70+ business leaders and medical experts gather to share ideas
17 November 2021 – Co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the inaugural Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) will take place on 24 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in a hybrid format, offering both online and in-person participation. Themed “Shaping a Resilient and Sustainable Future”, the summit features more than 70 speakers, including senior government officials from across the world overseeing health and hygiene, representatives of international organisations, medical research experts, as well as investors and business leaders. They will share their insights on the latest developments relating to public health, healthcare technology, international business collaboration and investment in order to seek a direction for the sector’s sustainable development. The summit will also feature Deal Flow Matchmaking sessions, medical and healthcare business matching, and the InnoHealth Showcase and Exhibition to encourage business exchange and collaboration among participants.
Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC
Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has made the world aware of the need to work together to promote scientific and technological innovation in the global healthcare sector in order to build a resilient and sustainable future. Meanwhile, the ever-changing demographic structure in Asia has increased the market’s demand for healthcare and technology. These developments bring countless investment opportunities for the healthcare industry. Therefore, the HKSAR and the HKTDC have joined hands to present the inaugural Asia Summit on Global Health. Under the theme “Shaping a Resilient and Sustainable Future”, the summit will gather healthcare and business leaders from across the globe to promote medical innovation, business exchange, as well as investment and collaboration, while highlighting Hong Kong’s advantages as a scientific research and business platform for the medical and healthcare industries.”
Shaping a resilient and sustainable future: opportunities and challenges
The pandemic has brought about structural adjustments to the medical and healthcare industries and the need to innovate and adapt is clear. The adjustments include the utilisation of digital platforms, drug development and unprecedented public-private collaborations to develop more resilient healthcare systems. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO), will speak at the opening session to share the latest healthcare trends in a global context, as well as opportunities and challenges in the transformation of the healthcare industry. This will be followed by a discussion chaired by Victor L L Chu, Chairman & CEO, First Eastern Investment Group (Hong Kong). Speakers including Chen Qiyu, Executive Director and Co-CEO, Fosun International Limited; Fred Hu, Chairman, Primavera Capital Group; Dr Dennis Lo, Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine and Professor of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Leon Wang, Executive Vice President, International and China President, AstraZeneca, will share their views on the medical and healthcare industries in the post-pandemic world.
Tony Mok, Co-founder, Sanomics Limited and Board of Directors for AstraZeneca, HutchMed and Sanomics
Seizing opportunities in the dual circulation economy and Greater Bay Area
The 14th Five-Year Plan emphasises the strategy of dual circulation, which has significant implications for the global investment and healthcare markets. The panel discussion titled “Healthcare in China: Deciphering the Dual Circulation Opportunities” will be chaired by Antony Leung, Group Chairman & CEO, Nan Fung Group and Group Chairman & Co-Founder, New Frontier Group. Speakers include Nicolas Aguzin, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; Cheng Cheung Ling, Vice Chairlady, Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited; Claudia Suessmuth Dyckerhoff, Board Member of Hoffmann-La Roche; Nisa Leung, Managing Partner, Qiming Venture Partners; Rocky S Tuan, Vice-Chancellor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Jerry Liao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WeDoctor. The discussion will shed light on the dual circulation strategy’s impact on the healthcare industry.
The 14th Five-Year Plan acknowledges Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub, and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has brought many opportunities for Hong Kong’s medical and healthcare industries. With their business connections with Macao and the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone in Guangdong, Hong Kong’s medical and health industries are well positioned to help create a healthy Bay Area. The panel discussion “Hong Kong as a Gateway to Greater Bay Area Opportunities” explores ways of strengthening Hong Kong’s role as a springboard for domestic and foreign medical and health industries. Alfred Sit, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR, will deliver special remarks at the session while Lee George Lam, Chairman, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, will deliver the welcome remarks. This panel will be chaired by Dr Donald Li, President, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). Speakers include Dennis Lam, Chairman & CEO, C-MER Eye Care Holdings Limited; Chung-Mau Lo, Hospital Chief Executive, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital; Leslie Lu, Executive Director and Co-CEO, EC Healthcare; Tony Mok, Co-founder, Sanomics Limited and Board of Directors for AstraZeneca, HutchMed and Sanomics; Anita Ou, Head of Corporate (Services), Commercial Banking, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (Hong Kong); and Dr Kenneth Tsang, Chief Executive Officer, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong.
