Hong Kong Hosts Business Forum in Philadelphia to Boost Life Sciences Collaboration and Innovation Opportunities

New York ETO promotes Hong Kong's life sciences and health innovation in Philadelphia

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception on March 12 (Philadelphia time) in Philadelphia, one of the most significant life science clusters in the United States, to promote Hong Kong's expanding role as a global hub for health and life sciences innovation and to explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration. Over 130 business leaders, investors, and innovators from across Greater Philadelphia gathered to learn more about Hong Kong's role as an international life and health science hub.

As part of the Economic and Trade Express initiative, the business forum was co-organised by the New York ETO, Invest Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), strengthening efforts in trade and investment promotion, and reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder".

In her welcome remarks, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted Hong Kong's remarkable progress in life sciences and healthcare, emphasising the latest measures to propel Hong Kong's life sciences and health technology ecosystem through a multipronged approach.

She elaborated on Hong Kong's integrated development plan, including reforming the evaluation regime for drugs and medical devices, promoting the use of real-world data to facilitate clinical research, setting up dedicated institutes and academies for research and clinical trials at the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in the Northern Metropolis, as well as dedicated efforts in attracting strategic enterprises, with a view to further strengthening Hong Kong's position as a leading health and innovation node.

Ms Ho added that Hong Kong's well-established financial ecosystem continues to play a pivotal role in supporting this growth. "Hong Kong ranks as the world's second-largest biotech fundraising hub, supporting a diverse range of innovative companies," she said.

The business forum featured two keynote presentations connecting life sciences and health innovation between Philadelphia and Hong Kong. In her keynote presentation, the Head of Business and Talent Attraction/Investment Promotion of the Invest Hong Kong in New York, Ms Yi Xie, highlighted Hong Kong as a launchpad for life sciences, showcasing its well- developed research and development infrastructure, robust intellectual property protection, and strategic gateway to the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and Asia-Pacific markets. Meanwhile, the Director (New York & Midwest) of the HKTDC, Mr Curtis Louie, shared the range of support the HKTDC provides to Philadelphia companies, including matchmaking services for companies, and encouraged delegation participation in the upcoming Asia Summit on Global Health.

The presentations were then followed by a panel discussion moderated by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Science History Institute, Dr David Cole, featuring the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the ConSynance Therapeutics, Dr Liu Shuang; the Head of Global Business Development of the Jecho Laboratories, Dr Sarah Johnson; and the Director, Deal Advisory, US-China Corridor of KPMG, Mr Jon Hung. The speakers discussed collaboration, fundraising, clinical development, and market expansion in Asia.

On the same evening, Ms Ho hosted a spring reception for guests from the city's political, business, financial, and academic communities.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum to promote Hong Kong’s life sciences and health innovation in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Photo shows Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho (second right) with Head of Business and Talent Attraction/Invest Promotion of Invest Hong Kong in New York, Ms Yi Xie (first left); Head of Global Business Development of Jecho Laboratories, Dr Sarah Johnson (second left); Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ConSynance Therapeutics, Dr Shuang Liu (third left); President and Chief Executive Officer of the Science History Institute, Dr David Cole (fourth left); Director of Deal Advisory (US-China Corridor) at KPMG Mr Jon Hung (third right); and Director (New York & Midwest) of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Curtis Louie (first right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). The panel discussion at the business forum explored opportunities for collaboration, fundraising, clinical development, and market expansion in Asia. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). In her welcome remarks at the business forum, Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted Hong Kong’s remarkable progress in life sciences and healthcare, emphasising the latest measures to propel Hong Kong’s life sciences and health technology ecosystem through a multi-pronged approach. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Photo shows talented New York-based young musicians from Hong Kong performing at the reception. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Photo shows the Director of New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho (second right), with guests at the reception. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Guests from Philadelphia’s political, business, finance, and academic communities attended the event, and enjoyed the lion dance performance. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Photo shows the Director of New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, delivering the welcome remarks at the spring reception. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception in Philadelphia on March 12 (Philadelphia time). Photo shows the Director of New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho (sixth left), with guests at the spring reception. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 held in Beijing today (October 17) to have in-depth discussions and exchanges with senior health officials from around the world, as well as experts and academics in the traditional medicine field on issues related to traditional medicine, including legislation, policy and regulation, scientific research, talent cultivation, empowerment of artificial intelligence, as well as promotion of integration of traditional medicine into healthcare service systems.

