CityUHK partners with leading clinical and research institutions to advance the development of life sciences and digital medicine

Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) at CityUHK, stated that life and health technologies are a key development strategy for the University. “CityUHK is committed to fostering collaboration among stakeholders in the Chinese Mainland and around the world to promote the R&D and transformation of smart healthcare. Leveraging the IDM as a one-stop platform, we enable win-win cooperation in digital medicine, clinical research and talent incubation, thereby creating synergistic effects and long-term benefits for human health and well-being,” he added.

Accelerating the transformation of digital medical technologies

The MoU between the IDM of CityUHK and the SAIHST was signed by Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, and Professor Chang Yun Sil, Director of the SAIHST in Seoul, in March 2025. (Credit: City University of Hong Kong)

 

In March 2025, the IDM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SAIHST to collaborate on health-related research, particularly in cell and gene therapy, bioinformatics and biomedical engineering, along with talent development and commercialising digital health solutions for societal benefit. SAIHST is a leading institute, jointly established by Samsung Group, Samsung Medical Center and Sungkyunkwan University to advance research and develop professional experts to lead the future of biomedical sciences.

The IDM signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Frontiers Medical Center). (Credit: City University of Hong Kong)

 

In June 2025, the IDM signed another strategic cooperation framework agreement with Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Frontiers Medical Center) focusing on three main areas: malignant tumours, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and neurological disorders. Established through a partnership between Sichuan University and the Chengdu High-Tech Zone, the Laboratory aims to enhance “new quality productive forces” and develop national strategic capacity in the medical and health sectors.

This collaboration will bolster talent development for both parties, providing support for top-tier researchers and scientists through facilitated visits to Hong Kong and participation in relevant programmes. It will further transform innovative ideas into practical solutions in the fields of medicine and healthcare, fostering the development of deep-tech start-ups.

Fostering digital medicine development in Shanghai and Hong Kong

CityUHK and Huadong Hospital signed an MoU to jointly establish the “CityUHK – Huadong Hospital Joint Research Institute of Smart Healthcare” in Shanghai. (Credit: City University of Hong Kong)

 

In September, CityUHK expanded its partnerships by signing a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai). Both parties will jointly provide clinical, technical and interdisciplinary resources to establish a digital medicine research center, as well as provincial and municipal science and technology innovation platforms. The Center, a national facility for translational medicine, managed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and Shanghai Municipality, in partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, aims to promoting the clinical application of medical research and cutting-edge technologies.

CityUHK and the National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai) signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in September. (Credit: City University of Hong Kong)

 

Next, CityUHK partnered with Huadong Hospital to establish the “CityUHK – Huadong Hospital Joint Research Institute of Smart Healthcare” in Shanghai. This partnership aims to support start-ups in transforming their innovative ideas by leveraging both parties’ clinical resources and advanced technologies. By harnessing biomedicine, artificial intelligence and big data, the institute will focus on areas such as surgical robotics, standardised databases for major diseases, and medical information-sharing platforms, to create an innovative, human-centred healthcare ecosystem.

Additionally, the two parties signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in talent development, academic exchange and research between the two institutions. These efforts aim to nurture top talent with international perspectives and innovative capabilities, propelling the transformation of digital medicine solutions.

Collaboration established with over 20 global partners

Since its establishment in April 2024, the IDM has focused on building collaborative relationships with stakeholders in the global digital medicine sector, advancing research into integrating life and health technologies, data science and AI with medical science and public health. By leveraging CityUHK’s strengths in engineering, data science and life science, the institute aims to explore digital health solutions for the long-term benefit of both doctors and patients.

To date, the IDM has launched several symposiums and seminars, inviting over 50 experts from various countries, including China, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, France, Japan and Korea, to foster knowledge exchange. It has also partnered with more than 20 renowned universities and medical schools, as well as clinical and industry partners, and health tech investors around the world.

CityUHK is committed to establishing a vibrant ecosystem for transforming technology into industrialisation and commercialisation. Notably, 20% of the start-ups incubated by HK Tech 300, CityUHK’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme, focus on the biotech and health sectors. Additionally, nine start-ups participated in “Digital Health Asia 2025” to showcase their innovative digital health solutions.