The
University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Guangdong Pharmaceutical University
(GDPU) have cooperatively announced the launch of the GDPU-HKU Innovations
Platform (the Platform) in Zhongshan. The two universities will collaborate on bio-
and health technology and translational medical research and development in
Guangdong-Zhuhai-Macau Greater Bay Area.
A
Satellite Branch of HKU’s Partner State Key Laboratory of pharmaceutical biotechnology
will also be set up at GDPU.
The
move is of great strategic importance to HKU especially in terms of the technology
transfer and commercialisation of the
University’s cutting-edge research particularly in the field of bio-medicine. The step is even more significant
as it reinforces the University’s presence and contribution to development in the
Greater Bay Area.
The
Platform will take part in and ride on the “Healthy China 2030” blueprint and
other national strategic documents to define the development plan of
bio-medicine in China, which will capacitate the growth of its medical health
industry to S$16.3 trillion by 2020 and S$32.7 trillion by 2030.
Zhongshan
Municipal People’s Government has pledged its support to the move and has committed
to growing its national medical base and bio-medical industry. The Platform
will play a major role in the development of the Greater Bay Area by leveraging
on HKU’s technological innovations and cutting-edge research as well as utilising GDPU's expertise in translational
medicine development and incubation facility operation. GDPU has established an
extensive and influential industrial network in the area and steers the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau
pharmaceutical industry collaborative alliance which has nearly 200 members
from enterprises, associations, and
educational institutes.
The Platform
has been established at the “Torch High-Tech Industrial Zone”, a national
health technology park supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and
the People’s Governments of Guangdong and Zhongshan City. Three core units – the
Incubation Facility, the joint-laboratory, and the Technology Transfer Unit –
will be set up. The target is to develop the Platform into a National level
technology enterprise incubator capable of hosting a minimum of 50 spin-off companies as well as incubating at
least 10 HKU technologies within the next 5 years.
A ceremony
to celebrate the Platform’s was held on
July 6 in Zhongshan. HKU Acting President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul
Tam, President of GDPU Professor Guo Jiao and Mayor of Zhongshan Government Mr Jiao Lansheng officiated at the ceremony.
Speaking
at the ceremony, Professor Tam said the Platform signifies a new stage in the
University’s effort to excel in research, innovation, and technology. “The Platform has provided us with enormous
opportunities. Not only opportunities for our researchers and students to
exchange and collaborate with medical industry clusters in Zhongshan City and
companies in Greater Bay Area, but also technology transfer and
commercialisation opportunities of HKU inventions and know-hows on biotechnologies
and medical research to local companies, which will allow us to better serve
the community in the long run,” he added.
The Incubation
Facility (the Incubator) is expected to be set up under the Platform and will
develop into a municipal-level technological enterprise incubator in Zhongshan
in the next couple of years. That is, it will house 5 to 10 companies by
2019/20. Later, by 2022/23, the facility
is expected to develop into a provincial-level
technological enterprise incubator in the Guangdong Province, with a total of
20 to 30 companies housed in it. The ultimate goal is the development of a national-level
technological enterprise incubator in China by 2023 with more than 50 companies
operating within the facility.
The
Technology Transfer Unit will provide services to both HKU and GDPU researches
in areas related to technology transfer. Moreover, it will help commercialise HKU’s IPs as well as GPDU’s translational research to industrial
enterprises and technology companies in Zhongshan City and in the Greater Bay
area.
The
Joint-Laboratory, equipped with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facilities,
will provide space and laboratory facilities for researchers from HKU and GDPU
to conduct joint-research projects.
