Universities play an indispensable role in advancing knowledge, nurturing talents, and transforming research into real-world impact, Hong Kong’s tech chief said on Wednesday, vowing support for universities to conduct basic and applied research that better serves national scientific and technological needs.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong made the remarks at the main event of the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Innovation Week 2026, which brought together over 1,000 leaders and representatives from government, industry, academia, research institutions and the investment community.

Sun pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR government remains committed to consolidating the "dual base" advantages of Hong Kong's State Key Laboratories and the InnoHK Research Clusters — a major initiative to develop Hong Kong as a hub for global research collaboration, to enable universities to conduct basic and applied research that better serves national scientific and technological needs.

Also highlighting the importance of transferring research from academic publications to commercial application through a robust innovation ecosystem, Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, pointed out that the current landscape in Hong Kong relies heavily on universities as the primary source of innovation due to a lack of physical industry within the city.

To ensure relevance, research must focus on commercial application rather than remaining purely theoretical, Leung noted.

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Richard Wong Yue-chim, acting president of HKU, noted that the journey from laboratory to real-world impact is rarely simple. To address that, he mentioned, HKU launched HKU RISE — Research, Innovation, Strategic Partnerships, and Entrepreneurship — a unified platform that consolidates research funding, intellectual property management, technology transfer, startup incubation, enabling discoveries to move beyond academia and into the marketplace, overcoming regulatory and institutional barriers.

The innovation week, themed “The Innovation Reef: Where Ideas Breed and Thrive”, runs until Oct 16 and showcases over 120 groundbreaking innovations across biomedical sciences, healthcare, smart living, engineering, architecture and sustainability.

Among the startups on display, CereThera, an award-winning biotech spinoff, showcased its cutting-edge product, NanoPowder Nasal Spray — the world's first rapid prehospital first-aid product for strokes.

Shao Zitong, founder and CEO of CereThera, said that through the university’s homegrown innovative drug delivery system — “Nano-in-Micron” —technology platform, the innovation successfully overcomes the challenge of crossing the blood-brain barrier, enabling the delivery of medication to the brain without the need for injections or surgery. In the long run, the product can shift stroke care from hospital to prehospital.

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Bella Zheng Chengwen, CEO assistant at AilsunBio, a peptide therapeutics company leveraging AI-driven technology, told the media that the company had successfully connected with several investors during the innovation week. "The participation of government officials helps us gain a better understanding of policies that support startups," Zheng said.

At the same occasion, HKU and Silicon Valley venture capital firm DEFTA Partners announced the first close of HKU Entrepreneurship Engine Fund x DEFTA Joint Fund. The fund will help accelerate technology validation, market adoption and commercialization, particularly for deep-tech and research-intensive ventures.

HKU also launched the HKU Strategic Partnership Alliance for Research and Commercialisation, bringing together over 30 corporations, public-sector organizations, and non-governmental partners to establish a dynamic global network that advances research translation and innovation. The alliance aims to foster collaborative research, facilitate the establishment of joint laboratories, and accelerate the translation of discoveries into practical applications.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com