Digital Health Asia 2025 Interview Series – ASTRI Professor Sunny Lee: Fostering government-industry-academia-research collaboration to shape the future of digital healthcare
The future of healthcare hinges on a powerful synergy: the convergence of government, industry, academia and research.
Leading global scholars, industry innovators, and policymakers will explore cutting-edge applications and future trends in digital health technology at Digital Health Asia 2025 (DHA 2025) from 8 to 10 September.
Hosted by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and CityUHK’s Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM), in partnership with Times Higher Education (THE), DHA 2025 is a timely platform for tackling the urgent challenges facing the healthcare sector. This is the first time THE’s Digital Health series will be held in Asia.
Tackling Global Healthcare Challenges
Professor Sunny Lee, Board Chairman of Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), shared his insights and enthusiasm for the upcoming event. With extensive industry expertise and practical experience, Professor Lee is at the forefront of addressing the pressing global healthcare challenges.
He highlighted the dual pressures facing healthcare systems worldwide: the growing demands from an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, both requiring continuous and complex medical services. Meanwhile, a critical shortage of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals has made digital transformation an urgent necessity.
“Innovation and technology have the potential to bridge these gaps and meet rising patient expectations,” said Professor Lee. He emphasised ASTRI’s focus on developing solutions such as AI-driven diagnostics, remote patient monitoring systems, and personalised care plans to enhance efficiency and improve outcomes.
Collaboration as the Cornerstone of Progress
Professor Lee stressed the importance of collaboration in achieving meaningful advancements. “Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress — when sectors unite, innovation thrives and lives improve,” he remarked.
He shared a bold vision for the future of healthcare, where real-time insights, predictive analytics and personalised care are at the heart of every health decision. “This vision can become a reality by leveraging robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, among other technologies, to provide seamless patient experiences and achieve operational excellence,” he added.
One of ASTRI’s recent projects exemplifies this vision. The ASTRI team has developed an advanced sensing fusion platform designed to modernise medication dispensing in public hospitals. This innovative platform will precisely monitor the type and quantity of medications during the dispensing process, effectively eliminating the risk of human error and enhancing patient safety, resulting in smarter, more efficient pharmacy operations.
Please visit the thematic website for more information about DHA 2025.