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India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, recently launched e-RUPI, an electronic voucher promoting digital payment solutions. According to an official statement, it is a QR code or SMS string-based e-voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries. The users of this seamless one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app, or Internet banking access at the service provider. Any government agency and corporation can generate e-RUPI vouchers via their partner banks.
The e-RUPI initiative will be one of the programmes launched over the next few years to limit touchpoints between the government and the beneficiary and “ensure that the benefits reach its intended beneficiaries in a targeted and leak-proof manner”, according to the statement. The vouchers are person- and purpose-specific, which means that if they are released by the government COVID-19 vaccinations, for instance, then they can be redeemed only for that.
The system was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the National Health Authority. The statement noted that e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface.
It also ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed. Being pre-paid in nature, it assures timely payment to the service provider without the involvement of any intermediary. E-RUPI is expected to be a revolutionary initiative for ensuring a leak-proof delivery of welfare services.
It can also be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under mother and child welfare schemes, TB eradication programmes, and diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The private sector can also leverage these digital vouchers as part of its employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programmes.
A news report explained that although the e-RUPI is the first step towards having a digital currency in India, it is not a digital currency but rather a social service voucher system. Cryptocurrencies let you buy goods and services, or trade them for profit. More importantly, it is government-regulated. The prepaid voucher that is paid for by the government will largely be utilised, at least initially, to provide welfare subsidies.
Recently, OpenGov Asia reported that the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) digital payment index (RBI-DPI) recorded a 30.2% growth in 2020-21. The index rose to 270.59 at the end of March 2021, up from 207.84 a year ago. The data represents the rapid adoption and deepening of digital payments across the country. The rise could be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers were encouraged to use contactless payment methods.
During 2020, the country processed 25.5 billion real-time payments transactions, followed by 15.7 billion in China, 6 billion in South Korea, 5.2 billion in Thailand, and 2.8 billion in the UK. By 2025, digital payments in India could account for 71.7% of the total payments volume, leaving cash and cheques at 28.3%. Last year, the transaction volume share in the country stood at 15.6% and 22.9% for instant payments and other electronic payments, respectively. Paper-based payments had a considerable share of 61.4%. More than 70.3 billion real-time payment transactions were processed globally last year, a surge of 41% compared to the previous year, as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated trends away from cash and cheques towards greater reliance on real-time and digital payments.

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A team of researchers in the Faculty of Engineering of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a coin-sized system that can read weak electrochemical signals, which can be used for personalised health monitoring and measurement of such conditions as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental health. The discovery was featured on the cover of the Journal of Analytical Chemistry.
The PERfECT System – an acronym for Personalised Electronic Reader for Electrochemical Transistors – is the world’s smallest system of its kind, measuring 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.2 cm and weighing only 0.4 gramme. It is easily wearable, for instance, integrated with a smartwatch or as a patch, to allow for continuous monitoring of bio-signals such as glucose levels and antibody concentrations in blood and even sweat.
Dr Shiming Zhang of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who leads the HKU WISE (wearable, intelligent and soft electronics) Research Group to develop the system stated that the team’s wearable system is extremely small, soft and imperceptible to wearers, and it can continuously monitor the body condition. These features mean it has the potential to revolutionise healthcare technology.
The technology marks a big step forward for organic electrochemical transistors, which are widely considered to be the next-generation sensing technology because of their water stability and high sensitivity at a low operating voltage (milli-volts) but which, until now, lacked a miniaturised wireless system to operate within.
The PERfECT wearable system occupies this niche with its ability to precisely characterise the overall performance of the electrochemical transistor, with a data sampling rate as high as 200 kilo-samples per second – a performance on par with bulky commercial equipment. But the price is only one-tenth of the commercial one.
It can also serve as a miniaturised electrochemical station for wearable devices and measure the outputs of other kinds of low-voltage transistors, such as electrolyte-gated field effect transistors and high-k dielectric-gated thin-film transistors.
The system could be applied immediately in multiple wearable systems that are based on low-voltage transistors. Dr Zhang’s group has formed a start-up company, SESIC, to make the technology accessible.
Dr Zhang, who has been working on wearable technologies for digital healthcare since 2013, stated that the develop the PERfECT system was developed as a result of the unique, interdisciplinary culture in the HKU WISE Research Group, which includes researchers from electrical engineering, applied chemistry, biomedical engineering, microelectronics and software engineering.
Dr Zhang also made it a point to recruit young, promising undergraduate and postgraduate students to the team.
