Welcome to Innovation Day!

Harry Shum Managing Director

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Microsoft Research Asia's Innovation Day 2006. The theme of this year's event, "Empowering Asia through Innovation", symbolizes Microsoft's strong commitment to fostering innovation and research talent in the region.

At Microsoft Research Asia, our efforts to empower the region are accomplished through our internal research efforts, external research programs, and IP-licensing efforts. Fundamental and industrial research conducted at the lab have led to groundbreaking research results and innovations that are advancing the state of the art in computer science. Many of these innovations, which have been transferred into Microsoft products, improve the computing experience of customers not just in Asia, but around the world.

In addition, in keeping with Microsoft Research's open research culture, the Asia lab has published more than 1,200 papers for leading international conferences and journals since 1998. By publishing these papers openly, the lab is sharing the results of its work with the greater research community and the public at large, fostering a virtuous cycle of innovation, creating opportunities for future collaboration and partnership, and enabling those outside the organization to learn from Microsoft Research Asia's approach to some of the most challenging problems facing computer science.

As the world continues to move toward a knowledge-based economy, fundamental research in Asia Pacific countries will be instrumental in maintaining the emergent prosperity of the region. Microsoft Research Asia's extensive University Relations and external research programs in countries across the region are playing a strong role in nurturing innovation and, thus, helping to build a foundation that will sustain these vibrant economies. The lab's recent efforts include a $1.3 million grant to Queensland University of Technology, for a three-year project aimed at developing software building blocks to create more intelligent Smartphone applications, and a grant awarded to the University of Wollongong, to fund cutting-edge research in Internet security.

Microsoft Research Asia also works closely with Microsoft's IP Licensing team to license cutting-edge technologies developed at the lab to companies or individuals around the world. In the Asia Pacific region, that means small businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from Microsoft's investment in research and development to build successful businesses that help to support entire communities.

While attending Innovation Day, I encourage you to learn more about Microsoft Research Asia and to see for yourself how Microsoft is advancing the state of the art in computer science and empowering the region.

Enjoy your time at Innovation Day.