Bulletin No. 1, 2023

human health. That’s the essence of translational research: to translate basic research discoveries into social impact. Besides royalty income from the patents that have been licensed, the revenue from entrepreneurship also supports my research projects.” This virtuous cycle also benefits the R&D ecosystem and strengthens the talent pool. “This is a prime time for biotechnology research and innovation in Hong Kong. We are seeing more opportunities for the young as the city prepares to become a health technology hub in the Greater Bay Area.” Novostics is a breeding ground for R&D talent, including undergraduates of the Global Physician Stream, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows of the Faculty of Medicine. “We aspire to groom clinician scientists to bring scientific advances to patients,” he says. The centre also spins off start-ups such as Take2 Health. Entrepreneurship is highly encouraged at the University. Professor Chan says, “CUHK has the largest intellectual property income among the universities in Hong Kong. The Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS) is highly efficient in IP prosecution and licensing. The IP-income sharing regulation is one the most competitive in the world. Those are pretty much the reasons behind the good innovation and entrepreneurship atmosphere on campus.” The Hong Kong government’s InnoHK initiative provides an unprecedented level of support for R&D. With the government’s generous funding and start- of-the-art technology facilities at the Science Park, Professor Lo says that his team has been given the resources to accelerate translational research and compete with the best laboratories in the world. “The government’s staunch support demonstrates its vision of the importance of innovation and the technology industry for Hong Kong economy in the next two decades,” adds Professor Chan. I’mexcited to be part of the InnoHK initiative andwitness the rapid evolution of the biotechnology ecosystem in the city.We strive to provide leadership in nurturing local talent for the biotechnology industry and to reinforce the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations in translating scientific knowledge into clinical applications. Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming Scientific Director of the Centre for Novostics “ ” Envisioning a healthier future 27 The DNA of innovation