Driving innovation, exploring collaboration in healthcare

• Asia Summit on Global Health features Nobel laureate Prof Roger Kornberg speaking on cutting-edge biotech advances.
• Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair attracts some 300 exhibitors and diverse country and regional pavilions from around the world.

 (ACN Newswire) – The third International Healthcare Week (IHW), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), takes place from 15 to 31 May. The week’s flagship event, the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSAR) and HKTDC, will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 16 and 17 May. Another flagship event, the Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair (Medical Fair), will run concurrently from 16 to 18 May, highlighting Hong Kong’s strengths in healthcare.

Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “Hong Kong’s healthcare system is world-renowned. The 2023 Policy Address announced various measures to turn Hong Kong into a health innovation hub and develop its silver economy. We have been keen to promote medical technology and devices, and this year, the concurrent ASGH and Medical Fair once again bring together local and international healthcare experts to discuss the industry’s hot topics, including AI, healthy ageing and Chinese medicine. A Nobel laureate in Chemistry will also highlight the latest innovative biotech solutions. The two events will showcase a series of robotics technologies as well as the latest healthcare products and solutions for the silver economy. They offer exhibitors, investors and buyers a platform to build connections and foster cross-sector collaboration. This will play an important role in transforming Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub.”

Aside from ASGH and the Medical Fair, IHW features the Hospital Authority Convention, among many other industry events.

Industry leaders explore healthcare opportunities

Themed Innovation . Inclusion . Impact, the fourth ASGH brings together medical and healthcare government representatives and organisations, internationally renowned scientists and medical experts, investors and business leaders from around the world. In addition to public health, medtech, international trade cooperation and investment, they will analyse the industry’s outlook and business opportunities.

Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, presents welcome remarks, John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, delivers opening remarks and Prof Cao Xuetao, Vice-Minister of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, gives special remarks on the opening day of ASGH.

The ASGH Plenary Sessions explore opportunities in the healthcare industry and promote cooperation across the medical and healthcare fields. For the first plenary, Prof Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health of the HKSAR, shares his vision and addresses the preparatory work for the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and the progress made in promoting Hong Kong as a health innovation hub.

Other speakers include Prof Lau Chak-sing, Dean of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong; Prof Lo Yuk Lam, President of the HK Bio-Med Innotech Association; Dr Sun Zhigang, Senior Vice President of Luye Pharma Group Ltd, and more. They will discuss the drug approval systems in Mainland China and overseas, exploring how they can benefit the healthcare ecosystem.

At the second plenary, Prof Roger Kornberg, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2006 highlights biotech advances and engages in dialogue on emerging technologies and healthcare innovation trends with Victor L L Chu, Chairman and CEO of First Eastern Investment Group, and Leslie Lu, Executive Director and CEO of EC Healthcare, among others.

During the Dialogue with Global Pioneer in Health session, Prof Michael Hanna, Director of UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, sheds light on the latest trends and findings in neurology. ASGH also spotlights China’s healthcare ecosystem, highlighting the latest developments in healthcare in the vast market, key investment areas and major trends shaping the country’s healthcare sector.

For the plenary session on the second day of the Summit, The Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairman and President of Asia Financial Holdings Limited; Dr Sangtae Kim, Chief Technology Officer of Bertis Bioscience; Yasushi Okada, Representative Corporate Officer and COO of Eisai Co., Ltd.; Dr Sarah Salvilla, Group Chief Health Officer of FWD Group, and more will explore the current landscape of medical innovation in Asia, encompassing trends, investments and collaboration.

Thematic sessions discuss precision medicine, innovative drugs, neuroscience, healthcare investment prospects, opportunities in healthcare insurance and more.

InnoHealth Showcase and deal-making connect start-ups with investors

ASGH deal-making connects investors and project owners from across the globe in-person and online to discuss collaboration opportunities.

Participating investors represent a diverse range of backgrounds, including angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate venture capital, private equity firms, family offices and more. Investment interests span pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, AI and digital health, and community health and wellness.

The exhibition area, which includes the InnoHealth Showcase, features healthcare investment projects and cutting-edge technologies from over 150 companies at the forefront of healthcare innovation. Among them, over 70 healthcare start-ups and projects, many of which are award-winning, are led by six local universities and Cyberport. Besides the Innovation and Technology Commission, Investment NSW and the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine bring healthcare start-ups and institutions to Hong Kong for the first time to help them connect with potential partners and investors.

Medical Fair facilitates industry collaboration

The Medical Fair, organised by the HKTDC and co-organised by the Hong Kong Medical and Healthcare Device Industries Association (HKMHDIA), serves as the ideal platform for industry professionals, including R&D institutions, manufacturers, public healthcare institutions, hospitals, clinics, wholesalers and medical healthcare professionals, from around the world to establish business connections and gather insights on the latest developments in the medical field.

Themed Innovations Boosting Smart Health Experience, this year’s Medical Fair welcomes some 300 exhibitors from eight countries and regions and features a wide range of exhibition zones, including Biotechnology, Hospital Equipment, Rehabilitation and Elderly Care Products, Startup, and the HKMHDIA Pavilion zones.

Exhibitors showcase medical technology solutions that utilise AI and robotics technology. In the Laboratory Equipment and Manufacturing Solutions zone, exhibitors feature cold-chain logistics solutions that incorporate innovative, efficient data recording devices. These solutions enable real-time monitoring of vaccine and medicine delivery status, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, while optimising cost control.

The Medical Fair features a strong line-up of leading research and academic institutions, including six local universities. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) pavilion showcases the latest advancements in medical equipment, testing and analysis solutions and telemedicine technologies of over 30 companies. Additionally, with the support of the HKMHDIA, 20 companies exhibit their latest medical imaging equipment and health monitoring products.

The debut Hungary, Chongqing (China) and Jilin (China) pavilions, alongside the returning Canada pavilion, showcase a range of medical instruments, reagent consumables, diagnostic technologies and antibacterial coatings applicable to various fields, such as analytical testing science, clinical diagnosis, food and pharmaceutical safety and life sciences. Traditional Chinese medicine and supplements are also featured.

One of the many Medical Fair events, the HKMHDIA Medical Fair Forum discusses Hong Kong’s smart healthcare innovation and transformation. Other seminars explore the latest trends in smart ageing technology, IoT applications in digital healthcare, the application of mixed reality and AI for medical imaging, and more.

Using the HKTDC EXHIBITION+ hybrid model, the physical fair from 16 to 18 May is complemented by the Click2Match smart business matching platform, via which buyers can extend their sourcing journey from 9 to 25 May.