News
HKBU and China Resources Enterprise establish Joint Innovation Centre on Smart Chinese Medicine
20 Dec, 2023
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and China Resources Research Institute of Science and Technology Co. Limited (CRRIST), a subsidiary of China Resources Enterprise Limited (CR Enterprise), have signed a research and development collaboration agreement to establish the CR-BU Joint Innovation Centre on Smart Chinese Medicine. The Centre aims to drive advancements in Chinese medicine and the development of an innovative Chronic Disease Management System.
The agreement was signed on 19 December by Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU, and Mr Zhi Zhe, Vice President of CR Enterprise, at the plaque unveiling ceremony of the CR-BU Joint Innovation Centre on Smart Chinese Medicine held on the HKBU campus. Witnessing the ceremony were Mr Wang Weiming and Ms Wu Cheng, Director General and Deputy Director General of the Education and Technology Department in the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR respectively; Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Mr Wang Xiangming, Chairman of China Resources Group; and Mr Chen Ying, Assistant President of the China Resources Group and Chairman of CR Enterprise. The event was also graced by Mr Wang Yan, Director and President of CR Enterprise; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) of HKBU; and Ms Christine Chow, Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary of HKBU.
Professor Alexander Wai said: “The Central Government has placed a high emphasis on the advancement of Chinese medicine. The University’s research achievements demonstrate our contributions to promoting Hong Kong’s integration into the national development plan, inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine, as well as expediting the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine. I believe the establishment of the CR-BU Joint Innovation Centre on Smart Chinese Medicine today marks a significant step for our collaborative efforts in propelling the development of Chinese medicine. Our first project on the Chronic Disease Management System can be adopted by other areas of disease management and treatment in the future. Through continuous technological innovation and advancement, the tradition of Chinese medicine can truly integrate into modern life, creating greater impact for human health.”
Mr Wang Xiangming said: “The establishment of the CR-BU Joint Innovation Centre on Smart Chinese Medicine is bound to further deepen the cooperation between the two parties in the development of smart Chinese medicine and its standardisation, and internationalisation. It will also further encourage the two parties to carry out a series of innovative research and application in chronic disease management, artificial intelligence and big data in Chinese medicine. We will jointly explore the new model and new direction of smart Chinese medicine to combine the diversified industrial advantages of CR Group and the high-level Chinese medicine resources of HKBU. The collaboration aims to achieve a synergy of “1+1>2” and to position the Joint Innovation Centre as a platform of smart Chinese medicine with international influence, making greater contribution to the promotion of smart Chinese medicine and its modernisation.”
The agreement lays the groundwork for closer collaboration between the two parties such as allocation of intellectual property, contributions and resources, with a detailed framework for promoting modernisation and scientific development of Chinese medicine.
Serving as a hub for cutting-edge research, innovation and collaboration in Chinese medicine, the Centre will launch an inaugural project to develop the innovative Chronic Disease Management System. The system will enable the comprehensive tracking of a patient’s medical journey, from diagnosis to treatment. It will also provide extended functions for follow-up medical care and long-term health management, which are vital for monitoring chronic disease.
By leveraging this system, Chinese medicine practitioners will have access to comprehensive and systematic patient medical histories, empowering them to make more informed treatment plans based on a deeper understanding of each patient’s health records. Simultaneously, patients will gain a clearer understanding of their treatment condition and progress through the system, facilitating them in making important medical decisions.
The system will also potentially accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries. Researchers will benefit from the invaluable pool of tracked data provided by the system. This will serve as a solid foundation for research, including the analysis of overall treatment effectiveness and the identification of responses to Chinese medicine interventions.