ASTRI (Shenzhen) hosted agreement signing ceremony with three Mainland enterprises: HKP Talential (Shenzhen) New Energy Co Ltd, Shenzhen Power Maker Technology Co Ltd, and the National Energy Internet Innovation Centre Co Ltd.

Ir Sunny Lee commented, "These collaborations exemplify how corporations can leverage Hong Kong's innovation and technology to enhance operational efficiency and overall competitiveness. We expect these partnerships to attract more business to engage with our R&D capabilities."

Focusing on Semiconductor and Smart Mobility Technologies

ASTRI (Shenzhen)'s new facilities are strategically located in the Hong Kong Science Park (Shenzhen Branch). The setup of over 1,300 sqm includes approximately 1,100 sqm of space, housing an office and an exhibition hall, with an additional 300 sqm of laboratory within the Hetao Cooperation Zone.

The facility's location benefits from the "No.1 Channel of Futian Bonded Area", a dedicated immigration passage connecting Lok Ma Chau with the Shenzhen Futian Free Trade Zone. This strategic positioning allows for a commute time of just 35 minutes between ASTRI's Hong Kong headquarter and ASTRI (Shenzhen), facilitating seamless collaboration between researchers and supporting ASTRI's expansion in the Mainland.

In July 2023, ASTRI's "International Application Fundamental Research Institute Project" was officially launched in the Hetao Cooperation Zone. ASTRI (Shenzhen) has initiated several R&D and testing projects, primarily focusing on third-generation semiconductors and next-generation communication technologies. Key developments include GaN high-end power technology development and testing platform, SiC smart power system development and testing platform, and smart campus simulation and testing platform. These platforms aim to facilitate technology transfer, commercialisation and promote technology exchanges while cultivating top-tier talent. Furthermore, in June 2024, ASTRI (Shenzhen) supported the first cross-border C-V2X test at Hetao, successfully completing autonomous driving tests and data collection under various extreme road conditions.

Ir Sunny Lee concluded, "Looking ahead, ASTRI (Shenzhen) will serve as a 'super connector', promoting collaboration among government, industry, academia and research institutes. We aim to facilitate the transformation and industrialisation of collaborative innovation outcomes between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the Hetao Cooperation Zone and the GBA, contributing to the nation's development of 'new quality productive forces'."

Photo Download: https://bit.ly/3XG8DDW 

	(From left to right) The opening ceremony of ASTRI (Shenzhen) was officiated by Ms Grace Lai, Director of Shenzhen Liaison Unit, HKSAR Government; Dr Jimmy Chiang, Deputy Director-General, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, HKSAR  Government; Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen; Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI; Mr He Xinhong, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office; and Mr Lau Wai Ming, Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, HKSAR Government
	ASTRI (Shenzhen) hosted agreement signing ceremony with three mainland enterprises. From left to right: Mr Zhou Xiaoming, Chairman of Shenzhen Power Maker Technology Co Ltd; Mr Chiu Hing Yuen, CEO of HKP Talential (Shenzhen) New Energy Co Ltd; Dr Daniel Shi, Chairman of ASTRI (Shenzhen), and Dr Zhao Zhigang, Dean of National Energy Internet Innovation Centre Co Ltd
	(From left to right) Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI; and Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen, joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of ASTRI (Shenzhen)

 

(From left to right) The opening ceremony of ASTRI (Shenzhen) was officiated by Ms Grace Lai, Director of Shenzhen Liaison Unit, HKSAR Government; Dr Jimmy Chiang, Deputy Director-General, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, HKSAR  Government; Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen; Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI; Mr He Xinhong, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office; and Mr Lau Wai Ming, Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, HKSAR Government

 

 

ASTRI (Shenzhen) hosted agreement signing ceremony with three mainland enterprises. From left to right: Mr Zhou Xiaoming, Chairman of Shenzhen Power Maker Technology Co Ltd; Mr Chiu Hing Yuen, CEO of HKP Talential (Shenzhen) New Energy Co Ltd; Dr Daniel Shi, Chairman of ASTRI (Shenzhen), and Dr Zhao Zhigang, Dean of National Energy Internet Innovation Centre Co Ltd

 

 

(From left to right) Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman of ASTRI; and Mr Zeng Jianpeng, Director-General of the Hetao Development Authority in Shenzhen, joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of ASTRI (Shenzhen)

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 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

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

ASTRI's New Presence in Shenzhen Drives "New Quality Productive Forces" Pioneering Hong Kong's R&D Institute in Hetao Fuelling Innovation in Greater Bay Area

From scaling ancillary revenue to redefining loyalty, Way's new capabilities unlock expansive possibilities for brands.

AUSTIN, Texas and PARIS, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Way announced the evolution of its platform into a fully integrated experiential ecosystem, with new products that power AI-generated experience curation, brand partnerships, and experiential loyalty. 

Introducing the Experiential Ecosystem

The Way Experiential Ecosystem delivers a single, fully integrated ecosystem that powers every type of experience, with new offerings that enable brands to extend curation and distribution opportunities.

