Hong Kong to promote collaboration with institutions and pharmaceutical firms to boost city as clinical trial and research centre
- Hospital Authority promises new Central Clinical Research and Innovation Office will open its doors in second quarter of year
- Office will coordinate joint efforts between universities and scientific research institutions and improve city’s clinical research environment in hospitals
Hong Kong’s health authorities plan to step up efforts to form collaborations with life sciences institutions and pharmaceutical companies and create a one-stop shop in a bid to burnish the city’s credentials as a clinical trial and research centre.
Dr Venus Siu Wing-sze, the Hospital Authority’s chief manager of clinical effectiveness and technology management, said a new Central Clinical Research and Innovation Office would be up and running in the second quarter of the year.
“This office will mainly be responsible for coordination work, connecting universities and scientific research institutions,” she said. “It will also work with various hospital clusters to improve the clinical research environment.
“In the past, scientific research institutions had to reach out to local universities if they wished to collaborate with the Hospital Authority. In the future, [the office] will be the contact point.”
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in last October’s policy address that making Hong Kong a health and medical innovation hub was a major goal.
