City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and National Facility for Translational Medicine (Shanghai) established the “National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai) Greater Bay Area Branch Center” (the “GBA Branch Center”) with a plaque unveiling ceremony held on 16 July. The Center aims to extend the national facility’s technologies and industrial resources to the GBA, promoting the real-world application of digital medicine across the region, while advancing the research, talent incubation, and the industrialisation of healthcare innovations in both Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Witnessed by Ms Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Professor Chun-sing Lee, CityUHK Acting President; Professor Ruan Yongbin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Ms Lu Wen, Vice-President of Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment Co.,Ltd.; the ceremony was officiated by Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise), and Professor Fan Chunhai, Executive Director of the Institute of Translational Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The plaque unveiling ceremony on 16 July was witnessed by Ms Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (1st from right); Professor Chun-sing Lee,CityUHK Acting President (2nd from right); Professor Ruan Yongbin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2nd from left); Ms Lu Wen, Vice-President of Shanghai State owned Capital Investment Co.Ltd. (1st from left); the ceremony was officiated by Professor Fan Chunhai, Executive Director of the Institute of Translational Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (3rd from left), and Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) (3rd from right).Credit: City University of Hong Kong
The National Facility for Translational Medicine (Shanghai), one of the five key national facilities for Translational Medicine, is hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The facility focuses on translational research in oncology, metabolic, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It also supports efficacy validation for drugs, diagnostics reagents and biomaterials, as well as the application of innovative technologies in advanced medical devices.
The GBA Branch Center will bring the national facility’s technologies, resources and expertise to the Greater Bay Area, supporting R&D, clinical validation, and industry translation. It will accelerate the development of innovative drugs, novel therapies and advanced medical devices. Leveraging CityUHK’s strengths, HK Tech 300’s global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and Hong Kong’s international connectivity, together with the Chinese Mainland’s industrial and clinical resources, the Center will further strengthen the GBA’s role as a leading global hub for life and health technology.
Professor Fan noted that both SJTU and CityUHK possess unique strengths in translational medicine. “SJTU's extensive clinical resources provide strong support for translational research at the interface of medicine and engineering. The establishment of the GBA Branch Center will integrate the clinical resources of both cities, connect the innovation ecosystems of the Yangtze River Delta and the GBA, and further advance the national innovation-driven development strategy,” he said.
Professor Yang said that since the establishment of the IDM in 2024, CityUHK has continued to foster cross-disciplinary, cross-industry and cross-regional collaboration in life and health technologies, while expanding its research, talent and industry networks. “CityUHK's partnership with the National Facility for Translational Medicine marks a significant milestone in aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. This collaboration will drive innovation in life and health sciences, accelerate the translation of innovative healthcare technologies into real-world applications, and contribute to the long-term well-being of society,” he added.
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) held the HK Tech 300 National Start-up Competition (National Competition) 3rd Awards Ceremony and Launch of the 4th Competition today (16 July). Ten outstanding start-ups earned top honours among over 500 entries from Hong Kong and 12 Chinese Mainland cities for their innovations in new materials, digital health, semiconductors, AI and robotics. The 4th Competition will expand its footprint, raising the total number of competition clusters nationwide from 12 to 16.
Joining the Chinese Mainland cities’ representatives to kick off the 4th National Competition are Ms Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (front, 3rd from left); Professor Wang Weiming, Director-General of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front, 2nd from left); Professor Chun-sing Lee, CityUHK Acting President (front, 2nd from right); Dr Raymond Leung, Board Chairman of CityU Enterprises Limited (front, 1st from right); Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) (front, 1st from left).(City University of Hong Kong)
In conjunction with the Ceremony, about 40 start-ups from HK Tech 300, spin-offs of RAISe+ awardees and the winners from the National Competition showcased their innovative solutions, demonstrating how CityUHK’s world-class R&D translates into real-world applications. Strategic Partners and co-investors from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas attended the Ceremony and engaged with the start-ups during the event.
Ms Lilian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (2nd from right), and Professor Wang Weiming, Director-General of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (2nd from left) visits the start-ups’ exhibition during the event.(City University of Hong Kong)
The winning start-ups in this year’s National Competition will receive extensive support from the HK Tech 300 ecosystem, including professional training, business networking and investment matching, as well as up to HK$1 million in angel funding. The Gold Award went to Shenzhen CardioACC Ltd., which focuses on the research and development of cardiovascular interventional imaging system and advanced diagnostic technologies. The judges also unveiled the awards of Silver, Bronze, “Technology Innovation” and “Best Social Impact” (see the winners’ list below).