At the foundation of the Experiential Ecosystem is Way's market-leading Core Platform, which enables brands to launch, market, and manage experiences across the customer journey, along with the following new products:

• Curation Lab offers a first-of-its-kind AI-powered experience curation technology that blends artificial intelligence with each customer's brand identity and proprietary Way data.
• Loyalty Sync provides a seamless connection between experiences and loyalty programs at enterprise scale; in 2025, Way launched and powered the extensions of experiential loyalty programs for brands, including World of Hyatt and Alaska Air Group's Atmos Rewards Unlocked.
• Partner Exchange brings an industry-first global marketplace for consumer brands across industries to partner and co-create experiences, including luxury brands such as Piaget and Kiton.

Together, these capabilities deliver new and diversified revenue streams through experiences, reduce operational lift and third-party dependency, deepen customer engagement and brand loyalty, and provide a faster global rollout with consistent brand expression.

Experiential's Rise Brings New Opportunities

With experiential spending up ~32% in the last five years  (source: Earnest Analytics), demand is evident among consumers worldwide. Way's Core Platform has consistently answered this need at the enterprise level, allowing global brands like Hyatt and Maybourne to consolidate their experiential technology and strategy across their luxury and lifestyle portfolios.

Brands today are leveraging experiences as a central pillar of their marketing strategy, as signature programming drives sales of core products while also fueling differentiation, loyalty, and revenue. Increased demand for experiences is evident not only in hospitality but also among consumer brands worldwide. As a result, organizations face growing operational complexity in merchandising and managing ticketed events, curated experiences, recurring programming, and experiential resources, their experiential technology and strategy across their luxury and lifestyle portfolios.

This product launch underscores Way's ongoing commitment to building products that enable brands to unlock the true value of experiences and shape more meaningful consumer engagement while continuing to define the experiential category at large.

About Way

Way is the premier experiential ecosystem, uniting software, artificial intelligence, and proprietary data to redefine how people engage with the world's leading consumer brands. Organizations leverage Way to launch, merchandise, manage, and scale distinctive experiences that resonate with today's consumers.

Founded in 2020 as the solution for hospitality brands seeking to integrate experiences into their strategy, Way quickly established itself as a category leader at a time when unlocking new revenue streams had never been more critical. Today, Way is expanding across new segments of the consumer economy, enabling brands to offer transformative experiences that forge deeper, lasting connections with their audiences.

The company is backed by over $22m in capital and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Paris, France. www.way.co

 

From scaling ancillary revenue to redefining loyalty, Way's new capabilities unlock expansive possibilities for brands.

AUSTIN, Texas and PARIS, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Way announced the evolution of its platform into a fully integrated experiential ecosystem, with new products that power AI-generated experience curation, brand partnerships, and experiential loyalty. 

Introducing the Experiential Ecosystem

The Way Experiential Ecosystem delivers a single, fully integrated ecosystem that powers every type of experience, with new offerings that enable brands to extend curation and distribution opportunities.

At the foundation of the Experiential Ecosystem is Way's market-leading Core Platform, which enables brands to launch, market, and manage experiences across the customer journey, along with the following new products:

• Curation Lab offers a first-of-its-kind AI-powered experience curation technology that blends artificial intelligence with each customer's brand identity and proprietary Way data.
• Loyalty Sync provides a seamless connection between experiences and loyalty programs at enterprise scale; in 2025, Way launched and powered the extensions of experiential loyalty programs for brands, including World of Hyatt and Alaska Air Group's Atmos Rewards Unlocked.
• Partner Exchange brings an industry-first global marketplace for consumer brands across industries to partner and co-create experiences, including luxury brands such as Piaget and Kiton.

Together, these capabilities deliver new and diversified revenue streams through experiences, reduce operational lift and third-party dependency, deepen customer engagement and brand loyalty, and provide a faster global rollout with consistent brand expression.

Experiential's Rise Brings New Opportunities

With experiential spending up ~32% in the last five years  (source: Earnest Analytics), demand is evident among consumers worldwide. Way's Core Platform has consistently answered this need at the enterprise level, allowing global brands like Hyatt and Maybourne to consolidate their experiential technology and strategy across their luxury and lifestyle portfolios.

Brands today are leveraging experiences as a central pillar of their marketing strategy, as signature programming drives sales of core products while also fueling differentiation, loyalty, and revenue. Increased demand for experiences is evident not only in hospitality but also among consumer brands worldwide. As a result, organizations face growing operational complexity in merchandising and managing ticketed events, curated experiences, recurring programming, and experiential resources, their experiential technology and strategy across their luxury and lifestyle portfolios.

This product launch underscores Way's ongoing commitment to building products that enable brands to unlock the true value of experiences and shape more meaningful consumer engagement while continuing to define the experiential category at large.

About Way

Way is the premier experiential ecosystem, uniting software, artificial intelligence, and proprietary data to redefine how people engage with the world's leading consumer brands. Organizations leverage Way to launch, merchandise, manage, and scale distinctive experiences that resonate with today's consumers.

Founded in 2020 as the solution for hospitality brands seeking to integrate experiences into their strategy, Way quickly established itself as a category leader at a time when unlocking new revenue streams had never been more critical. Today, Way is expanding across new segments of the consumer economy, enabling brands to offer transformative experiences that forge deeper, lasting connections with their audiences.

The company is backed by over $22m in capital and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Paris, France. www.way.co

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Way Unveils Experiential Ecosystem with New AI-powered Products for Experience Curation, Loyalty, & Brand Partnerships