InnoEX Opens Today, ASTRI's Latest Low-altitude Economy Innovations on Display

HONG KONG, April 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) showcase a diverse range of emerging solutions for smart city innovation at the third edition of InnoEX, running from 13-16 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. ASTRI's technologies on display include advancements in the low-altitude economy (LAE), smart manufacturing, smart mobility, and smart pharmacy, underscoring Hong Kong's growing influence in the global innovation and technology (I&T) arena.

Driving I&T Collaboration

As Hong Kong's leading R&D centre, ASTRI remains steadfast in its mission to accelerate I&T commercialisation, supporting industry transformation and enhancing operational efficiency, said Ir Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of ASTRI. "At InnoEx, we engage with high-quality potential partners from home and abroad, exploring future partnerships through our cutting-edge, market-ready solutions," he said. "ASTRI celebrates its silver jubilee in 2025. To mark this milestone, we have set up a 'time-tunnel' at our booth to reflect on ASTRI's achievements over the past 25 years. As we enter a golden era for I&T development, we remain committed to leveraging technology for societal advancement, enabling smarter living and driving the development of new quality productive forces in Hong Kong."

Ir Chris Chong, Acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of ASTRI said ASTRI's award-wining technologies have been well-received by the industry. To date, ASTRI has been granted 1,100 patents and has completed 1,500 technology transfers. "We are excited to exhibit at InnoEX once again to showcase our R&D outcomes. We look forward to fostering deeper collaborations among the government, industry, academia, researchers and investors. By working together, we can expedite the journey of I&T breakthroughs from laboratory to the market, further solidifying Hong Kong's position as a global I&T hub."

Showcasing Cutting-Edge Technologies

InnoEX is jointly organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). As Asia's flagship I&T event, it has attracted distinguished visitors, including government officials and industry leaders keen to explore Hong Kong's thriving I&T ecosystem.

Visitors to ASTRI's booth (3C-E03) in Hall 3C are introduced to an impressive array of pioneering technologies that promise to transform industries and enhance quality of life. These include:

• Smart LAE Delivery: This UAV-based solution delivers lightweight packages across urban areas with exceptional precision. Utilising ASTRI's RSU-Assisted GNSS-RTK Visual/INS Tightly-Coupled Positioning Algorithm, the system maintains accurate positioning even amid NLOS disturbances. This enables the UAV to deliver critical medicine efficiently and reliably to patients during emergencies. By circumventing urban traffic congestion, ASTRI's aerial delivery system significantly outpaces traditional vehicle-based delivery methods.
  
  
• Smart Pharmacy: The Smart Pharmacy initiative was first outlined in the Hospital Authority's Strategic Plan 2022-2027. In line with this visionary development, ASTRI has developed an innovative and effective Sensing Fusion Platform for Accurate and Smart Dispensing. The platform is designed to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of pharmacy operation in public hospitals, while alleviating the workload of frontline staff. To minimise the risk of human error, it introduces a range of unique features, including instant access to drug information, real-time monitoring of medication types and quantities, analysis of staff workloads and activities, and early warning alerts.
  
  
• Smart Mobility with C-V2X: ASTRI's Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology facilitates seamless communications between vehicles, pedestrians, roadside infrastructure, and networks. This ensures that road users receive timely reports and warnings, enhancing road safety effectively.C-V2X technology can be applied to real-time traffic monitoring, incident management, and route planning, significantly improving traffic efficiency. In the long run, C-V2X technology will play a crucial role in advancing autonomous driving by helping vehicles detect hidden dangers, further enhancing road safety and supporting the development of autonomous transportation systems.
  
  
• Smart Mobility with Risk Map: The Risk Map System, co-developed by ASTRI and MTRC, provides an automated and efficient way for managing, monitoring and alerting the condition and position of trackside equipment, and ultimately to enhance maintenance efficiency and railway safety. The innovation won the bronze medal at the 49^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.
  
