The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today announced the winners of the IADS Developer Hackathon at the IADS Developer Conference held at the Hong Kong Science Park. The ceremony marks the successful conclusion of a six-month innovation journey that has further unleashed the potential of the Interbank Account Data Sharing (IADS) initiative.
Ms Natalie Chan, Acting Head (Financial Market Infrastructure Services) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, delivers keynote speech at the IADS Developer Conference.
Launched in October 2025, the Hackathon brought together the banking industry and fintech firms to collaborate on innovative, secure, customer-consented solutions, leveraging the IADS to accelerate digital transformation in Hong Kong’s banking sector.
After a rigorous selection process and mentorship phase, five finalist teams presented their solutions today to a panel of judges.
Mr Eric Or, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, delivers opening remarks at the IADS Developer Conference.
Mr Nelson Chow, Executive Director (Financial Infrastructure) of the HKMA, said, “The IADS Developer Hackathon has served as a catalyst for innovation in the banking sector. It has been truly encouraging to see participating teams deliver high-quality and practical solutions that open up new opportunities for financial services. Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen collaboration with banks and fintech firms to drive the industry’s broader adoption of the IADS.”
Mr Eric Or, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of the HKSTP, said, “The IADS Developer Hackathon reflects the strong collaborative spirit within Hong Kong’s innovation community. By connecting fintech talent with real industry needs, the Hackathon has helped accelerate new ideas that can enhance banking efficiency and user experience through secure data sharing. The HKSTP is proud to provide a sandbox testing platform and technical support for this competition, and we look forward to seeing these solutions contribute to Hong Kong’s fintech development.”
Ms Natalie Chan, Acting Head (Financial Market Infrastructure Services) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (fourth from left) and Mr Eric Or, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (forth from right), take a group photo with the judges.
Details of the winning teams are set out at the annex. For more information about the IADS initiative, please visit the HKMA website.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) hosted the HKSTP Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Showcase 2026 at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, Hong Kong Science Park on July 30, with support from Invest Hong Kong. The event brought together more than 200 representatives from the healthcare, academic, investment and regulatory sectors, both locally and from overseas. A major milestone announced at the event was that HKSTP partner company Hong Kong Regen Medtech Limited (HKRM) has become the first facility in Hong Kong to be recognised by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (PPBHK) as an allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) PIC/S GMP manufacturing facility, enabling the production of advanced therapy products for clinical trials.
HKSTP hosted the HKSTP CGT Showcase 2026, bringing together local and overseas I&T enterprises, medical experts, researchers, investors and patient representatives to explore the clinical translation and broader development of cell and gene therapy. Photo source: HKSTP
Mr. Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said in his remarks: “Cell and gene therapy is one of the fastest-growing fields in life and health tech. The establishment of Hong Kong’s first stem cell production facility certified to PIC/S GMP standards at Hong Kong Science Park marks a significant milestone for the city’s life and health tech ecosystem. The significance of this certification goes far beyond technology alone. It signifies not only that production has met the highest international safety standards, but also that patients and their families can choose locally manufactured cell therapy products with confidence and complete trust. This is a tangible achievement that will enable every Hong Kong citizen to benefit directly. As the orchestrator of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem, HKSTP has been proactively connecting the life and health tech community with partners, investors and academia. Through a diverse range of incubation programmes, we provide our park companies with seed funding, innovation space, world-class infrastructure and regulatory support, helping them overcome challenges in the journey from laboratory research to clinical translation and turning scientific breakthroughs into real therapeutic outcomes for patients. We will continue to drive ecosystem development and fully support local I&T enterprises in bringing research achievements ‘Made in Hong Kong’ to the global stage.”
In his welcome remarks, HKSTP’s CEO Mr. Terry Wong said that HKSTP, as the orchestrator of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, has been actively connecting the life and health tech community with partners, investors and academia. Through a diverse range of incubation programmes, it supports park companies with seed funding, innovation space, world-class infrastructure and regulatory support, helping them advance from laboratory research to clinical translation and turn scientific breakthroughs into real therapeutic outcomes for patients. Photo source: HKSTP
One of the highlights of the event was HKRM, an HKSTP partner company, recently obtaining Hong Kong’s first PIC/S GMP licence for stem cell production and operating the related manufacturing facility at Hong Kong Science Park, marking a key step in advancing the clinical translation of advanced therapies in Hong Kong. PIC/S GMP is internationally recognised as the gold standard for pharmaceutical manufacturing quality. Facilities must undergo rigorous international assessment to ensure that every batch is produced in a strictly controlled environment.
