HYAB JC Y Cube officially opens
Supported by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and operated by the Y.Elites Foundation Company Limited, the HYAB JC Y Cube, a new interactive space for young people, officially opened today (April 17). Located on the fourth floor of Youth Square in Chai Wan, this new interactive space supports Hong Kong youth in exploring development in fields such as innovation and technology, arts and culture, media production, and sports.
The thematic opening event, echoing "Good Stories of Hong Kong Youth", was officiated by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li; Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Philip Lo; the Chairman of New World Facilities Management Company Limited,Dr Elvis Luk; and the Chairman of the Y.Elites Foundation Company Limited, Mr Jaime Sze. Representatives from various youth organisations also attended the event.
In her speech, Miss Mak said that the Y Cube is one of the initiatives announced in the Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address to strengthen support for unleashing the potential of young people. The initiative is supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, which has contributed $150 million in funding to convert part of Youth Square into a new interactive space for young people to gather for exchanges, develop their personal potential, and participate in various activities.
Miss Mak said that suggestions from the young people were extensively incorporated during the design process of the project, fully embodying the "youth-oriented" philosophy. She also encouraged young people to make good use of the professional video production training under the Good Stories of Hong Kong Youth Programme to promote good stories of Hong Kong youth.
During the event, youth representatives from various sectors shared several good stories of Hong Kong youth. Accompanied by representative of the operator and Chairman of the Y.Elites Association, Mr Jason Wong, the guests also toured the facilities of the Y Cube.
The Y Cube offers a wide range of facilities for youth, including a cosy area, a makerspace, a cooking studio, a reading corner, and a video studio. These facilities allow young people to explore their interests and career paths, enhance their comprehensive abilities, and broaden their horizons. The second phase of the renovation project will take place on the first-floor platform of Youth Square and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
HYAB JC Y Cube officially opens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HYAB JC Y Cube officially opens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HYAB JC Y Cube officially opens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (April 17) hosted the "Advanced Therapy Products Opportunities in Hong Kong and Beyond" forum, gathering over 170 leading scientists, industry leaders, and regulatory authorities from around the world. The event served as a definitive platform to showcase Hong Kong's ascending status as a world-class hub for biomedical commercialisation, specifically within the revolutionary fields of cell and gene therapy (CGT).
Delivering her welcome remarks, the Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "The Government is pressing ahead with the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and the implementation of 'primary evaluation' for new drug registration - a move that will shorten time-to-market for innovative drugs and devices. InvestHK, as the investment promotion agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stands ready to provide bespoke, end-to-end support for global pioneers looking to scale their operations across Asia from this strategic base."
In his keynote speech, the Assistant Director of Health (Preparatory Office for Centre for Medical Products Regulation), Mr Lot Chan, said, "We are actively propelling the modernisation of our regulatory framework, with the '1+' mechanism now successfully extended to encompass advanced therapy products. This allows manufacturers to apply for registration by submitting a single reference regulatory authority certificate, bolstered by local clinical data. As we are setting up the Centre for Medical Products Regulation this year and moving towards the 'primary evaluation' system, Hong Kong will be assessing innovative medical products independently. Coupled with our alignment with PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme) GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, our reforms provide a robust springboard for enterprises to go global."
The forum also underscored the power of data-driven medicine and cross-boundary synergy. The Director of the Real-World Study and Application Centre at the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute, Professor Cheung Ching-Lung, noted, "Hong Kong possesses over 30 years of high-quality longitudinal medical data, providing a foundation for conducting international-standard real-world studies. Through the special measure of using Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in the Greater Bay Area, enterprises can accumulate data within authentic clinical settings. This provides essential support for pharmaceutical and medical device evaluation. We will continue to leverage the advantages of Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaboration to build a globally competitive clinical trial ecosystem."
Industry leaders shared tangible success stories illustrating the practical advantages of the Hong Kong platform. The Chief Business Officer of Eureka Bio, Mr Roy Liu, said, "As a key enterprise within the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, Eureka Bio has experienced first-hand the strategic benefits of the 'one zone, two parks' layout. Maintaining dual operations in both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen parks greatly facilitates the cross-boundary movement of researchers and the processing of biological samples. Supported by the zone's preferential tax policies and talent schemes, we are able to attract top-tier global experts more effectively, positioning Hong Kong as our central hub for CGT research and development (R&D) and international business expansion."
The impact of recent regulatory milestones was further echoed by the Chief Medical Officer of IASO Biotherapeutics, Dr Chen Jie, who remarked, "Our self-developed CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T) product, Fucaso, was officially approved by the Hong Kong Department of Health in November last year, marking a significant milestone following the implementation of the '1+' mechanism. Under this framework, we were able to complete the registration by submitting a single marketing authorisation from a reference country supplemented by local clinical data. This demonstrates that Hong Kong's regulatory system effectively upholds quality while significantly accelerating the accessibility of innovative therapies for the benefit of patients."
Multinational perspectives also affirmed the city's appeal as a talent magnet. The Vice President and Head of Cell Therapy Therapeutic Area, R&D China at AstraZeneca, Dr Effie Liu, commented, "Hong Kongs world-leading R&D capabilities and its regulatory environment, which is seamlessly integrated with global standards, are immensely attractive to multinational pharmaceutical firms. Importantly, the close collaboration between Hong Kong's research teams and the highly active CGT ecosystem on the Chinese Mainland creates a dynamic and effective innovation engine. We look forward to collaborating with Hong Kong's exceptional research teams through this platform to drive the development and clinical trials of more advanced therapies, working together to address global medical challenges."
The forum concluded with thematic panels focusing on homegrown CAR-T treatment breakthroughs, market access strategies through real-world studies, and the maturation of local Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation capabilities. These discussions proved that Hong Kong possesses the requisite infrastructure to turn scientific blueprints into globally recognised cures.
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Invest Hong Kong hosts advanced therapy products forum to champion biomedical innovation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
