The gap between cutting-edge robotics research and actual hospital deployment is about to narrow significantly. Starting September 22, the 4th Hong Kong Clinical-driven Robotics and Embodied AI Technology (CREATE) Symposium will bring together hospital leaders, AI researchers, and major investors to accelerate the translation of embodied AI technologies into real clinical settings.

Why Are Hospitals and Tech Companies Finally Connecting?

For years, robotics and AI breakthroughs have happened in labs while hospitals struggle with outdated workflows. The CREATE Symposium addresses this disconnect by creating a dedicated platform where clinical needs drive technology development. This year's event will focus on practical applications across more than ten medical specialties, including neurology, neurosurgery, respiratory intervention, otolaryngology, ultrasound imaging, and sleep medicine.

The symposium is organized by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), part of the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), with co-organization by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). The event will be held at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium in Hong Kong Science Park on September 22 and 23.

What Makes This Year's Symposium Different?

The CREATE Symposium is introducing a groundbreaking "Roadshow Session" on September 23 that directly connects innovative companies with top-tier investment institutions. This new format allows participating companies to showcase their products and technologies while receiving professional feedback from leading investors in a structured setting.

Investors from renowned institutions including Guangyuan Investment, Jiuguang Capital, Allwinner Technology, Yuexiu Group, Yanghe Investment, CICC Capital, and Jianyuan Tianhua have been invited to serve as judges. Additional invitations have been extended to institutions such as Shenzhen Angel Fund of Funds and CCB International.

Beyond the investor roadshow, the symposium will feature a special "Hospital Presidents' Roundtable" session bringing together eight hospital leaders from the Greater Bay Area to discuss integrating medicine and engineering, smart hospital development, and practical applications of medical AI.

How to Navigate the Medical AI Landscape: Key Components of the Symposium

• CARES 4.0 Launch: The symposium will debut CARES 4.0, a multi-modal medical AI large model and intelligent agent system specifically designed for healthcare scenarios, representing a significant step forward in embodied intelligent healthcare.
• MedTech Innovation Exhibition: A dedicated exhibition will showcase cutting-edge medical hardware, AI algorithms, and other innovative achievements, allowing attendees to see the latest capabilities in embodied intelligent healthcare firsthand.
• HKSTP Entrepreneurship Session: The co-organizer will host a special session introducing the HKSTP life and health technology ecosystem and startup community, sharing success stories from HKSTP startups and discussing strategic partnerships for value creation and growth.
• MEDLing Conference Assistant: The symposium will fully integrate MEDLing, CAIR's proprietary intelligent conference assistant customized for medical terminology, providing real-time speech transcription in Mandarin, English, and Cantonese with simultaneous translation throughout the event.
• Guided Cross-Sector Tours: Multiple guided tours will be organized throughout the event to facilitate exchanges among attendees, academic experts, and industry representatives, fostering in-depth collaboration across sectors.

The hospital leaders participating in the roundtable bring decades of clinical expertise and institutional influence. They include Linbo Cai, President of Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital; Kenneth Man-Chee Cheung, President and Hospital Chief Executive of The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital; Kin-lai Chung, CEO of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical Centre; and Xiquan Hu, Director of Rehabilitation Medicine at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.

Additional participants include Lijian Jin, Dean of Faculty of Dentistry at HKU; Wing-yee So, Hospital Chief Executive of North District Hospital under the Hospital Authority; Kenneth Hing Lim Tsang, Regional CEO of IHH Healthcare North Asia and CEO of Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong; and Yi Xiong, Executive Director of Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital.

Why Should Startups and Investors Pay Attention?

The symposium addresses a critical bottleneck in healthcare technology: the difficulty of moving innovations from research to clinical deployment. By bringing hospital decision-makers, technology developers, and investors into the same room, the CREATE Symposium creates a rare opportunity for startups to receive direct feedback from the institutions that will ultimately adopt their technologies.

The dedicated healthcare technology exhibition area in the Atrium Link of Hong Kong Science Park will feature limited booth availability, indicating strong demand from companies seeking to showcase their innovations. The symposium's focus on practical clinical needs across multiple specialties means that solutions addressing real hospital challenges are likely to attract investor interest.

The integration of MEDLing, the proprietary intelligent conference assistant, removes language barriers that have historically hindered international collaboration in healthcare technology. By providing real-time transcription and translation in Mandarin, English, and Cantonese, the system enables seamless communication among attendees from diverse fields and countries.

For companies developing embodied AI and robotics solutions for healthcare, the CREATE Symposium represents a strategic inflection point. The combination of clinical validation through hospital leaders, investor exposure through the roadshow session, and peer feedback from other innovators creates an ecosystem where viable healthcare technologies can accelerate from concept to commercialization.