Fostering an I&T ecosystem in HK and GBA to accelerate commercialisation of biomedical innovations
The Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC), one of the nine research laboratories at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) established under the Hong Kong Government’s InnoHK programme, organised an international symposium “Translation and Commercialization of DeepTech Biomedical Innovation” on March 21 (Tuesday).
The one-day programme brought together experts from international academia, industry, and government to discuss the latest trends and challenges and capitalise on opportunities throughout various phases of research translation and commercialisation, and the need to build a comprehensive eco-system and a collaborative model to amplify successful research translation and commercialisation.
Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was the keynote speaker for the symposium. In his speech, Professor Sun emphasised that Hong Kong is committed to driving I&T development, and clear directions for future development have been laid under the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint: “The National 14th Five-Year Plan puts forward the development pattern of ‘dual circulation’, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while enabling domestic and foreign markets to interact positively with each other, and expresses clear support for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to develop into an international I&T hub.”
“As far as biotechnology development is concerned, with the tremendous business opportunities, broad spectrum application potential of biotechnology and the outstanding research capabilities, as well as a deep talent pool in life and health disciplines in our universities, biotechnology has always been a key pillar in Hong Kong’s I&T development,” said Professor Sun.
The symposium brought together a distinguished and diverse group of scientists, including renowned representatives from esteemed universities such as Harvard, Cambridge and National University of Singapore (NUS), prominent medical experts from Hong Kong and Mainland China, and stakeholders within the innovation and technology ecosystem. The event served as a platform for knowledge sharing, with attendees drawing upon successful technology transfer examples from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong, and conducting an analysis of their respective innovation and technology ecosystems.
The symposium featured engaging panel discussions and presentations on a diverse range of topics, including the transition from scientific academia to entrepreneurship, the opportunities and challenges associated with commercialising biomedical innovations, and the critical role of collaboration between industry, government, and academia. Of particular note was the emphasis placed on academic institutions like HKU, which provide essential support in fusing business strategy education with scientific research, equipping researchers with the skills and knowledge necessary to flourish in the commercialisation landscape.
Professor Anderson Ho-cheung Shum, Centre Director of ABIC and Professor in HKU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, shared his insights on the current status of translation and commercialisation of DeepTech innovations in the biomedical sector.
“Identifying and assembling a team of highly skilled executives, including a CEO and business team, and securing suitable investment sources, are the crucial steps in ensuring the successful launch and growth of a technology venture. We are discussing the feasibility of forming technology hubs with focused technology themes to house multiple research ideas or results that share synergies in areas including business teams, legal teams, manufacturing concepts,” said Professor Shum.
Commenting on the success of the symposium, Professor Shum stated: “The symposium is only the beginning of our journey to work together in establishing a comprehensive, collaborative, and constructive ecosystem for the translation and commercialisation of DeepTech Innovations, particularly in the areas of biomedical instrumentation.”