Presiding over the ceremony was Ms Lilian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Professor Wang Weiming, Director-General of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Professor Chun-sing Lee, Acting President of CityUHK; and Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK. Guests from 16 Chinese Mainland cities joined the ceremony, including Mr Tong Laisheng, Deputy Mayor of the Changsha Municipal People's Government, and representatives from governments and partner organisations.
At the awards ceremony are Ms Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (front, 3rd from left); Professor Wang Weiming, Director-General of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front, 2nd from left); Professor Chun-sing Lee, CityUHK Acting President (front, 3rd from right); Dr Raymond Leung, Board Chairman of CityU Enterprises Limited (front, 2nd from right); Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) (front, 1st from left); Professor Johnny Ho, CityUHK Associate Vice-President (Enterprise) (front, 1st from right); along with distinguished guests and representatives from the winning start-ups. (City University of Hong Kong)
In her speech, Ms Cheong said that the National Competition inspires innovative ideas and promotes collaborations and exchanges across regions, injecting momentum into the I&T ecosystem. She stated, “Driving I&T development cannot rely on the effort of a single party; the Government, industry, academia, research, and investment sectors must work together. CityUHK and HK Tech 300 play an important bridging role in this regard, strengthening the linkage among interdisciplinary, cross‑sector, and cross‑boundary collaborations, and have fostered many promising start-ups. In the future, we will continue to rally forces from all sides, providing resources, platforms, and opportunities for young entrepreneurs, supporting them in turning innovative ideas into solutions with market value and social benefits, further advancing the overall I&T development of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area, and consolidating Hong Kong’s strategic position as an international I&T hub and a high‑end talent hub.”
Ms Lilian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry. (City University of Hong Kong)
In his welcome remarks, Professor Lee stated that the National Competition served as a two-way springboard, attracting extensive capital, resources and networks for start-ups to shine. “CityUHK, recognised as one of the most international universities in the world, is dedicated to promoting knowledge transformation and incubating deep-tech talent and start-ups to connect with global markets, in alignment with the National 15th Five-Year Plan,” he said. “With the unwavering support from our Motherland and strong ties to the international stage, we will continue to strengthen Hong Kong’s role as an international I&T hub, and reinforce the “Study in Hong Kong” brand to attract and retain talent.”
Professor Chun-sing Lee, CityUHK Acting President. (City University of Hong Kong)
In his vote of thanks, Professor Yang extended his gratitude to all partners and supporting organisations of HK Tech 300. “Through strong collaboration among government, industry, academia, research and investors, our robust HK Tech 300 ecosystem will continue to thrive and grow, further transforming the University’s intellectual property into innovative solutions with real-world impact,” he said. As the Chairman of the HK Tech 300 Executive Committee, Professor Yang conveyed his congratulations to all the winning start-ups and welcomed them into the ecosystem.
Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise). (City University of Hong Kong)
Since its launch in 2022, the National Competition has received an enthusiastic response, attracting hundreds of high-calibre start-ups each year. The 3rd Competition covered 12 clusters across the Chinese Mainland: Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Changsha, Suzhou, Dongguan and Wuxi. The 4th edition will expand to include Guangzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen and Changzhou. The competition is also open to start-ups from Hong Kong.
Mr Tong Laisheng, Deputy Mayor of the Changsha Municipal People's Government. (City University of Hong Kong)
During today’s event, CityUHK also co-hosted an Appreciation Ceremony to welcome 11 new co-investment partners to the HK Tech 300 programme. The programme has established a robust network of over 110 strategic partners and supporting organisations, including co-investment partnerships with 23 venture capital funds in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Since its launch in 2021, HK Tech 300 has incubated more than 1,000 start-ups, over 220 of which have been awarded angel funding of up to HK$1 million each.
As a continuation of the National Competition, a seminar titled “Empowering Mainland Innovative and Tech Enterprises to Go Global with Hong Kong as Launchpad” was co-organised with Deloitte China on the day following the ceremony. The seminar aimed to help innovation and technology enterprises understand Hong Kong’s capital markets and listing requirements, thereby supporting their international expansion and fostering a thriving and robust ecosystem.
The 10 Winning Start-Ups:
Gold Award: Shenzhen CardioACC Ltd.
Silver Award: Inspro Science Limited
Bronze Award & Technology Innovation Award:
Shaanxi Gexin Guowei Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.
Best Social Impact Award:
Sharpsight LimitedA Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Other winning start-ups (in alphabetical order):
Beijing Junqing Zhouyuan Technology Co., Ltd.
Centaurs Technologies Co., Ltd.
ComNergy Tech Limited
Cre8Dream Catalytic Technology (Dongguan) Co., Ltd.
Shenzhen Wanwu Sensing Technology Co., Ltd.
Wheeled-Legged Robots and Robotic Power Modules
Visit here to learn more about the winning start-ups’ innovative solutions.
