One Forum, Two Venues; Industry-Finance Synergy! The 2nd Greater Bay Area Smart Healthcare and Health Industry Innovation Forum Successfully Concludes

To further promote the innovative integration of the entire industry chain for smart healthcare and proactive health in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the 2024 Second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Smart Healthcare and Big Health Industry Innovation Forum, themed “Smart Integration for Bay Area Health, Leading Future Healthcare,” was held in Hengqin on June 14–15. A closed-door seminar on investment and financing in the medical and health sector was concurrently held in Macao. Adopting a novel integrated format of “one conference across two locations” and “exhibition plus forum,” this event enhanced exchanges in the smart healthcare and big health industries between Hengqin and Macao, marking another concrete step in supporting Macao’s “1+4” strategy for appropriate economic diversification and accelerating the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao.

It is reported that the forum was hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Society of Clinical Medicine and Zhuguang (Group) Co., Ltd., with support from the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the Bureau of Public Services of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, and the Bureau of Legal Affairs of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone. The organizers included the School of Future Technology at South China University of Technology, the Zhuguang Group’s Guangdong-Macao Economic and Trade Cooperation Platform, the Internet Hospital Professional Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Society of Clinical Medicine, Zhuguang Human Resources Operations (Macao) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yuankangjian Information Technology Co., Ltd., and Zhuhai Zhuguang Qin’ao Financial Services Co., Ltd. Distinguished attendees included Mr. Yu Yusheng, Chairman of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute; Mr. Wu Yeli, Deputy Director of the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Commerce; Ms. Feng Fangdan, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Public Services of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone; Mr. Chen Genhong, Director of Zhuguang (Group) Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Chen Xiaochao, Vice President of the Guangdong Provincial Society of Clinical Medicine.

This forum brings together elites from the healthcare industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, experts and scholars from research institutions and universities, as well as representatives from government departments and enterprises. Together, they discuss cutting-edge concepts, advanced technologies, and innovative models across the entire smart healthcare and proactive health industry chain, continuously driving the development of the broader health sector and advancing the “Healthy China” initiative.

In his address, Mr. Yu Yusheng, Chairman of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, introduced the advantages of the joint development of the health and wellness industry in Hengqin and Macao by using the acronym “NMN.” He stated that “N” stands for Networking; as a platform for commercial and trade cooperation, Macao can create more matchmaking opportunities for talent, technology, capital, and markets involved in the development of the health and wellness industry. “M” refers to Macao, as Hengqin and Macao are gradually establishing a development model characterized by “Macao’s platform, international resources, Hengqin’s space, and shared outcomes,” thereby creating a better business environment for investors from home and abroad. The second “N” signifies N possibilities; with the continuous advancement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative, particularly the deepening connectivity in transportation infrastructure, the region will attract greater attention from international investors and unlock N possibilities for coordinated development within the GBA.

Figure: Yu Yusheng, Chairman of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, delivers opening remarks at the conference

Wu Yeli, Deputy Director of the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Commerce, stated that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gathers a large number of outstanding talents and technologies in the medical field, featuring distinctive resources and cutting-edge advantages in intelligent medical devices, smart biomaterials, medical artificial intelligence, and biomedical testing. Currently, Macao is continuously promoting the development of four key industrial sectors, including traditional Chinese medicine and general health, to foster moderate economic diversification. Zhuhai adheres to the principle of “manufacturing as the cornerstone,” comprehensively building its “industrial forest,” with high-tech enterprises represented by integrated circuits and biopharmaceuticals thriving. Therefore, the Macau-Zhuhai pole possesses superior conditions and an favorable environment for developing the health and medical technology industry.

 Figure: Wu Yeli, Deputy Director of the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Delivers Opening Remarks at the Conference

Chen Xiaochao, Vice President of the Guangdong Clinical Medical Association, stated that developing new-quality productive forces is a key strategy for coping with the current complex environment and volatile market in the medical and health industry. “Looking back at the inaugural forum, we witnessed the positive momentum of full-chain development in the medical and health industry of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). For this year’s forum, we look forward to deepening cooperation and exchanges, sharing experiences and achievements through various activities, and continuing to focus on key topics such as leveraging digital intelligence to build new-quality productive forces in the medical and health industry. We will further explore new models of linked development that integrate Macao’s platform advantages, international resources, Hengqin’s spatial capacity, and shared outcomes, jointly promoting the robust growth of the GBA’s medical and health industry.”