Another key issue in Asia is the ageing population, which has increased the demand for medical and health services. The panel discussion “Evolving Healthcare Delivery in ASEAN”, featuring major investors and healthcare industry representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will delve into the radical changes seen in the region’s healthcare value chain, as well as opportunities for collaboration among ASEAN countries.
The Policy Dialogue session chaired by Dr Margaret Chan, Founding Dean, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University and Emeritus Director General, World Health Organization, will examine the impact of current global public health issues on future policies, and look at ways to build a more resistant, fairer and more effective long-term public health system. Speakers include Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR; Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific, World Health Organization; and Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health, Republic of Singapore. The panel discussions on “COVID-19: New Perspective in Global Public Health” and “Health Equity and Sustainable Development” will explore how countries can work together to prepare for potential medical and health challenges and to secure access to medical and health services for communities with different socioeconomic conditions.
Hong Kong’s thriving medical innovation ecosystem and its status as a financial hub, combined with Guangdong’s advanced and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities, put the city in an ideal position to becoming a world-class health technology hub and biotechnology financing centre. The session titled “Hong Kong: Funding and Commercialisation Platform for the Global Healthcare Industry” will feature regulatory agencies, investors, insurance professionals and biotechnology innovators, who will look at how Hong Kong can facilitate financing for healthcare companies across the world, as well as the city’s advantages as a base for strategic biomedical research in the region.
Alan Au, Director, HK Bio-Med Innotech Association (HKBMIA) and Founder and Managing Partner, GT Healthcare Capital Group
Exploring hot topics including healthcare technology
The ASGH panel discussions will cover a number of forward-looking topics, including “What’s Next for Healthcare Innovation and Investment” and “Digital Health and the New Growth in Healthcare”. The discussions will focus on the changes in medical and healthcare services brought by medical innovation and digital technology in the context of the “new health economy”, as well as the latest trends, developments, challenges, investment and financing opportunities arising from these changes.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic that all but crippled even the most advanced medical systems in the world, the session “How AI and Data Revolutionise the Future of Pharmaceuticals” will see scholars from the medical and innovative technology fields assess how artificial intelligence and big data can accelerate drug development and minimise risk. They will also examine upcoming trends in high-tech healthcare. The session “Medtech Reimagined from Diagnosis to Cure” will gather international leaders and innovators in the medical technology industry, who will shed light on the latest investment trends in the industry, focusing on cutting-edge medical technology, diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment, ventilators and other key medical supplies. Another session, “Resilient Public Health System for the Future”, will feature relevant experts and scholars discussing the best options for the future public medical system.
Matchmaking and exchange for global healthcare investors
The ASGH Deal Flow Matchmaking service provides a platform for global business exchange and collaboration by setting up one-to-one physical or online meetings between investors from venture capital, private equity and family offices and owners of projects in their areas of investing interest, such as medicine and healthcare as well as innovative technology.
The InnoHealth Showcase and Exhibition will encompass the latest technologies of around 100 start-ups, medical and health companies and institutions, including Aurora Tele-Oncology, CLAIRE Clinical AI Research, Codex Genetics, Gense Technologies and HK Bio-Rhythm R&D Company. Global Healthcare Investors Matchmaking and Exchange will take place both on site and online, covering industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. Biotechnology and healthcare start-ups will also be able to meet with investors and industry experts on site or virtually on the online platform of the Business of Healthcare Advisory Zone to exchange ideas and seek valuable advice. The zone will provide a full range of consulting services, including fundraising, R&D collaboration, intellectual property licensing arrangement, market access and distribution models, and incubation services.
