UMP Healthcare Holdings Limited (“UMP” or the “Group”, Stock Code: 722.HK) is pleased to announce the establishment of the “UMP Healthcare Innov Centre” (the “Innov Centre”). The Innov Centre will act as the platform for insights exchange among developers, professional medical teams and the health-conscious public, and will support the development of MedTech and HealthTech in Hong Kong with the contribution of the Group’s extensive experience in clinical medicine.
Leveraging the AI Trend: Joins Top University in Personalized Healthcare App Development
The Innov Centre takes the initiative to sign a cooperative research and development agreement with The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ( “HKUST”) to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Nurse named “WaiWai” in the form of a mobile application that offers users advanced and personalised care. As the Innov Centre’s inaugural project debuts to the industry and the public, “WaiWai” combines the Group’s medical expertise and the innovative technology of HKUST’s AI R&D team. Healthcare professionals of the Group will be updated with patients’ health conditions promptly through smart data.
Ronnie Li, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer of UMP, said, “Personalized AI is the up-and-coming trend of the healthcare industry. Against this backdrop, the Group decided to participate in developing AI technology, providing customised personal services targeting different age groups and treatment strategies, and being dedicated to bringing new experiences to customers. We are excited to jointly develop the ‘AI Nurse’ with HKUST, which allows patients to complete simple tests at home and stay on top of their physical condition, aligning with the conventional wisdom of ‘prevention is better than cure.’”
Professor Gary Chan from HKUST Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who leads the joint project, said, “It is our honour to collaborate with UMP to construct this new AI model and system, which analyse and detect users’ physical condition with medical big data. We hope that the achievement of this project will provide appropriate, timely and personalised care services to users, which reshape the medical service scenario in Hong Kong.”
The growing concern of Hong Kong’s ageing population is becoming the elephant in the room. The Government estimates that the elderly aged 65 or above will increase to 33% of the total population in 2044. By then, about one in every three persons will be older adults. As a result, chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension among the elderly population will continue to surge, and early occurrence is anticipated. Targeting such issues, the AI Nurse will be designed for users suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in the pilot development phase. Users can wear portable smart devices to regularly assess their blood sugar, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and heartbeat levels. Customised health indicators with congenial treatment guidelines will help users manage their health efficiently.
From left to right: Mr. Patrick Cheung, Mr. Ronnie Li, Prof. Gary Chan
“WaiWai” can spot users’ abnormal data among their health indices, increasing opportunities for patients to notice their deteriorating situation in time. On the other hand, those who adopt a healthy lifestyle following the AI Nurse’s suggestions could have a better chance of controlling their conditions without frequent clinic visits. One of the features of “WaiWai” is that it can track and analyse personal health data, thus predicting users’ health conditions with AI in real-time, providing timely suggestions of action to take and advising users to seek medical consultation if necessary.
When patients of UMP clinics use the AI Nurse, data will be collected and stored in the Group’s corporate cloud and transmitted to the internal Clinic Management System with end-to-end encryption to provide a reference during medical consultations, hence offering patients appropriate and efficient medical care service.
Launching Showroom and Incubation Programme to Support MedTech R&D
UMP Healthcare Innov Centre will set up a showroom at the Group’s Central Headquarters. The space provides local and oversea corporations with a place to showcase their advanced products and medical solutions in the city’s heart, serving as a collaborative platform for medical and health partners. Medical personnel can have a better understanding and even hands-on experience with the latest technologies, testing to market response and the range of practical applications. In addition, the Innov Centre will initiate incubation programmes to support and invest in potential R&D projects and newly developing products.
Patrick Cheung, Chief Investment and Project Officer of UMP, said, “As the forerunner of medical technology, UMP is not only a user and service provider – we are eager to support startups by providing resources, professional medical opinions and opportunities throughout their challenging process of development. Eventually, the market and the public will benefit from the medical R&D results. We welcome industry leaders to visit the Innov Centre and join hands with the R&D, academic and business sectors to explore cross-sector collaborations, together creating new value and opportunities for advancing medical innovation and technology in Hong Kong.”