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In an era defined by scientific acceleration, geopolitical complexity and rising expectations for healthcare delivery, one truth has become unmistakable: no country, company or institution can solve tomorrow’s health challenges alone.

That is why the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) 2026, taking place on 11–12 May, matters more than ever.

Recognised as Asia’s premier event on health innovation, ASGH convenes global decision-makers from policymakers and Nobel laureates to pharmaceutical executives, investors and biotech founders to address the most pressing questions in global health. 

This year’s Summit comes at a particularly pivotal moment. As China launches its 15th Five-Year Plan, healthcare, especially biomanufacturing and advanced biomedical innovation, has been elevated to national priority status. For international investors and industry leaders, this signals not only policy clarity but profound commercial opportunity within the world’s second-largest healthcare market.

From Pandemic Lessons to Global Readiness

The pandemic underscored how deeply interconnected global health systems truly are. Strengthening preparedness is no longer theoretical, it is an urgent, shared responsibility.

In Plenary Session I, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau, BBS, JP will set the tone with special remarks, framing Hong Kong’s and the region’s role in global health security. The session is chaired by virologist Prof Leo L M Poon of The University of Hong Kong, whose work has long stood at the forefront of infectious disease research.

Joining the dialogue are internationally respected experts: Prof Ibrahim Abubakar of University College London; Dr Kumanan Rasanathan of the World Health Organization; and Dr In-Kyu Yoon of the International Vaccine Institute.

Together, they will move beyond retrospective analysis of COVID 19 to examine what truly agile preparedness looks like, from pathogen surveillance and data-sharing frameworks to equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics. For policymakers and investors alike, resilience has become a defining metric of long-term value.

Scientific discovery alone does not transform healthcare systems. It must be financed, developed, regulated and distributed at scale.

Plenary Session II, chaired by investor Mr Victor L L Chu, Chairman and CEO of First Eastern Investment Group, brings together an influential cross-section of global leadership. Dr Mehmood Khan, CEO of The Hevolution Foundation, offers perspectives on long-term health investment. Mr David PW Lau of J.P. Morgan and Ms Clara Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Investment Corporation, provide insight into capital markets and healthcare financing trends across Asia-Pacific. Sir Jonathan Symonds, Chair of GSK, contributes global pharmaceutical leadership at scale.

The conversation will explore how capital, scientific ingenuity and strategic collaboration can converge to accelerate biopharma breakthroughs and ensure accessibility across diverse health systems.

Few figures embody scientific transformation more profoundly than Prof Michael Levitt, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry in 2013 and Professor at Stanford University.

In a fireside dialogue moderated by Mr Victor L L Chu, Professor Levitt will reflect on decades of pioneering work that laid the foundation for computational biology and AI-driven drug discovery. Long before artificial intelligence became a defining industry theme, his multiscale modelling research was reshaping how scientists understand protein structure and molecular systems.

For a healthcare industry increasingly shaped by algorithms, predictive modelling and digital platforms, this dialogue promises rare intellectual depth and inspiration.

China’s Healthcare Moment

As China enters its new Five-Year Plan period, biotech innovation, digital health ecosystems and advanced clinical research capabilities are accelerating at unprecedented speed.

Chaired by Ms Nisa Leung, JP, Managing Partner of Aulis Capital, the session on China’s next frontier features leaders operating at the centre of this momentum: Mr Mark Gavin Lotter of Nuance Biotech; Mr Horace Wu of Hangzhou Tigermed; Dr James Xue of CANbridge Pharmaceuticals; and Mr Seth Zhang of Shanghai MediTrust Health Technology Group.

Their discussion will unpack how therapeutic innovation, CRO expansion, digital insurance platforms and biotech commercialisation are reshaping the market and how global partners can position themselves strategically within it.

Healthcare innovation in Asia also means integrating tradition with scientific rigour.

Under the leadership of Prof Bian Zhaoxiang of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital, experts including Dr Chan Hei Ling Helen of Vita Green Health Products, Prof Dennis Chang of Western Sydney University, Prof Vincent Chung from the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Health Bureau, and Mr Hu Yaojun of Shanghai Hutchison Pharmaceuticals will examine how standardisation and innovation are driving the global credibility of Chinese Medicine.

As Hong Kong positions itself as a bridgehead for international expansion, quality control, clinical evidence and regulatory alignment become central to unlocking global markets.

The “GoGlobal CONNECT Series” workshop and networking reception, co-organised with The Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry, explores how Hong Kong functions as Asia’s “superconnector”. With the “GoGlobal Connect and Business of Healthcare Advisory Zone”, it will offer targeted matching and consultation services designed to accelerate cross-border collaboration.

Innovation in Action

Beyond the conference stage, ASGH 2026 will feature some 180 dedicated pavilions and exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge advancements in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital health and smart ageing solutions providing tangible partnership opportunities for investors and global enterprises.

ASGH promises to be more than just a summit. Investors, policymakers, healthcare executives and entrepreneurs will be able to gain insight into the evolving global health landscape and China’s expanding role within it.