Hong Kong’s ASTRI partners with Saint Francis University on AI-driven health research

Hong Kong’s Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and Saint Francis University (SFU) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on AI-enabled biomaterials and digital health research.

The agreement was signed by ASTRI chief executive Ir Dr Ted Suen and SFU president Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung on 24 August. It sets out three areas of cooperation: joint research and development, technology transfer and commercialisation, and talent development.

On the research side, the two institutions plan to co-develop AI-driven platforms for biomaterial design, combining machine learning with materials science to speed up the discovery of biocompatible materials for medical use. Planned initiatives include nano-biomaterial-based diagnostics and therapeutics, such as targeted drug delivery and biosensing, alongside AI tools for real-time patient monitoring and personalised treatment.

The partnership will also extend into digital health, elderly care, special educational needs support, smart city applications and education technology, with both parties jointly pursuing government and industry funding.

On commercialisation, the partners will explore licensing, industry partnerships and spin-offs, with particular attention to the Greater Bay Area healthcare market and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s health tech sector. ASTRI said it would provide technical support to help translate SFU’s research into commercial applications.

The talent development strand covers student internships and attachments, with SFU students placed in ASTRI’s AI research teams, along with visiting scholar exchanges and joint academic events, including an expansion of ASTRI’s AI Empowerment seminar series.

Suen said the partnership reflects both institutions’ shared commitment to applied research addressing real-world challenges. Cheung noted that SFU, Hong Kong’s largest tertiary institution for registered nurse training, also runs programmes in physiotherapy, pharmaceutical studies and community health, which the collaboration will draw on.