The WISE students have won multiple awards for their creative innovations in wearable healthtech, including the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) 2021-22 University Pitch Competition on Global Grand Challenges, which qualified them as one of only five teams from China for the International Student Competition of the 5th Global Grand Challenges Summit; The Materials Research Society (MRS) Best Presentation Award (2021 Fall); The IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Project Competition Award (2021); and The InnoShow Awards (winning twice, 2021&2022).
Looking ahead, WISE will work to promote the transition from ‘hospital-centric’ to ‘human-centric’ healthcare by developing next-generation wearable, intelligent and soft electronics technologies – hence the name WISE, Professor Zhang said.
The research paper is published in Analytical Chemistry entitled “Pushing OECTs toward Wearable: Development of a Miniaturized Analytical Control Unit for Wireless Device Characterization”.
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Scientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used an innovative microscopy method to observe how new-born neurons struggle to reach their proper locations in advanced human brain tissue models of Rett syndrome -bringing new understanding to how the brains of people with the potentially destructive illness have been found to have growing impairments.
Mutations in the gene MECP2 cause Rett syndrome, which is characterised by symptoms such as severe intellectual disability and impaired social behaviour.
Researchers grew 3D cell cultures called cerebral organoids, or mini-brains, using cells from people with MECP2 mutations and compared them to otherwise-identical cultures without the mutations to gain new insight into how the mutation affects the brain develops early on.
The development of each type of mini-brain was subsequently examined by the researchers, under the direction of postdoctoral fellow Murat Yildirim, using third harmonic generation (THG) three-photon microscopy. THG enables very high-resolution imaging deep into living, intact tissues without the use of chemicals to label cells.
The new study is the first to photograph organoids using THG, essentially leaving them undisturbed. Prior organoid imaging investigations necessitated the use of imaging technology incapable of penetrating the 3D tissue or techniques that necessitated killing the cultures by either slicing them into thin sections or chemically cleaning and labelling them.
Since a laser is used in three-photon microscopy, the lab’s microscope was specifically designed to only use as much power as a cat toy laser pointer on the tissue (less than 5 milliwatts).
The reason why researchers are so cautious regarding power and chemical labelling is so they can ensure they are not negatively altering or impacting the neuronal physiology and preserve everything intact without introducing anything external that may be harmful.
They managed to get enough signal, even at low power, to image fixed and living organoids without labels. They compared their THG images to those created using more conventional chemical labelling techniques to verify that.
They were able to follow the migration of developing neurons as they moved from the inner edge, which is like the cortex of the brain, to the rim around ventricles in the mini-brains.
They observed that the nascent neurons in the mini-brains simulating Rett syndrome migrated more slowly and in meandering patterns than did the same cell types in mini-brains without the MECP2 mutation, which moved faster and in straighter lines.
The effects of these migration abnormalities are in line with what scientists believed to be happening in foetuses with Rett syndrome.
Researchers knew from post-mortem brains and brain imaging techniques that something goes awry during brain development in Rett syndrome, but it has been extraordinarily difficult to determine what and why; therefore, the technique has enabled them to directly visualise a critical component.
Due to its sensitivity to changes in the refractive index of materials, THG can scan tissues without labelling. Consequently, it dissolves the borders between biological structures such as blood vessels, cell membranes, and extracellular spaces.
The researchers were also able to distinguish clearly between the ventricular zone (the region around the ventricles where the new-born neurons arise) and the cortical plate because neural forms change as they develop (an area that mature neurons settle into). Additionally, it was quite simple to separate multiple ventricles into separate regions and resolve them.
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Malaysia’s Public Sector Data Center (PDSA) services will be upgraded to specific Cloud Computing services for use by all Government agencies. The Government is looking to integrate its services into what will be known as the government hybrid cloud or the MyGovCloud which combines services from MyGovCloud@PDSA and the Public Cloud and has chosen four Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to make this happen.
The MyGovCloud Initiative is in line with the Fifth Initiative under Malaysia’s Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital) which targets 80% storage usage of Cloud Computing across the public sector this year. It aims to drive the digital transformation of the public sector holistically which can stimulate the growth of the digital economy and agenda digitization throughout the country.
The CSP selection was done following an evaluation of the proposals sent by both domestic and foreign cloud service providers. As a result of this assessment, the Government agreed to appoint a panel of four companies as CSPs to provide the best and most secure cloud services for the government portals.
To empower MyGovCloud, Centralized Contract Agreement Cloud Computing also known as a Cloud Framework Agreement (CFA) was signed between the Government, the CSPs and locally appointed CSPs known as Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The CFA contract with the Government, CSP and MSP involves four CSP companies and four MSP companies.
