Helps businesses take advantage of emerging industrial opportunities in Southeast Asia
Hong Kong SAR – Media Outreach Newswire – 11 February 2026 – Center for Advanced Power and Autonomous Systems (APAS) under the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC)Exhibited for the first time at the Asia Photonics Expo (APE 2026) – Asia’s leading platform for photonics technology innovation – held in Singapore from 4 to 6 February. During the exhibition, APAS showcased its advanced automotive photonics R&D achievements to photonics experts and enterprises from Asia and around the world. Featured innovations include An automotive-grade MEMS drive OIS actuator And An augmented reality head-up display for commercial vehicles.
Meanwhile, APAS organized “Go Global to Southeast Asia: Singapore Photonics and Emerging Industries Delegation”Leading representatives of Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland enterprises to attend APE 2026, as well as a series of site visits and exchange activities. The initiative aims to showcase Hong Kong’s extensive R&D and industrial strengths in photonics and emerging fields to the international community. It also sought to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand market dynamics and technological trends in Singapore’s photonics and emerging industries, facilitate inter-regional business networking, and support enterprises in expanding into Southeast Asian and global markets.
Mr. Yonghai Dou, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC and General Manager of APASsaid, “The recommendations of the ’15th Five-Year Plan’ emphasize promoting emerging industries and accelerating the development of industrial clusters in strategic emerging areas such as new energy and new materials. Over the years, the HKPC has been committed to helping enterprises transform R&D results into competitive market application solutions. APAS focuses on R&D in various technological fields, including green transportation, smart mobility, intelligent systems, and emerging applications. By cooperating with industry, academia and research institutions, APAS transforms R&D into commercially viable products and solutions, enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the fields of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving.
“Photonics plays an irreplaceable role in data acquisition, transmission and processing, and is therefore vital for the field of intelligent driving. This is APAS’s first participation in APE, with the organization of a delegation in Southeast Asia, aimed at laying a more solid foundation for the long-term development of automotive photonics technologies, while supporting businesses in expanding into the photonics and emerging industries markets in Southeast Asia”.
Debut at APE 2026 to deepen international photonics industry connections
Photonics technologies are widely applied in various fields, including communications, information technology, health care, industrial manufacturing, and energy. Held in Singapore, APE 2026 is one of the most influential events in the photonics industry in Asia. It brought together research institutes, technology companies and industry leaders from around the world to showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovative application scenarios across the entire photonics value chain. As a leading R&D institution in new energy and intelligent driving, APAS made its debut at APE 2026, leveraging its R&D strengths to contribute to technical cooperation and application innovation within the photonics industry. This not only helps Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland enterprises build bridges to the global photonics industry and expand market opportunities, but also supports Hong Kong’s active integration into the international photonics ecosystem, promoting cross-regional technology exchange and industrial cooperation.
As a member of the HKSAR Government’s “Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global”, HKPC also shared its comprehensive “GoGlobal” services with exhibition participants during the event. These services include smart manufacturing, technology research and assessment, international standards and testing, professional services, training and study missions, as well as financing schemes – highlighting Hong Kong’s unique advantages in supporting the global expansion of enterprises.Ms Teresa Poon, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in SingaporeVisited the APAS booth to learn about the latest automotive photonics technologies and R&D achievements in Hong Kong and exchange views on the city’s strengths in the photonics industry.
Other than this, Dr. Rick Moe, Head of Business Development and Commercialization and Head of Emerging Applications at APASwas invited to deliver the keynote address on the impact of 2D material semiconductor innovations on the future development of smart mobility and high-end manufacturing. The APAS team has been deeply involved in the field of third generation semiconductors for many years. Its development of silicon carbide-based systems and controllers has greatly improved the energy efficiency and driving range of new energy vehicles. Looking ahead, the team will explore replacing traditional chip electronic signals with optical signals, thereby further advancing the application and development of related technologies.
Advancing automotive photonics R&D to support smart mobility and smart city development
During APE 2026, APAS set up a dedicated exhibition area to showcase its latest automotive photonics solutions in support of smart mobility and smart city development. Performances include:
- Automotive-Grade MEMS Drive OIS Actuator: Technology designed to stabilize imager sensor shift in Full HD dash cameras. It effectively reduces image jitter caused by road vibrations or turns, significantly enhancing image stability and clarity. When combined with object detection and recognition capabilities, the dash camera prototype can provide clear images and reliable driving records even in busy urban areas, on winding roads or tunnels, and in adverse weather conditions. This helps in improving overall road safety.
- Augmented Reality Head-up Display for Commercial Vehicles: By combining virtual images with the real-world scene, key driving information such as navigation routes, vehicle speed and safety alerts are projected directly onto the windshield. This allows drivers to access important information without diverting their gaze, increasing driving focus and safety. The solution can also be adapted to practical operating scenarios of commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks.
Promoting international R&D exchange and exploring Southeast Asian market opportunities
In addition to attending APE 2026, “Go Global to Southeast Asia: Singapore Photonics and Emerging Industries Delegation” also arranged visits for enterprise representatives to several world-class universities and research institutions in Singapore, including Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. These visits provided in-depth insights into the latest R&D and technology commercialization cases in areas such as quantum photonics, smart sensing, semiconductors and emerging applications, enabling participants to better understand market trends and collaboration opportunities in photonics and emerging industries.
Through this series of visits and exchanges, HKPC and APAS played an important role in showcasing Hong Kong’s R&D capabilities and industrial strengths in photonics and smart mobility to the global community, supporting SMEs in taking advantage of opportunities in the Southeast Asian market, and promoting the long-term development of the photonics and smart mobility industries.
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About Hong Kong Productivity Council
The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a statutory body established in 1967, dedicated to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises through world-class applied R&D, innovative technology services and integrated manufacturing solutions. As a market-oriented, international R&D organization, HKPC leverages its deep expertise and extensive industry experience in key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, life and health technology, green technology and new energy to drive new industrialization and support the development of emerging and future industries.
HKPC focuses on addressing business challenges and industrial technology requirements, promoting full integration between technological and industrial innovation. Through technology transfer, product innovation, intellectual property protection and commercialization of R&D results, the Council promotes collaboration with the local business community as well as top global R&D institutions, providing added value to industries and driving the development of new productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognized over the years, leading to numerous local and foreign accolades, strengthening Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology hub and a smart city.
To help enterprises exploit Hong Kong’s strength in international connectivity to expand into global markets, HKPC provides comprehensive overseas expansion services tailored to key areas, including product development, technology, manufacturing and management, enabling businesses to successfully go global from Hong Kong.
HKPC is also committed to providing timely and practical assistance to SMEs and startups, helping them access government funding programs. Through its FutureSkills training initiative, HKPC helps both industry and academia stay ahead of the latest digital and STEM technologies, nurturing a future-ready talent pool for Hong Kong.
For more information, please visit the HKPC website: www.hkpc.org/en.