Mr. Stanley Sy, HKRM Co-founder and CEO, said: “HKRM’s attainment of Hong Kong’s first PIC/S GMP certification for stem cell production marks not only an important milestone in the company’s development, but also signifies that Hong Kong now has the critical infrastructure needed to further support the clinical translation of advanced cell therapies. A stringent, internationally recognised manufacturing quality system helps ensure product consistency and traceability, while strengthening the confidence of medical and regulatory authorities in locally manufactured cell-based products. Based at Hong Kong Science Park, HKRM is grateful for the longstanding support of HKSTP. We also look forward to working with research and clinical partners in the Park to bring more promising therapeutic solutions from Hong Kong to the international stage.”
Mr. Stanley Sy, HKRM Co-founder and CEO, highlighted a major milestone in the development of Hong Kong’s first PIC/S GMP stem cell production facility, underscoring the city’s capabilities in high-quality advanced therapy product manufacturing and clinical translation. Photo source: HKSTP
The event also featured first-hand experiences from patients, their families and doctors on their treatment journeys. Park company Mononuclear Therapeutics (MonoTx) operates Hong Kong’s first AABB-accredited public cord blood bank and haematopoietic stem cell apheresis facility at Hong Kong Science Park, with more than 2,000 cord blood units in storage.
Dr. Wendy Cheng, Chief Operating Officer of MonoTx, introduced Hong Kong’s first AABB-accredited public cord blood bank and haematopoietic stem cell apheresis facility at Hong Kong Science Park, with more than 2,000 cord blood units in storage. Photo source: HKSTP
Dr. Wendy Cheng, Chief Operating Officer of MonoTx, joined Professor Leung Tak Yeung and Professor Ronald Wang of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to share research findings and patient cases with patient families.
Professor Tak Yeung Leung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUHK (left), together with a patient family (right), shared on stage a research approach for foetuses with severe alpha-thalassaemia, in which the mother’s stem cells are processed by MonoTx and infused into the foetus to investigate whether immune tolerance to the mother’s stem cells can be induced, with the aim of improving clinical outcomes. Photo source: HKSTP
Professor Tak Yeung Leung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUHK (left), together with a patient family (right), shared on stage a research approach for foetuses with severe alpha-thalassaemia, in which the mother’s stem cells are processed by MonoTx and infused into the foetus to investigate whether immune tolerance to the mother’s stem cells can be induced, with the aim of improving clinical outcomes. Photo source: HKSTP
Professor Leung Tak Yeung’s team at CUHK is studying a treatment for foetuses with severe alpha-thalassaemia by processing the mother’s stem cells through MonoTx and infusing them into the foetus, to investigate whether the foetus can develop immune tolerance to the mother’s stem cells and thereby improve clinical outcomes.
Professor Ronald Wang of CUHK shared his team’s work on using cord blood to treat neonatal brain injury, with preliminary findings suggesting that infusion within 48 hours of birth may help repair brain injury and improve the child’s developmental outcomes later in life. Photo source: HKSTP
Professor Ronald Wang’s team is using cord blood to treat neonatal brain injury. Preliminary findings suggest that cord blood infusion within 48 hours of birth may help repair brain injury and improve the child’s developmental outcomes later in life.
Hong Kong Science Park is home to more than 360 life sciences companies, while the number of cell and gene therapy (CGT) enterprises continues to grow, spanning frontier fields such as stem cells, gene editing, personalised cancer vaccines and CAR-T immunotherapy, and addressing diseases including cancer, heart failure and neurodegenerative disorders.
HKSTP will continue to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international health and medical innovation hub by accelerating the translation and application of more locally developed R&D outcomes for the benefit of patients, the industry and society. In doing so, it aims to make innovative therapies more accessible and enable Hong Kong to play an even greater role on the global life and health tech stage.