The involvement of the CSPs and MSPs is expected to open investment potential in the country worth between RM12 billion and RM15 billion by 2025. This investment will serve as the ‘backbone’ of the formation of a sustainable digital ecosystem to achieve sustainable economic growth, thus will make Malaysia the main digital hub in the ASEAN region.
The MyGovCloud initiative is believed to produce more experts in cloud computing through ongoing training and program certification provided by CSP and MSP. This is also possible to improve the competence and ability of civil servants in tandem with current needs and technology.
Through the implementation of CFA, public sector agencies will be able to enjoy a better, faster, and more efficient cloud service and will avail of competitive prices offered at discounted rates in bulk by the CSPs and MSPs. Overall, this CFA agreement is aimed at innovation in the procurement of cloud services across all public sector agencies and will help in strengthening the function and role of MAMPU in the future.
With this deal sealed, it is hoped that more benefits will be enjoyed by the citizens of Malaysia as well as public sector agencies, promoting developmental digital technology among all Malaysians.
The government cloud market is expected to grow from US$15.4 billion in 2017 to US$ 28.8 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.4%.
Government departments across the world are realising the importance of maintaining and controlling cloud data for continuity and compliance purposes. The government cloud enables these agencies to manage and store data securely and efficiently, resulting in enhanced and unified teams that can handle bigger projects at an effective cost.
Cloud hosting services provide a slew of advantages for government agencies and other small departments. These services may be taken on rent to fulfil computing power and data storage requirements, as often as needed, instead of a one-time investment being incurred for the procurement of servers and the handling of ongoing expenses towards maintaining expensive data centres.
In addition, the government cloud provides greater computing capability particularly in the implementation of disaster recovery and relief situations, as it enables government agencies to develop customised solutions for backup, with regards to the data and application types, sequence, and backup location. It involves the replication of application and data on a virtual machine, and the data can be recovered automatically when a disruption occurs.
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As part of the implementation of the Department of Science and Technology’s Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (DOST-CEST) Programme in the nation’s Region 1, the Provincial Science and Technology Centre of Ilocos Sur assisted the Local Government Unit with the deployment and training of its Automated Weather Station system (AWS).
The provision of the AWS is part of the CEST programme’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management/Climate Change Adaptation (DRRM/CCA) initiative. To empower the people, timely meteorological data is being produced for preparedness and resilience during the occurrence of natural disasters, notably during typhoons.
The deployment aims to reinforce, enhance knowledge, and promote appreciation for science and technology projects, programmes, and activities by providing S&T interventions to the public and providing them with the instruments needed for disaster preparedness and mitigation.
The intervention will also help the locals monitor the weather, provide agricultural alerts, make predictions, and come up with plans to make their community more resilient.
On the other hand, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) of Santol, La Union, received AWS from the DOST through the Provincial Science and Technology Centre-La Union (PSTC-LU).
The province is extremely vulnerable to the effects of disasters due to its location in hilly terrain. When it comes to receiving weather forecast information, Santol’s communities primarily rely on radio, TV, and SMS. The recipients have received training in first aid, basic life support, rescue techniques, and DRRM readiness.
The AWS has been identified by DOST-CEST as one of the technology-based interventions to provide data on surface weather observations like temperature, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and visibility that will help the province be aware of the weather conditions. DRRM and Climate Change Adaption is one of the five priority areas of the programme.
The installation includes a console and software for logging the AWS data collection sent to the MDRRMO server.
Meanwhile, the DOST supported the LGU-benchmarking Mutia’s activity in several creative horticulture initiatives in the provinces of Benguet and Bulacan through the Provincial S&T Office of Zamboanga del Norte (PSTO-ZDN).
Visits to several cutting-edge horticultural initiatives, including those producing cut flowers and high-value vegetables, were part of the benchmarking exercise.
The tissue culture lab for cutting flowers of export-quality, like Malaysian mums, and greenhouse farming with manual and automatic drip irrigation systems for high-value vegetables, like lettuce of various varieties, celery, basil, pak choi, and carrots, were some of the innovative horticulture projects visited.
The Benguet State University’s Agri-based Technology Business Incubator or Innovation Centre displayed a few of the institutions’ projects and interventions to help the nearby strawberry farmers in the province of La Trinidad. Some local strawberry growers kindly offered their finest farming methods and strategies for growing high-value crops were also acknowledged by DOST.
