HONG KONG, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Global Health Summit ("GHS 2026"), jointly hosted by New Frontier Group ("New Frontier") and the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited ("HKIC"), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for a two-day programme. Held under the theme "EXPONENTIAL: From Breakthrough Discoveries to Global Impact," the Summit convened close to 200 speakers with over 3,000 participants to explore AI technology development, frontier research, clinical translation, capital support and technology enablement, discussing how breakthrough innovation in healthcare can move from the laboratory, into the clinic, and ultimately reach every patient.
Attendees included Mr LEUNG Chun-ying, Vice Chairman National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Mr LAI Zhihong, Vice Mayor Guangzhou Municipal People's Government; Mr TAN Kiat How, Senior Minister of State Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Health, Singapore; Ms Clara CHAN, CEO of the HKIC. Clinical and academic leaders addressing the Summit included Prof. DONG Jiahong, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Chair Professor, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University; Prof. JI Jiafu, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Director, Peking University Cancer Research Center; and Prof. WONG Tien Yin, Vice Provost, Tsinghua University; Senior Vice-Chancellor, Tsinghua Medicine.
Bringing Breakthroughs to Patients
As the patient capital investment flagship wholly owned by the HKSAR Government and the co-host of the GHS 2026, the HKIC further underscored its strategic role in driving biotechnology, health technology and healthcare innovation solutions in their international expansion, as well as its strong ongoing commitment in fostering high-quality economic and social development.
Ms Clara CHAN, CEO of the HKIC, said: "Biotechnology and Health Technology have always been among the HKIC's priority sectors. This year's Global Health Summit builds on the "Rooted in Hong Kong, Connected with the Greater Bay Area" strategic partnership launched by the HKIC and New Frontier in 2025. By bringing together capital, research and healthcare communities, GHS 2026 creates an enabling environment for groundbreaking innovations to progress from scientific discovery to real-world impact. It also serves as an important platform for the HKIC to proactively reach out to companies and teams with cutting-edge technologies.
This year marks the opening year of the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The HKIC will continue to connect national innovation and technology strategies with Hong Kong's strengths as an international finance centre, as well as global innovation resources. By leveraging the catalytic and guiding role of long-term capital, the HKIC aims to support healthcare innovations that can reach patients more effectively, thereby fostering high-quality economic and social development."
As a Summit co-host, New Frontier has spent the past decade building around three pillars — Integration, Innovation and Intelligence. The Group operates 11 general and specialty hospitals, 5 cancer centres and 20 rehabilitation hospitals. Its home healthcare teams serve nearly 100,000 households every day, and it delivers 15 million patient visits a year through 3,000 physicians from more than 30 countries. Its self-developed "New Frontier AI" suite has achieved a 90% clinical adoption rate, saving clinicians up to two hours a day, and has generated more than RMB 200 million in payer savings.
Mr Carl WU, Co-founder and CEO of New Frontier Group, said: "This Summit has brought together 150 speakers, thousands of on-site participants, and many more joining online — uniting the very best minds in medicine, science, technology, investment and policy to discuss the most pressing issues in global healthcare. Over the past decade, we have come to understand deeply that healthcare is never a race that can be won alone. It requires genuine collaboration across clinical practice, research, policy and industry. That is the very reason we hold this Summit — so that innovation and frontier therapies can, through international connectivity, reach the patients who need them faster."
Technology Powering the Shift: From Platforms to Compute, AI Reshapes Healthcare
AI in healthcare was a central theme of this year's Summit. Guests from clinical institutions, research universities and technology companies discussed AI applications across drug discovery, medical imaging, clinical decision-making, hospital operations and patient services. Participants examined — from the perspectives of platform ecosystems, compute infrastructure, data and use cases — how medical AI can move from technical capability toward trustworthy, accessible and sustainable clinical use. Discussions also addressed how to safeguard care quality, data security and fully respect clinicians' professional judgment while boosting diagnosis and treatment efficiency.
Mr WANG Puzhong, CEO of Core Local Commerce Division Meituan, said: "AI and digital capabilities allow healthcare resources to reach people who need them more efficiently — making services visible, accessible and effective. As a connector in healthcare services, Meituan will continue to drive health services from being visible to being truly accessible, co-building an intelligent 15-minute healthcare service circle."
A Clinical Perspective: Making Sure Breakthroughs Reach the Bedside
In sessions including "Frontier Insights" and "Accelerating Research and Clinical Translation in Oncology," leading clinicians shared first-hand experience translating frontier research into clinical practice. Speakers included Prof. DONG Jiahong, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Chair Professor, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University; Prof. JI Jiafu, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Director, Peking University Cancer Research Center; Prof. HE Jianxing, Director of the China National Center for Respiratory Medicine and European Academy of Sciences Fellow; and Prof. LU Shun, Lifetime Professor, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Participating experts agreed that collaboration between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area is providing a faster, more reliable path for innovative therapies to move from the laboratory to the bedside.