 Figure: Chen Xiaochao, Vice President of the Guangdong Provincial Clinical Medical Association, delivers the opening address at the conference.

Chen Genhong, Director of Zhuguang (Group) Co., Ltd., stated that the inaugural forum held last year had a profound impact on the development of smart healthcare and the big health industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It invigorated healthcare resources, facilitated the alignment of talent and technology, and promoted industry development, exchange, and integration. In light of the historical opportunities presented by the GBA’s development, hosting this forum not only serves as a strong impetus for the innovative and integrated development of healthcare in the GBA but also provides significant support for accelerating industrial upgrading in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, serving the construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, and promoting the moderate diversification of Macao’s economy. Leveraging its cross-border platform advantages, Zhuguang Group will contribute to the advancement of smart healthcare and the big health industry.

Figure: Chen Genhong, Director of Zhuguang (Group) Co., Ltd., Delivers Opening Remarks at the Conference

Nowadays, the Macao Special Administrative Region Government has designated the big health industry as one of the pillars in Macao’s “1+4” strategy for moderate economic diversification, while the biopharmaceutical and health sector is also one of Zhuhai’s four leading industries. Notably, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is collaborating with Macao to develop Macao-branded industries such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has introduced a three-year action plan for the development of the biopharmaceutical and big health industry, leveraging the complementary advantages of Hengqin and Macao in “internal integration and external expansion” to foster sectors including health management, rehabilitative medical services, and high-end medical aesthetics. Currently, Macao, Zhuhai, and Hengqin are joining hands to leverage their respective strengths in building an open, inclusive, and win-win ecosystem for the medical and health industry. This provides a valuable opportunity for the innovative and integrated development of healthcare in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and creates a more favorable business environment for investors from both domestic and overseas markets.

At the forum, Ding Honghui, head of business operations at the Reform and Policy Innovation Division of the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, briefed attendees on Hengqin’s policies and analyzed the special measures for market access for enterprises as well as the industrial policy landscape for the biopharmaceutical sector.

 Figure: Ding Honghui, Section Chief of the Reform and Policy Innovation Division of the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, presents “Policy Innovation in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin”

In addition, the forum hosted a ceremony to release group standards for internet hospitals, aiming to ensure that quality control in internet hospitals is guided by standards, supported by evidence, governed by procedures, and managed within a controllable system. This initiative will help optimize and upgrade the industrial structure and activate the innovation engine for high-quality development of internet hospitals in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Figure: Launch Ceremony of the Group Standard for Internet Hospitals

Intelligent systems such as the AI-Based Ocular Disease Screening System, Haptic Feedback Interaction System, TCM Brain—AI Diagnostic and Treatment System, Smart Cloud Outpatient System, and Hospital Integrated Data Middle Platform made their debut as headline exhibits that drew significant attention; meanwhile, smart medication vending machines, intelligent inspection robots—all-in-one quality-control toilets—and TCM intelligent pulse diagnosis instruments vividly demonstrated application scenarios in smart healthcare.

Figure: Attendees experiencing the intelligent eye disease screening system on-site

At the venue, the Innovation Exhibition of Smart Healthcare Application Scenarios attracted numerous attendees and vendor representatives, who stopped to view the displays. Professional docents provided detailed explanations of the principles and applications of the exhibited items to visitors. Meanwhile, many participants tried out wearable devices and health monitoring equipment on-site, immersing themselves in the convenience brought by smart healthcare. Electronic screens showcasing smart healthcare application scenarios displayed the latest intelligent diagnostics and smart healthcare systems in real-world working environments.

 Figure: Smart Healthcare Application Scenario Innovation Exhibition Area

According to the introduction, the exhibition of scientific and technological achievements in smart healthcare has gathered a group of enterprises and institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area that specialize in this field. By showcasing the latest technologies, equipment, products, solutions, and application scenarios to attending experts and businesses, the event aims to build a platform for exchange and cooperation among medical enterprises, thereby jointly promoting the high-quality development of the smart healthcare industry.