Additionally, the nation’s Department of Agriculture will make use of digital innovations and technology throughout the food value chain and logistics, beginning with the effective distribution of inputs to farmers recorded in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). Examples of these innovations and technology include e-Kadiwa and the use of data analytics.
Utilising analytics to support small farmers’ adoption of data-driven farming techniques, the automated system will increase farm output and reduce waste. To advance the digitisation of agricultural and agribusiness activities in the nation and pave the road for “Agriculture 4.0,” crop production will be tracked using digital databases.
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According to Johnny G. Plate, Minister of Communications and Informatics, three Indonesian satellites would be launched into orbit by next year using the Falcon-6 rocket operated by an aerospace manufacturer in the United States
“First, in May, Boeing’s Hot Backup Satellite. Second, it will be used to deliver the SATRIA-1 rocket in June or July. Third, to deliver the Telkom-Sat Satellite whose schedule is being prepared,” says Minister Johnny.
He added that the Falcon-6 rocket is a satellite that has been used and is not a one-time launch. Instead, the Falcon-6 rocket is used to transport the High Throughput Satellite (HTS) into orbit and back to earth. The Minister hopes that the launch process will run smoothly and the placement of the satellite orbits according to the scheduled time.
The HBS and SATRIA satellites could operate in the fourth quarter of 2023. After being launched, in the first phase, the HBS will be used to serve 20,000 points of public service facilities throughout Indonesia.
For the SATRIA-1 satellite, the name is PSN-N3 which will carry out operations and maintenance. Meanwhile, the Boeing satellite, which is called PSN-N5, will also be operated and maintained by PSN as a private satellite.
With the launch of the satellite, Indonesia will have a satellite capacity of 2 X 150 Gbps. However, Indonesia will use a total of 230 Gbps. The 150 Gbps SATRIA-1 is used by all of Indonesia, while the 150 Gbps Hot Backup Boeing, 80 Gbps is used for Indonesia.
The remaining 70 Gbps will be used by the Philippines and Malaysia due to Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Minister explained that the nation should measure the commercial feasibility and there are commercial and financial considerations as well.
The Minister of Communication and Information stated that satellite transportation usually uses large-bodied cargo aircraft. Hence, with the limitations of the carrier, according to Minister Johnny, an alternative will soon be sought.
The possibility for SATRIA to use sea transportation routes from France using ships brought to Florida or across the Atlantic. It takes about two weeks of transportation, as well as the Boeing (Hot Backup) satellite that will use land transportation from its production site in Pasadena to Florida, it takes 9 to 10 days of road trips with special containers.
Minister Johnny is optimistic that the logistics and transportation problems will only slightly affect the commercial operation date.
Meanwhile, in addition to monitoring developments in the manufacture of satellites, Minister Johnny is preparing the construction of an earth satellite that is in accordance with the High Throughput Satellite (HTS) by using the Hot Backup Satellite (HBS) technology.
Minister Johnny stated that an earth station needs to be built so that there is a signal receiver from space. According to him, the government hopes that the construction of the earth station that is being carried out can run well.
He added that to support the operations of the two satellites, the government has also started to build 11 earth stations or gateways in Indonesia. Later it will be added to 18 gateways for two satellites.
The construction of 11 earth stations to connect space bridges shows the government’s seriousness in pursuing the target of the SATRIA-1 Satellite Project.
The Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Komifo Ministry built gateways in these 11 locations with the consideration of equitable access and acceleration of digital transformation.
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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Europe’s largest ports have teamed together to create the world’s longest Green and Digital Corridor. Decarbonising shipping is a top priority for the agency addressing climate change and calls for the cooperation of the entire maritime industry.
“As a trusted global maritime hub, Singapore contributes actively to IMO’s efforts to make international shipping more sustainable, and global supply chains more resilient,” says S Iswaran, Minister for Transport and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations, Singapore.
He added that the collaboration demonstrates how like-minded partners can collaborate to supplement the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) efforts and that it will serve as a valuable platform to pilot concepts that can be scaled up for more green and global shipping.
The MoU will bring together stakeholders from the entire supply chain to launch the first sustainable vessels on the route by 2027. While international shipping currently relies heavily on marine gas oil (MGO) and low-sulfur fuel oil, sustainable alternatives such as biofuels, including biogases, are becoming more widely available.
Other alternatives, such as synthetic methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen-based fuels such as ammonia and methanol, are in various stages of research and development in preparation for future trials and deployment.
Each alternative fuel has its own set of challenges in terms of cost, availability, safety, and range limitations due to lower energy density when compared to fossil fuels. To address these issues, the MOU will bring together a broad coalition of shippers, fuel suppliers, and other businesses to collaborate on potential solutions.
