CityUHK establishes Institute of Digital Medicine with global partnerships for future healthcare innovation

Cover Story

(From left) Professor Michael Yang, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, Professor Lee Chun-sing, Provost and Deputy President of CityUHK, Mr Huang, Professor Sun, President Boey, Professor Ma Wei Ying, Chief Scientist and Huiyan Chair Professor of Institute of AI Industry Research at Tsinghua University, Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Director of iHealthtech at National University of Singapore and Mr Ray Yang, Partners of Marathon Venture Partners.

Academic, clinical and industry partners signed several MoUs with City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) at a special ceremony on 24 April to mark the establishment of the CityUHK Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM).

The academic and research partners include:

National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Tsinghua University
Southern Medical University
University of Exeter, UK
Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR)

The industry/clinical partners include:

JD Health
China Resources Research Institute of Science and Technology
Yidu Tech
Marathon Venture Partners
SG Diagnostics

Exploring digital health with innovative solutions

In collaboration with renowned universities and medical schools around the world, as well as clinical and industry partners and health tech investors, IDM will utilise our research strengths in engineering, data science and life science to develop innovative technologies to support doctors and explore digital health solutions for the long-term benefit of patients.

The establishment of the IDM and MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, HKSAR Government, Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman of CityUHK, and Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK.

“The CityUHK Institute of Digital Medicine aligns seamlessly with the government's strategic direction of developing Hong Kong as an international life and health technology centre, and it solidifies CityUHK’s commitment to innovating digital health solutions for the future of healthcare,” said Mr Huang.

International partnerships

With digital medicine at the forefront of technological development, Mr Huang said he was glad CityUHK’s IDM had support from medical schools at prestigious universities, research institutions, leading enterprises in the field of digital medicine and venture capital firms.

“Joining hands, we will drive synergistic effects in research and development, technology transfer, accelerating the translation of cutting-edge technologies into practical solutions that benefit society,” he added.

The future of healthcare

CityUHK is committed to promoting inspirational, interactive and innovative education, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence in research, and developing creative solutions to address global issues through groundbreaking research, said President Boey.

“In this era of rapid technological advancements, the fields of medicine and digital innovation have become increasingly intertwined,” he said, adding that CityUHK believed digital medicine complemented traditional approaches and offered cost-efficient and sustainable solutions.

The long-term aims of the CityUHK IDM are to advance research into integrating life and health technologies, data science, and artificial intelligence with medical science and public health. By leveraging CityUHK’s strengths in engineering, data science and life science, IDM will empower doctors with advanced technologies and explore the long-term benefits of digital health solutions for patients, further solidifying its commitment to the future of healthcare.

“In this our 30th anniversary year, we look forward to identifying opportunities for collaborative research and development, as well as the transformation and commercialisation of cutting-edge technology in life sciences, such as cell and gene therapy, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, advanced therapies and clinical trials, ensuring that our innovations generate positive societal impacts,” President Boey continued.

CityUHK signed MoUs with IDM’s academic and research partners. (First row from left) Professor Cui Zhanfeng, Founding Director of OSCAR and the Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Oxford, Professor Qian Feng, Dean of School of Pharmaceutical Science of Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, President Boey, Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and Professor Liu Shuwen, Vice President and Professor, Southern Medical University. The ceremony is witnessed by (second row from left) Mr Huang and Professor Sun.

CityUHK signed MoUs with IDM’s industry and clinical partners. (First row from left) Mr He Zhi, Partner of YD Capital, Mr Zhi Zhe, Executive Vice Dean of China Resources Research Institute of Science and Technology, Professor Michael Yang, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, Mr Jet Li, Cross-border Business Director from the BD Department of JD Health, Mr Yang, Partners of Marathon Venture Partners, and Ms Kate Qi, CEO of SG Diagnostics. The ceremony is witnessed by (second row from left) Mr Huang, Professor Sun and President Boey.

Commitment to innovation

In line with our steadfast dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, the HK Tech 300 programme has already supported over 140 start-ups through Angel Fund investment, with around 20% of them focusing on biotech and health.

In addition, the newly launched CityUHK Academy of Innovation nurtures tech innopreneurship talents and deep tech start-ups.

“Our IDM symbolises our devotion to pushing the boundaries of medicine and technology and harnessing the power of technology for the betterment of healthcare. It embodies our commitment to developing partnerships with world-leading institutions,” President Boey added.

For details about the academic and research partners, and the industry and clinical partners, please click here.