The forum invited top industry experts to engage in in-depth discussions on the development prospects of smart healthcare, integrating digital economy and large AI models. Presentations centered on themes such as “Jointly Building a New Ecosystem for Proactive Population Health,” “From Passive to Proactive Health,” “Exploring Applications of Large Models in Proactive Health,” “Building Proactive Health Hospitals to Cultivate New Quality Productive Forces in Healthcare,” “Construction and Exploration of a Proactive Health System Based on General Practice,” “Pooling Strengths and Wisdom to Serve the ‘Healthy China Strategy’—Practices and Explorations by Zhuhai College of Science and Technology,” “Huawei Cloud Pangu Medical Large Model: Driving Intelligent Upgrading of the Medical Industry,” “Kitchen Revolution: A New Model of Healthy Diet Through Taste Substitution—Replacing Triacylglycerol Oils with Diacylglycerol Oils,” “Near-Body Spatial Data Sensing and Analysis in the Era of Proactive Health,” “A Brief Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Application in Proactive Health and Smart Healthcare,” and “Integration of Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine.” These sessions provided new developmental insights for innovation in smart healthcare and the big health industry within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

 Figure: Liu Ying, Vice President of the China Association of Universities for the Elderly, “Joining Hands to Build a New Ecosystem of Proactive Health for All”

 Figure: Professor Li Weidong, Chief Strategic Scientist of the National Industry-Education Integration Consortium for Proactive Health, “From Passive Health to Proactive Health”

 Figure: Jin Zhanpeng, Deputy Dean of the School of Future Technology at South China University of Technology, “Exploration of Large Model Applications in Proactive Health”

 Figure: Tian Junzhang, Party Secretary of Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, “Building Proactive Health Hospitals to Cultivate New Quality Productive Forces in Healthcare”

 Figure: Vice President Liu Shuwen of Southern Medical University, “Construction and Exploration of a Proactive Health System Based on General Practice”

Figure: Liu Bing, Vice President of the University for the Aged at Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, “Pooling Strength and Wisdom to Serve the ‘Healthy China Strategy’”

 Figure: Huang Tao, Expert in Huawei Cloud Large Model Solutions, “Huawei Cloud Pangu Medical Large Model: Driving the Intelligent Upgrade of the Healthcare Industry”

 Figure: Professor Wang Yonghua, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology

"Kitchen Revolution: A New Model for Healthy Diets Through Taste Substitution --- Replacing 'Triacylglycerol Oils' with 'Diacylglycerol Oils'"

Figure: Zhou Wu, Deputy Dean of the School of Medical Information Engineering, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

“A Brief Analysis of the Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Proactive Health and Smart Healthcare”

 Figure: Deputy Director Fei Honglin of the Guangdong Guo’s Institute of Medical and Health Care Presents “Integrated Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine”

Subsequently, a roundtable discussion was held on the theme of “Intelligent Platforms Boosting the Development of New Quality Productive Forces in Healthcare.” The panelists included Zhou Qiru, Director of the Internet Medical Center at Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital; Huang Xi, Academic Director and Director of the Center for Infection and Immunology Research at The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Xu Jian, Dean of Livzon Pharmaceutical Research Institute; Chen Huaying, Founder of Zhuhai Dalüe Technology Co., Ltd., Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen); and Wan Yaohua, Vice Chairman of the Internet Hospital Professional Committee of the Guangdong Clinical Medical Association. Together, they explored the new future of the big health industry.

 Figure: Zhou Qiru, Huang Xi, Xu Jian, Chen Huaying, Wan Yaohua (from left to right)

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. In special observance, this Forum has established a closed-door seminar on investment, financing, and integration in the medical and health sector in Macao. By inviting leading figures from the investment and financing industries, the seminar aims to provide demand-side participants in the medical and health industry with a broad platform for capital facilitation and project collaboration, thereby vigorously promoting multi-sectoral, deeper, and higher-level exchanges and cooperation among industry stakeholders in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Additionally, the seminar features a corporate roadshow session, where ten projects—including an intelligent manufacturing system for next-generation cell-based products and derivatives, an early screening and warning system for risk-associated diseases, the “Smart Check-up Robot” health-monitoring toilet, and high-throughput single-cell sorting and printing based on intelligent image activation—will be presented live. These presentations will facilitate interaction with representatives from investment institutions, fostering mutual promotion between industry and finance.

Figure: Scene from the Closed-Door Meeting on Healthcare Investment and Financing