Apart from alternative fuels, the MoU aims to improve maritime efficiency, safety, and the transparent flow of goods by establishing a digital trade lane for the exchange of relevant data, electronic documentation, and standards. This will allow for the smooth movement of vessels and cargo while also optimising vessel arrival times from port to port.
The port authorities will collaborate with some action partners as well as other supply chain partners. This will allow the Green and Digital Corridor project to gain investor trust, attract green financing, and launch joint bunkering pilots and trials for digitalization and the use of low- and zero-carbon fuels along the route.
Moreover, shipping is one of the most important industries to decarbonize because of its extensive international reach and growing volume. Authorities can enable carriers to switch to zero-carbon fuels and accelerate the transition to more sustainable shipping by bringing parties from across the supply chain together along one of the world’s busiest trade lanes.
The MoU bolsters Singapore’s strong economic partnership by reaffirming the country’s commitment to facilitating a multi-fuel bunkering transition as part of the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 2050 and accelerating digitalisation efforts to improve maritime efficiency and supply chain resilience.
The pilot will supplement efforts by the shipping industry and partners to support the decarbonisation and digitalisation transition for international shipping, with a focus on developing and scaling up green and digital solutions for wider adoption.
On the other hand, OpenGov Asia earlier reported that the MPA will keep advancing research and development, implementing marine technology (MarineTech), and enhancing maritime cybersecurity skills to establish industry-wide capabilities. This should increase the nation’s resilience and ability to handle disruptions.
Beyond 31 December 2022, MPA will continue to provide cash support for the deployment of previously authorised digital solutions to marine firms that qualify. More than 3,000 SMEs in the Sea Transport subsectors will be qualified to apply for co-funding because of the expansion.
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Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), a pharmaceutical company and a healthcare venture capital firm have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the collaboration and development of biomedicine to enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international I&T hub.
HKSTP has been in close discussion with the two firms for an in-depth collaboration since early this year and subsequently reached a consensus on the MoU terms. The MOU signing ceremony was hosted during the visit of representatives from the pharmaceutical company to the Science Park in August.
The partnership between the three parties in the MoU means a collective effort to co-incubate and co-invest in start-up ventures, enhance collaboration in clinical trials and provide support to contract research organisations (CRO) and contract development manufacturing organisations (CDMO) in areas including autoimmune diseases, anti-ageing, gene and cell therapy, and messenger RNA (mRNA) / small interfering RNA (siRNA).
A fund will also be set up with HKSTP to support collaboration across drug discovery, innovation treatment and other clinical aspects to accelerate the incubation and translation of basic biomedical research in Hong Kong, advancing the city’s mission to be an international I&T hub.
The CEO of HKSTP stated that the Park is will seize the opportunities under the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Greater Bay Area to reinforce collaboration with different sectors. The collaboration with the two industry partners will amplify Hong Kong’s R&D strengths and start a new chapter in the city’s biomedical technology development.
With Hong Kong being Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest biotech fundraising hub, Hong Kong’s unique platform and advantages in research capability and clinical resources will continue to be leveraged to accelerate technologies and deliver world-class biotech innovation for the city, he added.
The President and Executive Director of the pharmaceutical company stated that building on the exceptional biomedical foundations and R&D capabilities of Hong Kong, the three parties will leverage their collective advantages and vast resources to collaborate in areas such as incubation and translation of research projects, clinical trials, CRO platforms and provide support to the industry.
He noted that by forming an ‘Innovation Alliance’ with the government sector, tertiary education institutions, the Science Park, pharmaceutical companies and capital markets, the ecosystem will be scaled up with even more effective incubation and translation of basic biomedical research in Hong Kong.
The President of the venture capital firm noted that the company’s vision of Shanghai HealthCare Capital is to build a biomedical innovation investment platform that is based in Shanghai and Hong Kong, connecting with the Yangtze River Delta, while exploring the international market.
He added that the strategic cooperation between the three parties will effectively combine their strengths and develop a translational ecosystem for early R&D products with the government sector, tertiary education institutions, the Science Park, capital markets and corporations, driving state-of-the-art biotechnologies from Shanghai and Hong Kong to the global market.
The global biotechnology market was valued at US$852.88 billion in 2020 and is expected to increase to approximately US$3.44 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 17.83% during the forecast period.
Key factors driving the market include favourable government policies, the roll-out of new and advanced products, robust investment in the biotechnology sector, and rising demand for funding through alliance investment in start-up biotechnology companies for adopting new and advanced products are contributing to market growth.