PolyU and Suzhou Kowloon Hospital signed a collaboration agreement to develop the “Suzhou Kowloon Hospital – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovation Incubation Platform”. Witnessed by Dr Lawrence Li (left, back row), Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU, and Mr Hei Sun (right, back row), Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group, the agreement was signed by Prof. Christopher Chao (left, front row), Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr Qiang Chen (right, front row), Vice President of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group.
The guests who attended the collaboration agreement signing ceremony included Dr Lawrence Li (4th from left), Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU; Prof. Christopher Chao (3rd from left), Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Dr Laura Lo (2nd from left), Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement) of PolyU; Mr Kelvin Wong (1st from left), Director of Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship; Mr Hei Sun (centre), Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group, Mr Qiang Chen (4th from right), Vice President of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group; and other Group representatives.
Dr Lawrence Li, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU remarked that the collaboration marks another milestone in PolyU’s research and entrepreneurship development.
Mr Hei Sun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group said that the two institutions will create an innovative platform which provides integrated support for R&D, incubation and acceleration to promote knowledge transfer and technological exchange.
Prof. Christopher Chao (1st from left), Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, hosted a panel discussion themed “Building Collaborative Ecosystems: How Universities, Hospitals, and the Healthcare Industry Can Collaborate to Spur Innovation”.
PolyU is committed to promoting PolyImpact through excellence in education, research and knowledge. Leveraging its innovative inventions, the University also aims to translate research outcomes into practical solutions that benefit society. Focused on developing a new medical and healthcare services platform, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital aspires to promote comprehensive application and improvement of medical products. Witnessed by Dr Lawrence LI, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU, and Mr Hei SUN, Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group, the agreement was signed by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr Qiang CHEN, Vice President of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group.
Under this agreement, PolyU and Suzhou Kowloon Hospital will strengthen their collaboration in accelerating research and clinical application in areas including medical engineering and artificial intelligence to foster innovation and translation in medical technology. To this end, a biomedical technology innovation incubator will be established, whereby Suzhou Kowloon Hospital will consolidate its extensive clinical resources to support PolyU research teams and startups in developing novel medical products, ensuring their application across multiple scenarios.
In addition, the two institutions will initiate various clinical application research projects, leveraging PolyU’s robust research capabilities and the clinical experience of Suzhou Kowloon Hospital expert team. Their collaboration aims to facilitate technological enhancements and validate clinical efficacy and safety. PolyU students will be provided with internships, field visits and professional exchange opportunities to enrich their understanding of medical engineering and information technology in clinical practice. Relevant PolyU departments and faculties will also provide professional medical practitioners with tailored study programmes and industry training to foster talent development.
Dr Lawrence Li, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU remarked, “PolyU is pleased to collaborate with Suzhou Kowloon Hospital to establish the ‘Suzhou Kowloon Hospital – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovation Incubation Platform’, marking another milestone in the University’s research and entrepreneurship development. As the University’s first clinical incubation platform, it not only provides research teams with clinical support, but also enables our startups to accelerate the translation of research outcomes into clinical applications. At PolyU, we are committed to cultivating an innovative entrepreneurial spirit through the PolyVentures ecosystem by offering comprehensive support to startups. This partnership will reinforce this ecosystem and nurture next-generation entrepreneurs.”
Mr Hei Sun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Kowloon Group said, “Through this close collaboration, we will create an innovative platform which provides integrated support for R&D, incubation and acceleration to promote knowledge transfer and technological exchange. This is a pioneering initiative that facilitates medical and industrial collaboration for leveraging complementary advantages and synergy. It also provides young entrepreneurs and researchers with an opportunity to showcase their talent, and provides a new engine to help drive technology transfer and industry transformation across Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta and the Asia Pacific region more broadly.”
Following the signing ceremony, a panel discussion was held with the participation of PolyU academics, experts from Suzhou Kowloon Hospital and representatives from Mainland medical technology companies. Discussion was themed around the topic “Building Collaborative Ecosystems: How Universities, Hospitals and the Healthcare Industry Can Collaborate to Spur Innovation” and addressed some of the challenges faced by the industry, and explored strategies to strengthen organisational cooperation to drive industry growth.
