Cathay Group revealed the formation of, and first partnership for, a subsidiary dedicated to promoting its digital technologies across the broader aviation industry.

The company intends for Cathay Technologies to sell systems developed for its own aviation needs covering customer experience, safety, operations and sustainability.

Among the systems at Cathay Technologies’ disposal are the Electronic Flight Folder (EFF), which was developed by the company in 2019 to aid pilots in accessing and managing flight information.

Cathay stated the EFF has brought faster turnaround and “significant cost savings” to its commercial and cargo airline divisions.

The company revealed Cathay Technologies is already partnering with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP) as one of four investment providers in an accelerator fund launched yesterday (7 April).

HKSTP describes the fund as the first public-private partnership (PPP) for innovation and technology in Hong Kong.

Cathay offered the partnership as an example of its backing for “advancing technological innovation” along with a broader patronage of Hong Kong’s “economic growth and development”.

Lawrence Fong, Cathay director for digital and IT, said the company aims to become “famous for our strong digital culture and capabilities”, a commitment extended by the formation of the technologies unit.

Commenting on the HKSTP move, Cathay Technologies CEO Navin Chellaram said “tech talents and start-ups play a crucial role in the innovation and technology space”, backing the PPP to foster relevant companies in the area.