“There is nowhere better than Hong Kong, as a major international hub for financing and innovation, to explore areas of global collaboration in the health arena, and to showcase related business opportunities for investors and project owners.”
This was the message delivered by Hong Kong Trade Development Council Chairman Prof Frederick Ma on 11 May at the opening of this year’s Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), held alongside the Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair (Medical Fair). Together, these events formed cornerstone programmes of Hong Kong’s annual International Healthcare Week.
Over the following days, some 3,000 conference participants and 13,000 trade buyers experienced the strength of Prof Ma’s assertion firsthand. Leveraging, Hong Kong’s unrivalled event platform, they exchanged the latest industry intelligence, forged partnerships and engaged in hundreds of meetings throughout the three-day schedule.
Now in its sixth edition and organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), ASGH has emerged as a leading forum advancing the health agenda across Asia.
Over 90 international officials, CEOs, investors and scientists, including 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Prof Michael Levitt, took to the stage to share insights on the latest topics gripping the industry. These ranged from pandemic preparedness and the commercialisation of research to emerging opportunities in the Chinese Mainland’s healthcare sector, as well as the challenges arising from population ageing.
Two sessions focusing on AI applications in healthcare highlighted the technology’s transformative potential to reshape healthcare systems. Natasha Chhatrapati from Pfizer noted: “AI is compressing timelines across the entire healthcare journey, from drug development and clinical research to how we engage with physicians and how patients consume care.”
Matching healthcare innovators with investors
Beyond thought leadership, the conference helped participants find partners and explore business opportunities. More than 400 business and investment matching meetings were arranged bringing together enterprises from Europe, the US, Asia and the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to explore opportunities in investment, technology deployment and market expansion.
15 British healthcare companies exhibited in the UK Pavilion. Delegation organiser Colin Tan, Director of Operations at TusPark Holdings, said his company was developing a significant partnership in cancer research between a leading UK organisation and a Hong Kong counterpart.
In the exhibition zone, 180 healthcare innovation companies from 12 countries and regions presented cutting‑edge solutions across biotechnology, digital health and medical technologies.
Second-time exhibitor Dr Iman Manavitehrani, Founder and Director of SDIP Innovations from Australia, revealed that he had received an IGNITE grant from the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) following last year’s visit. He added that Hong Kong serves as an ideal gateway for furthering collaboration and partnership in the GBA and Chinese Mainland.
Many start-ups participated in live pitching sessions on the conference floor, including Prof Leung Kam-tong, Founder and CEO of local healthcare start-up Homing Pharmaceuticals. He related that he had met investors and potential research collaborators from Australia and Singapore.
A new feature this year was the GoGlobal Connect zone designed to assist mainland healthcare enterprises connect with service providers and develop “go global” strategies. Xiang Jun, Chairman of Beijing-based 365 Intelligence, said that the event helped deepen the company’s understanding of Hong Kong’s professional sector, adding that it plans to use Hong Kong’s data resources to establish research operations in the city.
Medical fair drives deals and partnerships
Organised by the HKTDC with the Hong Kong MedTech Association, the Medical Fair featured some 300 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions showcasing products across categories including hospital equipment, digital solutions, diagnostic tools, laboratory technologies, healthcare services and medical supplies.
AI technologies and solutions drew strong interest from buyers. Wong Cheung Hang of Health Care & Co, a local medical and rehabilitation equipment company, said buyers had showed particular interest in his AI management systems, AI-assisted robots and various smart healthcare applications. He added that the market outlook is promising and expects the fair to drive at least 20% business growth compared with previous edition.
Meanwhile, many exhibitors reported strong sales generated by regional buyers. Hong Kong company Dresio reported signing a HK$1 million MoU with a buyer from the Philippines. Curtis Wong, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Research and Development, said the exhibition’s footfall, business connections and partnership discussions had all exceeded previous fairs.
Over 50 themed forums and seminars were held during the fair and are available for replay on the event website, while the online business matching tool Click2Match will remain available until 20 May.