HONG KONG, Oct 31, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a global ageing trend have significantly increased the demand for healthcare products and services. The inaugural International Healthcare Week, driven by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will run from 1 to 15 November 2022, helping to promote innovation, investment and exchange by fully utilising Hong Kong's strategic role as an innovation and investment hub for Asia's healthcare industry. The two flagship events of International Healthcare Week are the second Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the HKTDC, and the 13th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair organised by the HKTDC.

Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "Since the pandemic, healthcare and the life sciences have become a global focus. From our work in promoting technology and medical devices over the years, we see that Hong Kong has considerable strengths in both the upstream and downstream elements of the healthcare, medical and life sciences ecosystem that can support the city in developing into a leading global healthcare and life sciences hub. In launching the first-ever International Healthcare Week this year, the HKTDC is inviting policymakers, healthcare experts, leaders in scientific discovery as well as business and financial leaders from around the world to share the latest industry knowledge and build business networks, and in the process cementing Hong Kong's position at the forefront of Asia's rapidly expanding healthcare industry."

Building a sustainable post-pandemic future

The second Asia Summit on Global Health will take place on 10 and 11 November. Activities on the first day will be held physically at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) with a live online broadcast, while the second day will be entirely virtual. Under the theme "Charting a New Course in Healthcare through Collaboration", the summit will feature more than 80 speakers including healthcare officials and organisations from around the world, international science and medical experts, investors, key industry players, business leaders, financial specialists and professional service providers. They are gathering to share their experience on the latest developments in public health, medical technology, international business collaboration and investment, and to explore future opportunities in the medical and healthcare industry.

In the opening session, John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, will deliver the opening remarks, while Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, World Health Organization Deputy Director-General, will address the summit as a guest speaker. Prof Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health, and Prof Dong Sun, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR, will also share their insights on how we can formulate more sustainable future policies on public healthcare and health innovation.

Explore China's healthcare opportunities in the GBA

In the plenary session, "Charting a New Course in Healthcare through Collaboration", the speakers will discuss the role of Asia in the global development of the healthcare industry, as well as how stakeholders around the world can collaborate in preparation to address future challenges in terms of public health, the economy and environmental protection. In view of the rapidly increasing demand for high-quality healthcare and private hospital services, the panel discussion titled "The Next Development in China's Healthcare Sector" will see industry players gather to examine the latest trends and strategies in relation to healthcare investment and explore how to grasp investment opportunities in this rapidly growing market.

The importance of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a hub for advanced manufacturing, services, technology and innovation will be addressed in two sessions, namely "How Innovation in the GBA Reshapes Global Healthcare" and "Hong Kong as a Fundraising Hub for Global Biotechnology and Healthcare". Guest speakers including Thomas Herget, Head of Merck China Innovation Hub; Nicolas Aguzin, HKEX Chief Executive Officer; and Benjamin Xiaoyi Li, Chairman of the Board, Executive Director and CEO of Zhaoke Ophthalmology Limited, will share on the importance of the GBA in reshaping global healthcare in the future, as well as the role of Hong Kong in helping the GBA to become a world-class health technology hub and mobilising capital for health research and innovation.

The two-day summit will also feature Fireside Chats and Thematic Sessions, covering topics such as the development of China's healthcare sector, opportunities in the GBA and Asian markets under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the outlook for the biotech and genomics sectors, business opportunities in healthcare robotics, the application and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, environmental, social and governance (ESG) development in the healthcare industry, health equity and mental health.

Effective and professional platform to facilitate buying and selling of medical products

The 13th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair opens in November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), running in a hybrid format under the HKTDC's new EXHIBITION+ model. The physical fair runs from 9 to 11 November, while exhibitors and buyers can also connect through the smart business-matching platform Click2Match from 9 to 18 November.

This year's fair, themed "Decoding MedTech Trends", has attracted more than 300 exhibitors from Hong Kong and different countries and regions, including companies from Canada, Mainland China, Korea and Taiwan, that will join under the physical and online format. Highlighted zones include Biotechnology, Hospital Equipment, Rehabilitation and Elderly Care, World of Health and Wellness, along with the Hong Kong Medical and Healthcare Device Industries Association (HKMHDIA) pavilion's exhibition area and the Startup Zone. The zones will feature a range of the latest medical technologies and equipment, healthcare and beauty products, healthcare solutions and related services. The fair will provide the opportunity for industry professionals to get a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends in the medical industry as well as enabling them to source the latest products and services.

Latest technologies and medical innovations on show

The fair will showcase multiple innovative medical and health-related products, including the Pocket Smartphone Ophthalmoscope, which is an ophthalmoscope that can be mounted over a smartphone camera, making it possible for caregivers to take fundus images of care recipients. The digital images are then sent direct to an ophthalmologist for diagnosis, making it quicker to detect eye-related problems and increasing the availability of early eye disease screening. The Implant Simulator, on the other hand, predicts the probability of different orthopaedic implant designs resulting in bone cracking. The system provides fast and accurate outcomes and has been used by five of the world's top 10 implant manufacturers. Another solution on show is AccuPos-Patient Tracking, a system that offers dashboard reports to caregivers in hospitals and elderly care centres for monitoring care recipients' locations in real time. Other featured products include 3D Anatomy Educational Software, the Robotic Flexible Endoscopic System, the Portable Digital Blood Pressure Monitor and many more. Six universities in Hong Kong, including the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Education University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Lingnan University, will also participate in the physical exhibition to showcase their achievements in innovation and technology for the healthcare industry.

