Speech by FS at Surgical Futures Forum (English only) (with photos/video)
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Professor Samuel Au (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Robotics), Clara (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, Ms Clara Chan), Geoff (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic, Mr Geoffrey Martha), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is a pleasure to join you at the inaugural Surgical Futures Forum, organised by Cornerstone Robotics. With leaders from the industry, academia and medicine from Hong Kong and around the world, there is much to look forward to in the discussions today.
The theme, "Redefining Access to Surgical Care Through Robotics and Innovation", is well chosen, and it is a demanding one. It asks not only what robot-assisted surgery can achieve, but how many surgeons can perform it, and how many patients can benefit from it.
Twenty-five years ago, a single operation changed our understanding of what surgery could achieve. A surgeon in New York removed the gall bladder of a patient in Strasbourg, France. That was in 2001, when many of us were still using dial-up internet, and opening a photograph on a computer took long enough to make a cup of coffee.
A quarter of a century later, millions of robot-assisted operations are performed every year, and their precision is beyond question. Yet access tells a different story: the industry's own figures show that global adoption remains in single digits.
Surgical robotics has spent 25 years proving what is possible. The next 25 should be about making it accessible to all. Put simply, the first chapter was about precision. The next must be about access.
The challenge now goes beyond the science. Design and cost remain major barriers. Today's mainstream systems are built for the best-resourced hospitals. Their price, their footprint and their training requirements limit where they can be installed and how widely they can be used. That helps explain why global penetration remains below 5 per cent.
If we believe innovation should serve humanity, progress in surgical robotics must mean more than better technology. It must mean reaching more patients. Because behind these barriers are countless people still waiting to benefit. That is why the partnership we celebrate today matters far beyond this room.
In September, Medtronic announced a strategic investment of about US$700 million in Cornerstone Robotics. It also secured distribution rights for the Sentire Surgical System in selected international markets, complementing its own platform. Such a commitment from a global leader in medical technology is a powerful endorsement of Hong Kong's innovation sector. For decades, advanced surgical technology has reached the world from a handful of centres. Today, a new source is on the map. And that is Hong Kong.
This partnership shows that technology developed here can earn the confidence of industry leaders and, through collaboration, reach international markets. It is a milestone for both companies, and another example of Hong Kong's innovation going global.
I was pleased to note that, shortly after the announcement, Sentire was installed at IRCAD (Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif) in Strasbourg, one of the world's leading centres for surgical training. Twenty-five years ago, Strasbourg was where the patient lay in that pioneering transatlantic operation. Today, the robotic system developed in Hong Kong is there, ready to train surgeons from around the world. Having proven the technology, the task now is to spread it, and that work is gaining momentum.
Hong Kong is known for connecting capital from the Mainland and the rest of the world. In medical technology, our role goes further: we help bring new treatments to patients and open markets for innovators. Let me explain.
The journey from laboratory to operating theatre can easily take a decade, with each stage calling for a different kind of capital. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation is our flagship for patient capital, helping promising businesses grow.
Our listing regime for biotech companies also enables businesses still at research and development stage to raise funds from global investors. Since the reform in 2018, more than 90 such companies have listed here, making Hong Kong the world's second-largest centre for biotechnology fundraising. Surgical robotics companies are among them. From the first cheque to the ringing of the listing bell, Hong Kong supports innovators every step of their journey.
Our regulatory framework is also advancing. Within this year, the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation will be established, bringing us a step closer to independent assessment of drugs and medical devices. Under the Medicine and Equipment Connect, 100 medical devices used in Hong Kong have been approved for use at 71 designated institutions across the Greater Bay Area, and this is only the first step. Clinical data generated here are now accepted by the National Medical Products Administration. In other words, a product validated in Hong Kong has a bridge to go to the Greater Bay Area and a pathway to international markets as well as our own national recognition.
At Hetao, the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute and the Shenzhen Park have jointly established a cross-boundary platform for clinical trials. It enables the use of data and biological samples on both sides of the boundary, helping to accelerate research on drugs and medical devices.
None of this is possible without people. Our two medical schools both rank among the world's top 30. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is establishing the third one, with research and innovation at its core. Capital, regulation, clinical expertise and talent reinforce one another. Together, they are helping to build Hong Kong into an international hub for medical device innovation.
Hong Kong is determined to bring medical innovations to more patients, and artificial intelligence has an important part to play. AI can guide surgeons and help them sharpen their skills. Today's forum will also explore how we train the next generation of surgeons, an area people and technology can achieve much together.
Last year, our country launched its AI+ Initiative, and people's well-being is one of six priorities; and the initiative calls for AI to strengthen primary healthcare. "AI+" was also featured prominently in Hong Kong's own Five-Year Plan, with healthcare among the first sectors targeted for co-ordinated action. Our public hospitals are already using AI to analyse pathology slides and medical images, and to identify patients at risk so that care teams can act earlier.
Surgical robots have their strengths. They do not ask for a day off, they do not tire, and they don't even need to go to the toilet. But they cannot - at least not yet - bring together insights from different medical disciplines or make judgements that take full account of a patient's feelings and concerns. Surgical robotics can be a model of people and technology working together. And one measure of success will be whether patients, wherever they live, can benefit from the same high standard of surgical care.
Innovation is not an end in itself. Its purpose is to improve the lives of patients. I look forward to working with you towards that goal. I wish the inaugural Surgical Futures Forum every success, and all of you a rewarding day, and the best of health and wishes. Thank you.
Ends/Monday, November 9, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:30
Issued at HKT 12:30
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