Empowering Women’s Health: InvestHK Hosts Inaugural Women’s Health & Tech Forum

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) successfully hosted the Women’s Health & Tech Forum 2025 today, bringing together distinguished speakers from government, academia, and the private sector to explore the intersection of technology and women’s health. The forum featured comprehensive sessions and media opportunities covering policy initiatives, clinical research translation, and ecosystem development, attracting key stakeholders from Hong Kong’s rapidly evolving health sector.

Government’s Strategic Vision for Advancing Women’s Health

The HKSAR Government has positioned health innovation as a key driver of new quality productive forces in Hong Kong, with a clear vision to develop the city into an international health and medical innovation hub. Through comprehensive reforms in drug and medical device approval mechanisms, enhanced clinical trial capabilities, and accelerated research translation, the government is creating a robust foundation for innovation in crucial sectors including women’s health.

Dr. Libby Lee, Under Secretary for Health, Health Bureau, stated, “The HKSAR Government is committed to complement technological innovation with institutional innovation, developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. As we move forward, we must continue to prioritise health and well-being of people in our innovation agenda. This requires collaboration across sectors – government, academia, healthcare providers, and the private sector – all working together to address unmet needs and create sustainable and scalable solutions. Together, we can harness technology to improve health outcomes, empower women, and build a healthier society for all.”

InvestHK’s Pivotal Role in Fostering Innovation

Hong Kong’s growing prominence in health technology is supported by InvestHK’s strategic initiatives to attract and facilitate innovative companies. The agency’s comprehensive approach combines with Hong Kong’s world-class infrastructure development, talent pool, and comprehensive ecosystem, developing Hong Kong as a leading health tech hub.

Ms Alpha Lau, Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, commented, “As a global innovation and technology hub, Hong Kong is leveraging cutting-edge technologies and world-class expertise to advance women’s healthcare. With the global femtech market is expected to grow substantially, InvestHK is dedicated to attracting pioneering solutions to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem in Hong Kong and across Asia.”

Advancing Women’s Health Through Academic-Government Collaboration

Primary Healthcare has become the backbone of Hong Kong’s public health initiatives. A significant development announced at the forum was the collaboration between the District Health Centre and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to introduce post-natal health services within the primary healthcare framework, showcasing how academic-government partnerships can effectively serve the unmet needs in local communities.

Dr Fei-chau Pang, Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, emphasised, “Primary healthcare has become the foundation of our public health initiatives, bringing essential services closer to the community. The government has launched the “Life Course Preventive Care plan”. Based on the core principles of prevention-oriented and whole-person care, a personalised preventive care plan will be formulated according to the latest evidence to establish healthy lifestyle patterns and raise self-health management awareness among citizens of different age groups, thereby improving the overall health of the population, providing accessible and coherent healthcare network services, and establishing a sustainable healthcare system.“

Prof Liona Poon, Chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUHK, highlighted, “This collaboration helps address the unmet needs in post-natal health, which represents a significant step forward in women’s healthcare delivery. This partnership combines CUHK’s pioneering clinical expertise with the government’s community outreach capabilities. Through this integrated approach, we can better support women’s health needs at the community level.”

Driving Innovation in Women’s Health Tech

Hong Kong’s health tech ecosystem continues to attract and nurture innovative companies addressing critical women’s healthcare needs. WomenX Biotech Limited, a Hong Kong-based startup inventing non-invasive HPV test using menstrual blood, and EveryBaby, an Irish health tech company specialising in preterm birth prevention through cervical tissue analysis, exemplify how both local and international companies are leveraging the city’s advantages to advance women’s health technologies.

Dr Pui Wah Choi, Founder of WomenX Biotech Limited, shared, “The city’s research capabilities and clinical resources have been crucial in developing our technology for early disease detection. Hong Kong’s supportive ecosystem has enabled us to transform monthly menstrual blood collection into a powerful tool for women’s health monitoring.”

Mr Dabriel Choi, CEO of EveryBaby, added, “We chose Hong Kong as our Asian Headquarters because of its strong healthcare foundation and strategic position for entering the mainland China market. The ecosystem here facilitates meaningful partnerships between startups, researchers, and healthcare providers, which is essential for developing and validating our innovative preterm birth prevention technology.”

A Hub for Women’s Health Innovation

The Women Health & Tech Forum 2025 has effectively demonstrated Hong Kong’s commitment to advancing women’s health through technology. By fostering collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector, and leveraging the city’s strengths in life and health science, Hong Kong is establishing itself as a leading hub for women’s health innovation. This commitment to combining technological and institutional innovation aligns with the government’s broader vision of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, creating impact both locally and across the region.