Twenty-two start-up enterprises will showcase their innovation and technology achievements at the show to capture new business opportunities. Various medical technology solutions will be on display, such as an advanced platform by HerBChain that uses blockchain technology to document supply chain data - from growing herbs to marketing herbal products - with the aim of improving the quality of herbs. Another innovation featured at the fair is the CTC100 Cell Sorting Platform that enables the isolation of circulating rare cells from blood to promote the early screening and treatment of cancer along with continuous monitoring for the benefit of patients.

Industry professionals share insights at HKMHDIA MedTech Forum

Organised by the HKMHDIA in strategic partnership with the HKTDC, the HKMHDIA MedTech Forum 2022 will be held on the first day of the fair (9 November) at the HKCEC, accompanied by an online simulcast. Under the theme "MedTech Opportunities in the GBA", the forum has invited representatives from the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province as well as industry experts from BGI Health (HK), HUAWEI Mobile Cloud, Johnson & Johnson, Konica Minolta, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and UMP Healthcare Holdings, among others. They will discuss topics of key interest to the medical industry including medical technology market opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the regulatory framework for medical devices, and innovative medical technologies. On 10 and 11 November, seminars and workshops on topics such as atrial fibrillation, medtech and applications of artificial intelligence will be staged by the Hong Kong Doctors Union, the Hong Kong Federation of Senior Citizen Industries and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks.

Deal Flow Matchmaking, showcasing new medical and health innovations

During the two highlight events, a series of deal sourcing and matchmaking sessions will be held to help enterprises, start-ups, investors and buyers build connections and expand their businesses. The first day of the summit will feature Deal Flow Matchmaking which connects project owners with potential investors and business partners worldwide. The projects will cover the life sciences, medical devices and medications, AI and digital health, community health and more. The InnoHealth Showcase and exhibition area will be available on the first day of the event, featuring more than 180 healthcare start-ups and connecting them with potential investors or partners to explore new business opportunities.

This year, the summit will feature six major local universities - The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, City University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Hong Kong Polytechnic University - to showcase their start-ups and inventions on-site, with organisations such as the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), Cyberport, and NAMI acting as Health Innovation Partners. The ITC is featuring 17 healthcare-related research and development (R&D) centres under its InnoHK initiative to demonstrate Hong Kong's strength as a global innovation powerhouse. Project pitching and various other activities will be held physically and virtually to highlight next-generation start-ups and projects in order to connect them with potential investors and partners worldwide.

In addition, biotechnology and healthcare start-ups can take advantage of the Business of Healthcare Advisory Zone on-site or online on the first day of the summit. Investors and industry experts will be at hand to provide a full range of professional consulting services, including fundraising, R&D cooperation, intellectual property licensing arrangements, market access and distribution models, as well as incubation services to help start-ups formulate business strategies.

EXHIBITION+ helps exhibitors find business partners and expand opportunities

The Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair will run under the new EXHIBITION+ model. It comprises four key exhibition elements, including the HKTDC-organised physical fair, the smart business-matching platform Click2Match, online-to-offline seminars under the Intelligence Hub, and the hktdc.com Sourcing platform, extending face-to-face interactions from physical exhibitions to an online smart business-matching platform to help enterprises connect with business partners proactively.

In addition to the two highlight events, the first International Healthcare Week will also feature other related events including the Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit 2022, the Hong Kong Urological Association 27th Annual Scientific Meeting and the Hong Kong International Optometric Symposium.

Websites
- International Healthcare Week: https://internationalhealthcareweek.hktdc.com/en
- Asia Summit On Global Health: https://www.asiasummitglobalhealth.com/conference/asgh/en
- Programme: https://www.asiasummitglobalhealth.com/conference/asgh/en/programme
- Speakers: https://www.asiasummitglobalhealth.com/conference/asgh/en/speaker
- Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkmedicalfair/en
- Interesting Product List: https://bit.ly/3DOhppL
- Activity Schedule: https://bit.ly/3DehRvF
- Industry facts and figures supplementary sheet: https://bit.ly/3WhQF83
- Photo download: https://bit.ly/3fjoDZ8

Members of the media interested in interviewing ASGH speakers can send an email to janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org or ayiu@yuantung.com.hk on or before 8 November.

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Media Enquiries

For enquiries please contact:

Asia Summit on Global Health
Yuan Tung Financial Relations:
Agnes Yiu, Tel: +852 3428 5690, Email: ayiu@yuantung.com.hk
Fung Wong, Tel: +852 3428 3122, Email: hfwong@yuantung.com.hk

HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department
Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
Sam Ho, Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org

Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair
HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Frankie Leung, Tel: +852 2584 4298, Email: frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.org

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