Capital Without Borders: Closing the Last Mile for Innovation
At forums including "Capital Without Borders: Building Global Healthcare Partnerships," investors from Huatai Securities, CITIC Securities, Value Partners, CBC Group, Lake Bleu Capital, Pivotal bioVenture Partners, TruMed Investment, UBS, Ernst & Young, Mindray Medical and Deep Intelligent Pharma (DIP) discussed the capital logic of the healthcare industry, how companies are adapting to a more disciplined valuation environment, and Hong Kong's role as Asia's healthcare capital hub. Participants noted that Chapter 18A of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Rules, together with HKIC's deployment of patient capital, is building a complete capital pathway for innovative biopharma and medtech companies — from R&D through to listing.
Longevity Science: Precision Health and Human 2.0
At the "Precision Health & Human 2.0: Redefining Healthy Ageing" forum, scientists from Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Westlake Laboratory and Jinan University discussed frontier directions in ageing biology, immune reconstitution and regenerative medicine. Speakers included Prof. David FURMAN, Director of the Stanford 1,000 Immunomes Project; Prof. Sean LENG, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Immune Remodeling; Prof. Duanqing PEI, Chair Professor of Regenerative Biology at School of Life Sciences, Westlake University and European Academy of Sciences Fellow; and Prof. Zhenyu JU, Director of the Institute of Aging and Regenerative Medicine at Jinan University. Participating experts agreed that longevity science is moving rapidly from foundational research toward accessible, affordable clinical and consumer health applications.
A New Platform for Brain Science Going Global
The Summit also marked the launch of the Asia-Pacific Society for Brain-Computer Interface, Brain Function Assessment and Neuromodulation, aimed at connecting research, clinical, industry and investment communities across Asia, and fostering international technical exchange, clinical validation and standard-setting discussions — building a new global platform for China's brain science innovations.
In discussions on innovative payment models, participants also explored how the healthcare industry can build broader global connections. Several speakers noted that Hong Kong, with its combined strengths in regulatory alignment, clinical translation and capital enablement, is an important node in this connective network.
A Connecting Role: Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area
At a time when China's innovative drugs and medical devices are increasingly moving onto the global stage, several speakers noted that Hong Kong is playing a connecting role — spanning regulatory alignment, clinical collaboration and capital markets.
Mr Antony LEUNG, Co-founder and Chairman of New Frontier Group, said: "Hong Kong possesses three unique conditions to become one of the primary gateways for China's innovative healthcare and life sciences industry to the world. First, a regulatory pathway — Hong Kong's regulatory framework for drugs and medical devices, combined with cross-border linkage arrangements with mainland China, provides a critical first step for mainland innovators entering international markets. Second, international standards — Hong Kong's hospitals, laboratories and clinical research all operate to international benchmarks, with global credibility. Third, global capital and connectivity — Hong Kong's financial markets and professional services ecosystem effectively support mainland life sciences companies in expanding their global footprint."
Mr LEUNG also noted that as China's life sciences innovation goes global, China's healthcare services are also becoming a destination of choice for international patients. He believes that inbound medical services will grow significantly over the next decade, and that Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and New Frontier's healthcare network across multiple cities in China will all play a key role in this trend.
About New Frontier Group
New Frontier Group was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Hong Kong. It is an integrated healthcare and life-sciences group built on technology empowerment and a patient-centred philosophy, dedicated to building an AI-native clinical healthcare system that integrates frontier research with whole-life-cycle care. Leveraging the vertical synergies across these segments, the Group has established a complete healthcare service chain covering digitalised chronic-disease management, primary care, JCI-accredited hospital diagnosis and treatment, personalised oncology therapy, post-operative rehabilitation and home care — transforming the healthcare experience through a proactive, intelligent and seamlessly connected service model, and actively addressing the diverse medical needs arising from an ageing population.
Since its establishment, the Group's service network has extended to approximately 80 cities nationwide, serving close to 10 million outpatient visits and nearly 1.5 million inpatients each year. New Frontier Group currently employs approximately 11,000 staff across mainland China.
About the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC)
Established in 2022, the HKIC is a patient capital institution wholly owned by and representing the Hong Kong SAR Government. It adopts an "Investment +" approach, seeking reasonable financial returns over the medium to long term while creating and supporting new growth impetus for the benefit of Hong Kong's economy and society.
The HKIC currently manages the Hong Kong Growth Portfolio, Greater Bay Area Fund, Strategic Tech Fund, and Co-Investment Fund. At this stage, it focuses on three key investment themes — Hard and Core Technology, Biotechnology and Health Technology, and New Energy and Green Technology — as well as related sectors and applications. To date, the HKIC has invested in over 200 projects. Every Hong Kong dollar invested by the HKIC has attracted more than 8 Hong Kong dollars in long-term market capital for investment.
For more information, please visit: https://www.hkic.org.hk
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2026 Global Health Summit Opens in Hong Kong -- Global Healthcare Leaders Convene: Bringing Breakthroughs to Patients
