Media

Universities in China and Hong Kong Announce Partnership to Foster RFID Technology Development in Pearl River Delta

24 Jun 2005

Guangzhou and Hong Kong, June 24, 2005 – Three leading universities in China - South China University of Technology (SCUT), Sun Yat-Sen University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), in partnership with The University of Hong Kong (HKU), announced their cooperation in technology research and development with the objective of enhancing the competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region to become a global manufacturing and logistics hub.

Under the cooperation, the Science and Engineering Faculty of SCUT, The Modern Logistics Technology and Management Research Center of Sun Yat-Sen University, and the Shenzhen Institute of SJTU will take part in the 20-month "RFID Application Enabling Middleware for Enterprise Applications" research and development project initiated by the E-Business Technology Institute (ETI) of HKU. ETI has been awarded major funding from the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme (TCFS) under the HKSAR Government's Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) for the project.

"This project is an exciting opportunity for all four universities to work together to develop a technology solution that would leverage the knowledge and expertise resided in Guangzhou and Hong Kong and provide the new impetus for innovation," said Professor Zhang Ling, Assistant President, SCUT.

"The project aims to develop middleware for manufacturing, retail and distribution companies in the PRD region to integrate RFID (radio frequency identification) data with back-end systems, business processes and logistics and SCM (supply chain management) solutions," said Professor Tan Chung-Jen, Director of ETI, HKU. "ETI will head the development of the core technology and collaborate with partner universities to develop applications and pilot projects with local enterprises in the region."

IBM Corporation (IBM), GS1 Hong Kong and various local enterprises based in Guangzhou and Hong Kong are the key sponsors and supporters of the R&D project. For instance, IBM provides hardware and software sponsorship for the project while some local retail and distribution companies participate in the enterprise pilot program of the project.

"As a market leader in RFID, IBM is committed to fostering the research and development of the emerging technology with the academia, that would ultimately help enterprises of all sizes capitalize on the best-of-the-breed IT tools and achieve their business goals," said Qiu Xiaoping, Manager, University Relations Department, IBM Greater China Group. "Most importantly, the project will further promote the continued collaboration and knowledge exchange among the universities and enterprises in China and Hong Kong."

The four universities will mark their partnership in a kick-off ceremony at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Dong Fang Hotel in Guangzhou on June 24, 2005 (Friday). After the ceremony, a forum on RFID and SCM technologies will be held, featuring a panel of various academic and industry experts from China and Hong Kong.

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About TCFS
The Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme (TCFS) is a sub-programme under the Innovation and Technology Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) of the HKSAR government. It aims to enhance the level of collaboration on R&D between organizations in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province.

For more information, please visit www.itf.gov.hk/eng/TCFS.asp

About SCUT
South China University of Technology (SCUT), which is situated in Guangzhou, is one of China's key universities operating under the direct leadership of the State Ministry of Education. After more than 50 years of development, SCUT has become a multidisciplinary university of high reputation in South China and in the whole country, focusing on engineering, combined with science, also promoting well coordinated development of management, economics, humanities and law. SCUT has 3,880 teaching and researching staff, and 44,500 students, which have formed a complete talent cultivation system of bachelor degree, master degree and doctor degree.

For more information, please visit www.scut.edu.cn

About ETI
The E-Business Technology Institute (ETI) is an independent research and development organization within The University of Hong Kong that generates technologies, which are designed to benefit Hong Kong and the Greater China region. Established in September 1999, ETI is located at the center of the University of Hong Kong, with IBM China/Hong Kong as its core sponsor and technology partner. Notably, IBM has seconded distinguished scientist and father of the "Deep Blue" Supercomputer, Professor CJ Tan, to lead ETI as institute director. Competent R&D teams have created innovative solutions in the areas of wireless security, RFID, Supply Chain Management Technology, pervasive computing, e-payment systems, XML data integration and management, business intelligence and data mining.

For more information, please visit www.eti.hku.hk.

About IBM
IBM, the world's largest information technology and business solutions company, is the global leader in innovative systems, services, consulting, research and financing that help organizations transform into on demand enterprises.

For more information, please visit www.ibm.com.

For media inquiries in Hong Kong, please call Liza Cook at 9757 9746 or email lcook@eti.hku.hk