The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has emerged as the vital nervous system for the city’s burgeoning medical robotics sector. By providing a sophisticated ecosystem of state-of-the-art laboratories and strategic business support, HKSTP enables visionary researchers and startups to bridge the gap between academic theory and clinical application. From Professor Qi Dou’s autonomous co-pilots to Yuanhua Tech’s multi-functional platforms, these innovations are cementing Hong Kong’s reputation as a global powerhouse for high-end, AI-integrated healthcare manufacturing.
The future of surgery is shifting from manual teleoperation to intelligent autonomy. Professor Qi Dou, a lead researcher at the InnoHK Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center (MRC), is spearheading this transformation through the development of an AI "Co-pilot" for general surgery.
Professor Dou’s team has achieved three critical breakthroughs: generalizability across diverse patient anatomies, clinical compatibility with existing surgical robot, and seamless human-robot collaboration. Unlike traditional systems where surgeons must manually toggle every movement, this AI assistant can independently manage tasks like tissue retraction, gauze grasping, vessel clipping or camera positioning via voice commands.
The MRC provides the essential "translational" infrastructure to bring these lab innovations to life. Utilizing world-class Hybrid Operating Rooms, the team has already successfully validated the system’s stability through live animal trials. These trials demonstrate that the AI "third arm" significantly reduces the cognitive and physical workload for surgeons during complex laparoscopic procedures.
While navigating the "world-first" regulatory pathways for AI autonomy remains a challenge, Professor Dou anticipates clinical adoption within the next five years. This leap forward promises a new era where surgeons and AI work in tandem to enhance precision and patient safety in the operating room.
In the surgical suites of the future, the steady hand of the surgeon is increasingly augmented by the unerring precision of artificial intelligence. At the forefront of this shift is Yuanhua Tech. Speaking from its international headquarters at the Hong Kong Science Park, CEO Lily Meng outlined a bold roadmap for transforming the city into a global hub for high-end medical sector.
Yuanhua Tech’s flagship "5-in-1" KUNWU® Robotic Orthopaedic Surgical Systems is a world-first, integrating knee, hip, spine, and trauma surgeries into a single robotic platform. "Our technology is built on entirely self-developed algorithms," Meng explained, detailing a workflow where AI converts CT scans into 3D plans, allowing for sub-millimetre accuracy that reduces patient trauma and hastens recovery.
Beyond the operating table, the company is pioneering Active Capsule Endoscopy. Unlike traditional "passive" pills, these AI-driven capsules can be externally controlled to navigate the digestive tract, identify lesions in minutes, and even deliver targeted medication.
After landing in the Hong Kong Science Park, Yuanhua Tech has been enjoying the support from HKSTP from hiring talents to overseas expansion opportunities. Yuanhua Tech isn't just building surgical robots; it is engineering a new standard for global healthcare.
Through the synergy of academic excellence and industrial ambition, Hong Kong is rapidly redefining the surgical landscape. By integrating autonomous AI "co-pilots" and versatile robotic platforms into clinical workflows, the city is not just adopting new technology—it is setting a global benchmark.
Building on this momentum, the HKSTP is accelerating the development of INNOPOLE within the San Tin Technopole. This strategic hub is designed to anchor the city’s I&T ecosystem by leveraging an "AI+" strategy to empower frontier industries, including life health technology. By providing essential infrastructure such as high-performance computing and edge computing facilities, INNOPOLE will serve as a critical bridge for high-growth enterprises to scale up. This expansion directly supports the "translational" ambitions of the MRC and provides the large-scale production environment envisioned by Yuanhua Tech, ensuring that homegrown surgical innovations can transition seamlessly from research and development in the Science Park to global stage.
