Experts from Various Fields Gather to Discuss Cutting-Edge Medical Topics "Innovation+ Finance" Boosts Development of Medical Startups in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 December 2024 - The Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE) and College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong proudly hosted the inaugural International Cerebro-cardiovascular Medical Innovation Summit (ICMIS) on December 12th. This flagship event brought together leading experts from industry, university, and research sectors to foster cross-disciplinary integration and collaboration among experts, to explore the path of innovation in the healthcare industry. During the summit, COCHE signed an MoU with Shanghai Innovation Bank to establish a partnership focused on fostering medical innovation. Bringing Together Leaders from Industry, University and Research The inaugural International Cerebro-Cardiovascular Medical Innovation Summit was held at City University of Hong Kong, featuring prominent representatives from industry, university, and research sectors in the medical field from both Mainland and Hong Kong to explore and drive forward the frontiers of medical innovation. At the opening ceremony, Ms. Gracie NG, Chief of Staff and Acting Chief Corporate Development Officer, HKSTP, Prof. Johnny Chung Yin HO, Associate Vice-President (Enterprise), and Prof. LU Jian, Dean, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, delivered speeches. Ms. Gracie NG said: "The collaboration between COCHE and Shanghai Innovation Bank is of great significance to the bank's business, greatly filling the industry gap in the cooperation between finance and the innovation technology sector. The importance of financial support for the success of startups is also fully reflected in this collaboration. The 'innovation + finance' cooperation model will promote the development of the Hong Kong technology innovation ecosystem." Prof. Johnny Chung Yin HO points: "City University of Hong Kong is the first local university in Hong Kong to promote the concept of 'One Health', in which we established the Institute of Digital Medicine in April of this year. The institute is dedicated to leveraging the university's research strengths in engineering, life sciences, artificial intelligence, and data science to provide innovative digital healthcare solutions. CityU will continue to cultivate more innovation and technology talent through the HK Tech 300 Program and the CityUHK Academy of Innovation, transforming the university's research outcomes into practical applications. Additionally, it will collaborate with the College of Engineering and COCHE to promote innovation and advancements in the healthcare sector. " Prof. LU Jian welcomed the guests on behalf of the summit's co-organizers, in which he mentioned: "The field of engineering plays a crucial role in connecting technological theory with real-world product applications. I am pleased that this summit provides a platform for experts and scholars from various fields to converge, communicate, and collaborate. The summit aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, transforming innovative ideas into practical solutions, and dedicate the contribution to the advancement of healthcare outcomes. " Collaboration with Shanghai Innovation Bank to nurture medical innovation During the opening ceremony, COCHE signed an MoU with Shanghai Innovation Bank, establishing a partnership in fostering the "New Quality Productive Forces" through the "innovation + finance" model. The MoU outlines a collaborative framework whereby COCHE will serve as a platform to facilitate the integration of technology innovation resources, including the business matching of relevant startups. This partnership seeks to establish a new win-win cooperation model for innovative enterprise incubation, merging science and technology with finance. Shanghai Innovation Bank will offer tailored debt financing, eco-system connections and various business empowerment initiatives for emerging medical technology startups and support their globalization strategies through collaborative efforts. Prof. Kannie WY CHAN, Centre Director of COCHE, commented: "Funding has always been a significant challenge for the translation of technical solutions into clinical use in Hong Kong. This collaboration provides a much-needed boost to our medical research efforts. By leveraging the 'innovation + finance' model, we can enhance the transformation of research outcomes, generate greater economic benefits, and advance the development of medical new quality productivity forces." Explore Pathways Towards Forward-Thinking Medical Innovation The summit featured two main sessions: "Digital Medical Innovations in Community" and "Ecosystem for Medical Innovations" where experts shared insights and engaged in discussions on a range of topics. Prof. LU Xiongwen, Dean of School of Management at Fudan...