To fully align with “Smart Mobility”, one of the initiatives in the “Smart City Blueprint 2.0” published by the HKSAR Government, ASTRI has conducted the R&D of C-V2X technology since 2015 and launched the world’s largest C-V2X public road test in Hong Kong in 2021.
In July 2022, ASTRI partnered with a Hong Kong-based consumer electronics company to carry out the second phase of C-V2X public road tests by leveraging high-speed, reliable and low-latency 5G network technology and recently established cooperation with Shenzhen SmartCity Technology Development Group (Shenzhen SmartCity) to release the connectivity roadmap for C-V2X platform crossing the border of the two cities.
To further expedite the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), ASTRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shenzhen SmartCity on 27 September 2022.
Under the agreement, ASTRI will conduct research on key technologies of connectivity of smart transportation in the Greater Bay Area, R&D, design, standardisation and testing of C-V2X application in Hong Kong, as well as research on the big data connectivity standards and security system.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen SmartCity Group will mainly conduct research on the infrastructure of C-V2X in dominating urban cities scenarios, as well as R&D, design, standardization and testing of C-V2X application in Shenzhen.
ASTRI and Shenzhen SmartCity will collaborate to release the connectivity roadmap in Greater Bay Area and plan to launch the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Shenzhen-Hong Kong C-V2X I&T Corridor in 2022-2023, carry out connectivity tests and scale applications in specific scenarios.
The two will also study and develop the standard system, technical innovation, smart infrastructure, application service and other systems for connectivity, aimed at completing the overall design, verification and implementation of C-V2X connectivity as well as application design, implementation and verification of autonomous driving across the Greater Bay Area, including the establishment of a demonstration area in the border area of Hong Kong and Shenzhen during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, that is by 2025.
The roadmap will further outline C-V2X connectivity with Macau, Guangzhou and other places. ASTRI and Shenzhen SmartCity are working to realise the vision and goal of the coordinated development of smart transportation in the Greater Bay Area in 2035 to create an IoE Greater Bay Area and secure safer and more efficient Mobility as a Service for citizens.
The Board Chairman of ASTRI stated that this collaboration will improve C-V2X technology and expand the room for further cooperation in the R&D of C-V2X, facilitate the mobility for citizens in both cities, and enable them to experience the benefits brought to their daily life by smart city and innovation technology.
In addition, this project can drive the development of commercial transactions between the cities, promote the long-term development strategy of the GBA and coordinate among other cities in this area to enhance synergy effect in terms of manpower, capital and R&D, take advantage of perspective advantages and integrate into the national development by providing unique R&D conditions.
The Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI noted that after years of testing on public roads, C-V2X technology is now a sophisticated technology that can benefit the application, including effectively improving driving safety. To further meet the full-scenario application requirements of autonomous driving and C-V2X functions, in the second phase of C-V2X, the real-time and data load capacity will be greatly improved, adding more testing elements, such as public transportation vehicles and applications, to achieve a new level of smart operation and coordination and build up a solid foundation for the development of the smart city in the further.