  
• Smart Manufacturing with IndustriNET 5G: ASTRI's invention, IndustriNet, facilitates time-sensitive communications over 5G network through novel time synchronisation methods. It enhances the capabilities of 5G networks, making them suitable for applications in smart manufacturing and smart transportation. The solution fulfils smart factories' demanding requirements for high mobility and dependable wireless networking, expediting the advancement of new industrialisation. It garnered the gold medal at the 49^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.
  
  
• Smart Manufacturing with TrainLite: As manufacturers increasingly seek to upgrade and transform their operations with technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), many face the challenge of lacking access to mature big data systems. To address this general industry pain point, the TrainLite platform empowers manufacturers to develop AI learning prototypes using limited datasets. This enables automated quality inspection on production lines at a lower cost while simultaneously enhancing production efficiency and quality. TrainLite's technology is versatile and applicable across a wide range of products, including fabrics, printed circuit boards, chips, automobiles, and displays. It received the Special Award for Innovation – King Abdulaziz University at the 48^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Championing Innovation at the Forum

As a panellist at the "Tech-Driven Industry and Economy Conference Powered by HKSARG OASES" this morning, Ir Chris Chong shared insights into ASTRI's successful R&D projects and demonstrate how technology transfer and commercialisation are turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Tomorrow (14 April), he will take the stage as the moderator for the Innovation Forum: France-Hong Kong Shaping Green Efficiency, Smart Mobility & Digital Transformation, organised by Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau and Business France, to explore the role of technology in shaping future smart city.

Promoting Cross-Sectors I&T Partnership

InnoEX is running concurrently with the HKTDC Electronics Fair (Spring Edition). The two fairs bring together 2,800 exhibitors from 29 countries and regions, attracting global visitors to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange across industries.

ASTRI Corporate Website – https://www.astri.org  
InnoEX - https://www.hktdc.com/event/innoex/en

Photos Download: https://bit.ly/3FT2kGA 

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 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.

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

InnoEX Opens Today, ASTRI's Latest Low-altitude Economy Innovations on Display

InnoEX Opens Today, ASTRI's Latest Low-altitude Economy Innovations on Display

InnoEX Opens Today, ASTRI's Latest Low-altitude Economy Innovations on Display

InnoEX Opens Today, ASTRI's Latest Low-altitude Economy Innovations on Display

Transaction Enhances MRO Scale, AOG Readiness, and Lubricants Market Leadership

ARLINGTON, Texas, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GracoRoberts (gracoroberts.com) today announced the acquisition of Sky Mart (skymart.aero) to advance its international footprint in Latin America, leveraging the company's corporate headquarters in Miami as a gateway to the aerospace-rich Latin American region. The acquisition significantly bolsters GracoRoberts' reach into the $6.5B Latin American MRO market, scales its AOG capability, and offers its customers access to a considerable breadth of in-stock lubricants, amplifying the acquirer's already sound position as the largest, fastest, and most technically focused aerospace specialty chemicals distributor in the world.

The addition of Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' portfolio expands its technical sales coverage throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Florida, and portions of the US, while adding an additional 42,000 square feet of fulfillment centers in Miami, FL, San Antonio, TX, and Indianapolis, IN, and offering a rich stocking position for oils, greases, and fluids. Additionally, Sky Mart customers will benefit from access to GracoRoberts' extensive breadth of adhesives, composites, paints and coatings, a robust ecommerce presence for immediate product access, and a global technical sales team. These enhancements, coupled with a mutual focus on world-class quality, will add meaningful value to both companies' customer and supplier partners.

Jason Caldwell, President and CEO of GracoRoberts, commented on the acquisition. "We are thrilled to welcome the team from Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' family of companies. This partnership strengthens our ability to serve the global aerospace community, especially in the important Latin America and Miami markets, with an enhanced stocking position, broader product offerings, and a scalable bolt-on ecommerce presence and AOG platform for an industry that requires speed and dependability." 

Juan Gregorio Robbin, Co-Founder and President of Sky Mart, also commented on the integration, and the decision to partner with GracoRoberts after four decades of family-owned operation. "At Sky Mart, our operating philosophy is simple and unwavering: stock the right products, deliver exceptional service, and get it right the first time. This guiding principle has earned us the trust of a loyal Latin and North American customer base, and by joining the GracoRoberts' family, we can deliver even more value to our customers."