The conference is jointly organised by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the National Health Commission (NHC), the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in collaboration with the World Health Organization. At the opening ceremony, Professor Lo listened to Premier Li Qiang's keynote speech. Speaking at the panel discussions of the traditional medicine government forum, Professor Lo shared with attendees the strategic direction for integrating Chinese medicine (CM) into the healthcare system in Hong Kong.

Professor Lo said, "CM is a treasure of Chinese civilisation. The National 15th Five-Year Plan emphasises the promotion of CM heritage and innovation. It also explicitly calls for improving the CM service system, enhancing primary care-level CM services, and developing integrated Chinese-Western medicine services. To fully align with the country’s vision, the Chief Executive expressly pointed out in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) (Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan) and the 2026 Policy Address announced last month that Hong Kong will promote comprehensive, high-quality, and high-standard development of CM, thereby ensuring Hong Kong seamlessly aligns with the national development strategy of building a 'Healthy China'.

"The HKSAR Government will step up efforts to promote the development of CM. Through the two flagship institutions, The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute, Hong Kong will strive to promote pure CM and integrated Chinese-Western medicine services as the 'Hong Kong model' in the modern healthcare system. Furthermore, by further advancing local integrated Chinese and Western medicine services and CM talent cultivation, fostering international research collaboration in herb-drug interaction, and establishing rigorous quality standards for Chinese herbal medicines, Hong Kong will fully leverage our role as a bridgehead to provide a high-standard reference model for the world," he added.

During the conference, Professor Lo and his delegation met with Vice Minister of the NHC Mr Zheng Zhe, and the Commissioner of the NMPA, Mr Huang Guo, respectively to introduce to them the healthcare-related policies in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address.

Professor Lo said to Mr Zheng, "With our high-quality healthcare professionals and highly efficient healthcare system, Hong Kong boasts a number of world-leading health indicators, and is among the regions with the longest life expectancies in the world. Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan is interconnected with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. In line with the strategic initiative of accelerating the building of a 'Healthy China' of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan proposes deepening healthcare system reform, advancing the high-quality development of primary healthcare, and enhancing the resilience of Hong Kong’s healthcare services, thereby building a healthy and vibrant Hong Kong with concerted efforts."

He also said, "Building a 'Healthy China' is a major national strategy. In an important speech delivered at the recently convened National Meeting on Health, President Xi Jinping emphasised that the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a crucial moment of achieving the goal of building a 'Healthy China' by 2035. To build a balanced, inclusive, high-quality and efficient 'Healthy China', it is necessary to possess six core capabilities in health management, disease prevention and control, healthcare services, health insurance support, health and medical innovation, and talent cultivation. In active alignment with this initiative, the HKSAR Government will advance Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, upholding the principle of prevention first and a health-centred approach to deepen healthcare system reform, develop an international health and medical innovation hub, leverage the role as a 'super connector' in healthcare and build a healthy and vibrant Hong Kong with concerted efforts, hence better integrating into and serving the overall development of a 'Healthy China'."

During the meeting with Mr Huang, Professor Lo provided him with details on the latest progress of the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR), including the establishment of the CMPR by the end of this year, the appointment of Mr Li Zili as the Controller for Medical Products Regulation, and the application for accession as a member of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. The CMPR will progressively establish a robust drug approval system, aiming for the full implementation of "primary evaluation" mechanism for new drug registration by 2030, thereby becoming an internationally recognised regulatory authority for medical products.

Members of the Hong Kong delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and the Controller-designate for Medical Products Regulation, Mr Li Zili, as well as representatives of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority. The Hospital Chief Executive of CMHHK, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, also joined the delegation for the conference.

Members of the Hong Kong delegation will continue to attend the conference tomorrow (October 18). Professor Lo will participate in the high-level government forum: "Belt and Road Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Conference (Ministerial Level) Roundtable Dialogue" at the conference. A representative of the DH will also share the latest progress regarding the regulation of Chinese medicines during the parallel session of the conference. Professor Lo and his delegation will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon (October 18).

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases