This 2-day conference is approved and funded by the Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS) project. The IIDS project reference number is UGC/IIDS24/B01/24. The principal investigator of the IIDS project is Dr. Joseph LAU. The IIDS project title is “Building Sustainability in Big Health Industry in the Greater Bay Area”.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, there is a time to shift from ‘disease-centered’ care to ‘big health’, which aims to strive towards delivering comprehensive health care services to establish the complete care continuum. This project will explore the complex role of big health in this setting via assessing its ability to drive growth across businesses with multiple links and its connection with larger development goals such as the Greater Bay Area (GBA) effort. Meanwhile, the project will organize a series of activities to expand the network of scholars, researchers, industrial practitioners, health professionals, local communities, students, and decision-makers from academia, industry, non-profit sectors, and government departments that are interested in the principles of sustainability. Hence, the project will provide a platform for various parties to discuss how they could encourage economic resilience and regional responsibility, and to share their knowledge and insight into the development of the GBA big health industry.
This project proposes to host a 3-day workshop, a half-day tour, and a 2-day conference. The workshops help improve participants’ knowledge and skills of VR AR technology in the big health industry. The tour provides a real case for participants to understand the settings and operations of the big health industry. Various industries will be covered each day and the subjects will be big health and its related industrial development (i.e., logistics, tourism and hospitality management, e-commerce, healthcare, medical, mental health, as well as innovation and technology) in the GBA. Additionally, we employ the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as entry points, investigating how the big health industry could obtain benefits in the social and economic aspects by attaining the SDG goals such as SDGs 3, 8, 9, and 11. 15 popular topics will be delivered by 15 speakers, including renowned scholars, policymakers, leaders from associations, and industrial practitioners. A rigorous review and speaker selection process will be conducted to ensure a diverse range of high-quality, impactful presentations relevant to the big health issues in the GBA and to generate innovative inputs.
Participants will obtain a multifaceted grasp of how big health can be a catalyst for positive change. They will be exposed to professional perspectives on the convergence of big health, economic growth, and sustainability, particularly in the light of Hong Kong’s unique position in the GBA program. Participants will have a chance to interact with thought leaders and colleagues while debating new ways of big health delivery, medical technology breakthroughs, and policy implications. They will depart with useful knowledge to improve the accessibility of big health, to seize the chances for professional progression in the big health industry, and to develop strategies for their businesses to adapt and succeed in a fast-changing landscape. Furthermore, networking opportunities will allow participants to make useful contacts that may lead to collaborative projects and common activities targeted at crafting a more sustainable and equitable big health future.
The conference aims to promote excellence and knowledge exchange in big health development, thus supporting the attainment of SDG goals. It encourages the application of big health across numerous industries, hence integrating academic theories and industrial practices. The event targets scholars, researchers, industrial practitioners, health professionals, local communities, and university students, with an open invitation to the public. To boost the number of participants, both in-person and virtual options will be offered. All sessions will be recorded and made available online via a dedicated website, along with media broadcast and a guidebook. The objective is to provide a platform and facilitate discussions on the integrated development of the big health industry to meet SDGs and to promote a big health community.