New center to fast-track medical breakthroughs

The 2025 Belt and Road Initiative Global Health Forum which concluded in Macau last week higlighted global efforts to accelerate medical innovation.

A standout development was the launch of a new AI Translational Medicine Center – a joint initiative by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and the Macau Translational Medicine Center. The new center aims to fast-track medical breakthroughs by bridging laboratory research with clinical application through global collaboration and cross-sector innovation.

"Translational medicine is the key to unlocking tough medical challenges," said He Yao, director of the center. "This partnership enhances our role in global health and the Greater Bay Area's integration into the international ecosystem."

Arnout Jacobs, president of Springer Nature China, said the partnership would help speed up the translation of biomedical research into clinical practice and expand the global reach of scientific discoveries.

Co-hosted by the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation, the Macau Translational Medicine Center, and Springer Nature, the forum highlighted breakthroughs in biomedical science, new materials, pharmaceuticals, and biomanufacturing – key pillars of Macau's strategy for economic diversification.

The event brought together leaders from government, academia, hospitals, and finance, underscoring a shared push for collaborative innovation. Twelve international experts, including Academician of the European Academy of Sciences Péter Hegyi, Academician of the German National Academy of Sciences Roland Eils, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Fan Chunhai, were named honorary advisers to foster academic exchanges and support young scientific talent.

Macau's secretary for economy and finance, Tai Kin Ip, emphasized the city's commitment to health tech and traditional Chinese medicine as drivers of sustainable growth. He said Macau would leverage its cultural and linguistic links to strengthen cooperation with Portuguese-speaking and Belt and Road countries in advancing global health innovation.