Ana Maria Robbin, Co-Owner and Executive Vice President of Sky Mart, offered her perspective on the acquisition. "2025 marked Sky Mart's 40^th year in a business founded by our parents – our heroes – Gregorio and Lucy Robbin. They raised us to believe in the power of a vision, endless determination, and a deep spirit of service that defines our culture today, and I see these qualities in the team at GracoRoberts. I know the Sky Mart legacy will be upheld with care and purpose."

The leaders of both companies will collaborate to deliver a seamless, customer-focused transition that preserves each organization's culture and ensures no disruption to the business.

The acquisition of Sky Mart is supported by CM Equity Partners, the private equity sponsor of GracoRoberts and long-standing partner to its Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Under the leadership of President and CEO Jason Caldwell, the GracoRoberts ELT has significantly expanded the company's global footprint and accelerated its digital growth strategy through six acquisitions over the past seven years –  E.V. Roberts, Able Aerospace Adhesives, Silmid, SkyGeek, Pacific Coast Composites, and now Sky Mart – each enhancing value for its enterprise partners and the broader aerospace industry.

About GracoRoberts

Headquartered in Arlington, TX, GracoRoberts (www.gracoroberts.com) is the single largest, fastest, and most technically focused specialty chemicals distributor to serve the global aerospace market and is fully AS, ISO, and CMMC II certified. We serve the aerospace OEM, MRO, and defense segments, composites, electronics, and other advanced manufacturing industries. As a family of brands including Silmid, SkyGeek, and Pacific Coast Composites, we are authorized to distribute 3M, Airtech, Aeroshell, AkzoNobel, Eastman, Henkel, Hexcel, Huntsman, Isovolta, Momentive, PPG, Resin Formulators, Royco, Scott Bader, Sika, American Fiber & Finishing, Armite Lubricants, Arrow Solutions, B&J Rubber Products, Castrol, Chemetall, Contec, Deb Stoko, ITW Performance Polymers, Mask-Off, Master Fluid Solutions, Permabond, Reabrook Ltd, Rocol, Royal Adhesives, Socomore, and Zip-Chem, and can source thousands of other providers upon request. We differentiate by adding value: services include world-class ecommerce available through three websites (www.skygeek.com, www.silmid.com, and www.gracoroberts.com), global distribution, custom formulation, specialty packaging, vendor managed inventory, intermix and kitting services, defense logistics and compliance, export management services, and an on-staff Chemist, lab, and testing facility. GracoRoberts prides itself in delivering superior engineered materials with impeccable support to thousands of customers from more than 65 countries around the globe.

About Sky Mart

Headquartered in Miami, FL and founded in 1985 by Gregorio and Lucy Robbin with Co-Founder and President Juan Gregorio Robbin, Sky Mart (www.skymart.aero) has grown into an industry leading and well-recognized aerospace chemical, lubricant and specialty fluids stocking distributor. Sky Mart is now a second-generation Robbin family business serving thousands of customers across Latin America and North America. With over 40 years of global distribution experience, the company's philosophy is straight forward: stock the products, quote quickly, and offer fast, accurate, and on-time shipping. Today Sky Mart continues to invest in online and EDI trading platforms, and offers reliable and effective after-hours AOG service for the airline, MRO, and other aviation communities.

About CM Equity Partners

CM Equity Partners (www.cmequity.com), based in New York, NY, provides capital to the Federal services and aerospace and defense industries. For 30 years, CMEP has partnered with management teams to build enduring value by leveraging its industry knowledge, relationships, operating experience, and its corporate finance, M&A, and private equity expertise. CMEP employs an active and collaborative management approach, developing long-term strategic plans and guiding decisions on re-investment of profits to grow and broaden a company's revenue base and capabilities. CMEP's investments are structured with flexibility across a broad spectrum of the capital structure, including equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt.

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

GracoRoberts Acquires Sky Mart to Accelerate Latin American Expansion, Anchored by Miami Hub