Hong Kong, September 10, 2024 – MGI (MGI Tech Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as MGI), a company committed to building core tools and technologies that drive innovation in life science, today announced a major strategic collaboration. This partnership involves the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) and six scientific research institutions and enterprises settled within the park:
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InnoHK’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Generation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (“CRMH”)
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InnoHK’s Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (“HKCeND”)
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Quantum Life Limited
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Asia Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory Limited (“AMDL”)
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Codex Genetics
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GemVCare
Together, these organizations aim to build a world-class life science innovation ecosystem in Hong Kong to propel global industry development. Additionally, MGI launched its latest product, “αLab Studio,” which integrates artificial intelligence with advanced laboratory automation. This new laboratory management platform reduces experiment design time and streamlines the research and experimental process.
Building a Synergetic Innovation Ecosystem for Life Science
The signing ceremony was held during the Future of Omics Conference hosted by MGI. The agreement was signed by Ms. Gracie Ng, Chief of Staff of HKSTP, and Mr. Vincent Lin, Director of Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan for MGI. The ceremony was witnessed by Professor Dong Sun, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR; Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP; Dr. Jian Wang, Chairman of MGI; and Mr. Duncan Yu, President of MGI.
Professor Dong Sun, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, noted:
“Our strategic location, world-class infrastructure, strong scientific research capabilities, and extensive global connectivity make Hong Kong an ideal destination for nurturing cutting-edge research and development (R&D). The Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint clearly indicates our development focus on technology industries of strategic importance, including life and health technology. I am delighted to learn that MGI has decided to deepen its collaboration with the Hong Kong Science Park by strengthening their strategic partnership with a view to establishing an R&D centre in Hong Kong, alongside partnerships with six partner companies, including two of our InnoHK research centres. I look forward to seeing the fruits of these collaborations propel the development of precision medicine in Hong Kong.”
Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, added:
“Together with MGI, we embark on a transformative journey that will redefine the landscape of biotechnology and precision medicine, shaping the future in ways we have yet to imagine. We anticipate that MGI’s presence will attract a host of ecosystem partners, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a strategic hub for global expansion. This will spark further collaborations and innovations across the region, solidifying our position on the world stage.”
Under the collaboration, MGI and HKSTP will co-build a world-leading laboratory for advanced life sciences. The facility will provide researchers with state-of-the-art equipment, including DNBSEQ sequencing, CycloneSeq sequencing, and single-cell and spatial-transcriptomics analysis tools. Beyond technology, both parties will organize regular international conferences and seminars to connect start-ups with international experts and investors, while cultivating highly skilled talent to bolster life sciences and public health globally.
“While MGI’s mission is to develop and promote advanced life science tools for future healthcare, the application of these tools in frontier research truly gives them meaning and value. We are excited to join hands with the institutions and companies in Hong Kong Science and Technology Park to build a synergetic innovation ecosystem, providing advanced, user-friendly multi-omics tools for cutting-edge scientific research and translational applications. This initiative aims to empower Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem and help make life science innovations accessible to everyone,” said Duncan Yu, President of MGI.
MGI’s strategic cooperation agreements with the six research institutes and enterprises in the Science Park were signed by respective representatives: Dr. Pan Guangjin (Director of CRMH, HKISI-CAS); Prof. Tom Cheung (Assistant Director of HKCeND); Dr. Christine Huang Yuan (Technology Transfer Director of QuantumLife); Dr. Jeffery Lai (Medical Laboratory Director of AMDL); Dr. Aldrin Yim (CEO and Co-Founder of Codex Genetics); and Dr. Cadmon Lim (COO of GemVCare), alongside Mr. Vincent Lin of MGI. MGI will supply these partners with advanced life science tools to accelerate translational research in neurodegenerative diseases, regenerative medicine, quantum technology and AI integration, molecular diagnostics, precision medicine, precision genomics, and diabetes.
This milestone demonstrates significant progress in knowledge and technology exchange following the opening of the MGI αLab in the Science Park last year. Established to provide users in the Asia-Pacific region with one-stop intelligent multi-omics solutions, the αLab has expanded MGI’s regional footprint. Furthermore, in March of this year, MGI signed a partnership with the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) of the Hong Kong SAR Government, solidifying its role as a core member fostering new quality productive forces in Hong Kong’s life sciences sector.
αLab Studio: Your Intelligent Laboratory Assistant
Coinciding with the HKSTP collaborations, Yang Meng, Assistant General Manager of MGI, announced the commercial launch of αLab Studio, MGI’s intelligent laboratory assistant. Integrating cutting-edge AI with MGI’s proprietary automation techniques, αLab Studio offers a one-stop laboratory management solution designed to eliminate manual operational pain points for end users.
Yang Meng, Assistant General Manager and VP of MGI R&D, shared his vision:
“With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, laboratory automation is progressing toward an autonomous level of intelligence. The ultimate vision for αLab Studio is to build an integrated tool for life science laboratories that seamlessly coordinates the ‘hand, eye, and brain,’ achieving deep integration between biotechnology and information technology. By incorporating digital twins, 3D modelling, and simulation, αLab Studio will continue to evolve into a digital twin brain for laboratories in virtual space. Additionally, it will adopt embodied intelligence technologies to enable intelligent connections between workstations.”
Powered by advanced AI, αLab Studio revolutionizes laboratory management to streamline the experimental design process through several features:
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AI-Assisted Experiment Demand Analysis: Automatically analyses experimental objectives and data to recommend optimized experimental plans, reducing design time and complexity while improving success rates.
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Drag-and-Drop Experiment Design: Simplifies workflow creation through an intuitive, modular interface, enhancing lab efficiency across complex experiments.
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Generative AI for Protocol Scripting: Automatically generates precise experimental protocol scripts, ensuring reliable, highly accurate execution.
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Expanded Capabilities: Supports real-time experiment monitoring, secure storage of records and reports, and seamless team collaboration and data sharing.
Based on user feedback from early-stage trials, αLab Studio successfully shortened experiment design time by 40% and computer code writing by 60%, significantly accelerating scientific workflows.
By harnessing automation and artificial intelligence, MGI remains committed to driving global scientific research and innovation. Looking forward, αLab Studio will continue expanding its capabilities to meet the diverse demands of life science research.
About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) was established in 2001 to create a thriving I&T ecosystem. It has groomed 12 unicorns, and houses more than 14,000 research professionals and over 2,000 technology companies from 29 countries and regions focused on developing healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech, and smart city technologies.
Our growing innovation ecosystem offers comprehensive support to attract and nurture talent, and accelerate and commercialise innovation for technology ventures. The I&T journey is built around our key locations: Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong, and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, and Yuen Long. Together, they realize a vision of new industrialisation for Hong Kong, reimagining advanced manufacturing, micro-electronics, and biotechnology.
The Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in Futian, Shenzhen, plays a positive role in connecting the world and the mainland. Its proximity strengthens cross-border exchange, bringing distinct advantages in attracting global talent and opening up scaling possibilities for technology companies across seven key areas: Medtech, big data and AI, robotics, new materials, microelectronics, fintech, and sustainability. The branch features both dry and wet laboratories, co-working spaces, and conference/exhibition facilities.
Through R&D infrastructure, startup support, enterprise services, commercialisation and investment expertise, partnership networks, and talent attraction, HKSTP continues to establish I&T as a cornerstone of growth for Hong Kong.
More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.
