HONG KONG, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerebro-cardiovascular conditions have continued to pose a public health burden. The convergence of population ageing and lifestyle risk factors has made "earlier detection, earlier intervention, and accessible and affordable prevention and management" a common challenge for global healthcare systems. Concurrently, the rapid development of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital health platforms, and medical imaging has brought new possibilities for related risk assessment, early screening, risk stratification, and precision therapy. However, bridging the gap between "Research—Clinic—Community" still relies on the joint development that is cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and cross-regional collaboration mechanisms, and an innovation ecosystem.

In this context, the 2^nd International Cerebro-cardiovascular Medical Innovation Summit (ICMIS 2025), organised by the InnoHK Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), was successfully convened today at Hong Kong Science Park. As a flagship academic event in the cerebro-cardiovascular health, this year's summit brought together distinguished experts and scholars from world-leading institutions, including the University of Oxford, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the University of Hong Kong, and City University of Hong Kong, as well as leaders from the medical industry. The first day's agenda focused on three core themes: digital health and AI-enabled healthcare technology, medical imaging and community healthcare, and translational clinical solutions. Academic leaders and industry pioneers from across the globe engaged in rigorous intellectual exchange, collectively exploring innovative strategies to address pressing global challenges in cerebro-cardiovascular health.

Deepening Cross-Sector Collaboration to Address Global Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Challenges

The summit's opening ceremony was an esteemed gathering, uniting leading figures from government, academia, and industry, and setting a high-level international tone for the event. Several eminent guests delivered speeches, presenting a forward-looking blueprint for the future of cerebro-cardiovascular health engineering and medical innovation. Their insights spanned multiple dimensions, including policy support, clinical needs, industry development, and academic innovation, underscoring a collective commitment to driving progress in this critical field.

Prof. Dong SUN, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of HKSAR, stated that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, making this summit a vital platform for interdisciplinary exchange to address these critical challenges. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to develop Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. Highlighting InnoHK as a flagship initiative, he praised COCHE for its significant advancements in AI-powered imaging and biosensing through strategic partnerships with world-leading institutions. He also stated that the Government is expediting the establishment of the third InnoHK research cluster which focus on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials to further improve the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong.

Prof. Junbo GE, President of Chinese Medical Doctor Association Cardiovascular Society and Chinese Cardiovascular Alliance, emphasized that the greatest breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine never happen in isolation but live at the intersection of clinicians, engineers, and industry partners. He underscored the fact that the summit is not just about sharing knowledge but about building a "common language" to create the future of Cerebral-Cardiovascular health, encouraging all scientists and entrepreneurs to "reach across the aisle" for innovation.

Mr Terry WONG, CEO of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), expressed his great pleasure in co-hosting the summit with the Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE). He acknowledged COCHE's visionary leadership in bridging the gap between medical research and real-world application, noting that their efforts are essential for empowering the next generation of health tech innovators to deliver tangible clinical and commercial impact. Describing ICMIS 2025 as a landmark event, he highlighted how the summit has brought together global communities in a shared mission to build a healthier world. Mr Wong also emphasised that HKSTP offers a comprehensive innovation and technology ecosystem, home to over 300 life and health technology companies, all working to build a strong pipeline from deep research to commercialisation. He looks forward to continuing close collaboration with partners across sectors to help innovation-driven companies thrive at HKSTP.

Prof. Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, highlighted that the summit focuses on the latest advancements in digital health, AI-enabled technologies, and medical imaging. He emphasized that COCHE is at the center of this revolution by combining engineering, life sciences, and data science to develop innovative solutions that make healthcare more effective and accessible.

At the end of the opening ceremony, Ir. Prof. Kannie W.Y. CHAN, Director, Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE) , Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong , Adjunct Professor, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University , delivered the opening address for the summit. She announced a flagship initiative for 2026, the C² Health Guardian Program, which aims to serve 5,000 participants in public housing through a collaboration with Yan Chai Hospital Board. She emphasized that the vision of COCHE is to connect community care, hospital care, and home care through an integrated database to prioritize prevention and accessible healthcare.

Forging Strategic Partnerships, Building an International Collaborative Network, and Integrating Industry, Academia, Research, and Medicine

During the opening ceremony, COCHE held The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremonies with Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Corporate-M, officially announcing closer international collaboration in the field of cerebro-cardiovascular health engineering.

COCHE will partner with Corporate M to launch a large-scale longitudinal community study on preventive care for cerebro-cardiovascular conditions and early Alzheimer's detection, while joining forces with Ruijin Hospital to co-develop innovative medical products and establish a joint Shanghai-Hong Kong international innovation medical center.

The signing of the MOUs not only further consolidated Hong Kong's substantive collaboration with top mainland and international medical institutions in cerebro-cardiovascular research and medical innovation, but also highlighted Hong Kong's important role as a key hub connecting China's medical technology ecosystem with the world. By combining Ruijin Hospital's clinical strengths, Corporate-M 's experience in medical imaging and commercialisation, along with local innovation resources and policy support, COCHE is expected to accelerate the translation of a series of cutting-edge research results from the laboratory to clinical and community applications.

Converging Wisdom to Navigate the Future: Three Frontier Topics Define the New Landscape of Cerebro-cardiovascular Healthcare

The first day's main forum centered on three main sessions: "Digital Health and AI-enabled Healthcare Technology," "Medical Imaging and Community Healthcare for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Management," and "Navigating Global Innovation Pathways. From Scientific Discovery to Clinical Study," collectively presenting the complete pathway for cerebro-cardiovascular medical innovation from early detection - risk prevention - clinical care - to large-scale implementation.

Digital Health and AI Technology: Driving Early Detection and Precision Prevention

Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence and multi-modal data analytic technologies are leading the healthcare model to shift from passive treatment to active prevention. Through AI-enabled ultrasound detection and digital health solutions, the accuracy of early screening for high-risk diseases such as congenital heart disease and stroke has significantly improved, effectively advancing healthcare and laying the technical foundation for a front-loaded, intelligent, active health management system.

Advanced Medical Imaging and Community Health Management: Transforming "Visible" into "Manageable"

The evolution of Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and theranostic imaging technologies is dedicated to transforming highly sophisticated imaging methods into widely accessible tools for community health protection. By establishing effective pathways from clinical guidelines to community implementation, advanced imaging technologies are breaking down hospital walls, achieving "seeing is believing" precision screening, and becoming the key visual support for the full-cycle management of public cerebro-cardiovascular health.

From Research to Clinic: Accelerating the Application of Innovative Technologies

Addressing the translational challenge of moving "from bench to bedside," regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and AI imaging technologies are rapidly integrating into actual clinical workflows. By deepening cross-sector collaboration across industry, academia, research, and medicine, non-invasive technologies and innovative therapies are overcoming R&D barriers, effectively shortening the translation cycle, and promoting the widespread application and commercialisation of global frontier medical achievements in clinical settings.

The first day of ICMIS 2025 successfully concluded in a vibrant atmosphere of academic exchange. From macro-level strategic cooperation signings to micro-level imaging technology breakthroughs, from AI algorithms for precision screening to the clinical practice of regenerative medicine, the forum not only fully showcased the latest technological achievements in the cerebro-cardiovascular field but also built a high-level platform for dialogue and collaboration for global experts, transcending disciplinary and geographical boundaries. On the agenda for the second day, the summit further focused on the commercialisation and ecosystem-building of medical innovation, providing a platform for promising cerebro-cardiovascular research projects to present their findings and connect with international experts and investors.

Source: COCHE