The Asia Health Innovation Summit has just concluded, bringing the 4th day of StartmeupHK Festival to an end. This highly successful event united Asia's health ecosystem, bringing together startups, professionals, and investors to drive transformative innovation in healthcare.
Professor Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, emphasised that Hong Kong is well positioned to become a global hub for health and medical innovation, as it is currently home to five world top-100 universities, two world top-40 medical schools, eight State Key Laboratories and 16 InnoHK research centres which are life and health-related. Professor Sun expressed confidence that with ongoing government investment in this sector and leveraging the city's numerous competitive advantages, Hong Kong is poised to enhance the quality of human life globally.
Andy Wong, Head of Innovation and Technology, InvestHK, highlighted AI's emergence as a game-changer in healthtech, accelerating advances in drug discovery, surgical operations, gene editing, and more. The Government's initiatives, including the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+ Scheme), promote R&D commercialisation, while Hong Kong's robust ecosystem of research institutes and talent reinforces its position as a leading healthtech innovation hub in Asia.
A notable panel, moderated by Maaike Steinebach, Founder & CEO of Femtech Future Ltd, explored the rapid emergence of FemTech in recent years and how it is breaking barriers in the healthcare sector. Natasha King (nee O'Brien) , Co-Founder of Blissmi , an incubatee of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (香港科技園公司 ), expressed gratitude for the ongoing support from HKSTP, as well as Invest Hong Kong for nurturing a vibrant life and health startup ecosystem. Grace Oh, Founder & CEO of Sol, noted the city's diverse pool of globally trained medical professionals and the synergy between large and startup companies in the sector, providing the needed support for high potential startups to grow.
The Summit continued with engaging discussions on pressing healthcare challenges and opportunities. Expert panels explored the intersection of technology and ageing populations, innovative funding approaches for early-stage healthtech startups in Asia, and the transformative impact of AI on healthcare delivery.
Jayne Chan, Head of Startups, InvestHK, concluded the event by highlighting Hong Kong's unique role in fostering collaborations and leading healthtech development in the Greater Bay Area, exemplified by the establishment of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong. Its cultural and scientific synergy gives Hong Kong a distinctive advantage in fostering innovations that ultimately benefit the health and well-being of everyone.
Brinc Merie Browne Guillermo Ginesta
#InvestHK #StartmeupHK #SMUHKFest2024 #startups #innovation #entrepreneur #technology #hongkong #AI #femtech #healthcare #healthtech