Cornerstone Robotics, an innovative surgical robotics company founded and headquartered in Hong Kong, today hosted the inaugural Surgical Futures Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Forum brought together global healthcare leaders, policymakers, clinical experts, and industry visionaries to explore how innovative frontier medical technologies developed in Hong Kong can address healthcare disparities, improve patient outcomes, and expand access to higher-quality surgical care worldwide under the theme of “Redefining Access to Surgical Care Through Robotics & Innovation”.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of the Forum, Mr. Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, said: “After more than two decades of development, surgical robots can now perform complex procedures with precision. Innovation continues, and the potential for further advances is immense. The next challenge is to bring the benefits to more patients.”

“Hong Kong is working at full strength to become an international hub for medical device innovation. This strategic partnership between the two companies is a strong endorsement of the systems and advanced medical equipment developed here, and marks a further step in bringing these products to international markets.”

“Underpinning this progress are mutually reinforcing strengths: patient capital and a listing regime for biotechnology companies, an increasingly robust regulatory framework for drugs and medical devices, clinical collaboration across the Greater Bay Area, and world-class talent. We are committed to advancing innovation and technology—not only to drive high-quality economic development, but also to offer better options for healthcare professionals and patients.”

Ms. Clara Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC), highlighted in her keynote speech how the HKIC acts as a catalyst for driving the financial-cum-innovation & technology ecosystem: "As an early supporter of Cornerstone Robotics, the HKIC deploys patient capital to bridge international capital with industry partners. From a start-up born and raised in Hong Kong, Cornerstone Robotics has grown into one of the world’s leading brands in surgical robotics – a testament to the success of a business model of ‘root in Hong Kong, support by the Greater Bay Area and our country, and interface with the world’. We will continue to transform capital into tangible development outcomes, ensuring that innovations benefit more patients around the world.”

A major highlight of the Forum was an official Toasting Ceremony celebrating the strategic partnership between Cornerstone Robotics and global medical technology leader Medtronic. Under the partnership, Medtronic has made a strategic investment of approximately US$700 million in Cornerstone Robotics and secured rights to distribute the proprietary Sentire(R) Surgical System in selected international markets. The collaboration combines Cornerstone Robotics’ innovations with Medtronic’s extensive global commercial footprint and current robotic offerings, exemplifying how local innovation can scale into international markets to offer choice and access to elevated surgical care standards globally.

Following the ceremony, Mr. Geoff Martha, Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, and Prof. Samuel Au, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Robotics, joined by Mr. Mike Marinaro, President, Medtronic, took part in a Leadership Dialogue titled “Global Partnerships in Healthcare Innovation”, exploring how cross-border synergy between capital, clinical expertise, and technology can accelerate the deployment of robotic-assisted surgery globally.

Envisioning the future of surgical care, Mr. Geoff Martha, Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, said: “Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and the future of surgery will depend on how effectively we translate innovation into better outcomes for patients. Our partnership with Cornerstone Robotics brings together complementary expertise and a shared commitment to advancing care. Together, we can give clinicians greater choice, expand access to high-quality surgical solutions, and help reach more patients around the world.”

Prof. Samuel Au stated: “We are at a pivotal inflection point. The future of surgical robotics will be shaped not only by technological innovation, but also by how effectively we scale access and connect systems, people, and data. As connectivity advances, we can unlock new possibilities in surgical training, real-time collaboration, and the application of digital surgery across the entire surgical journey, from pre-operative planning to intra-operative support and post-operative care. At Cornerstone Robotics, we are committed to driving innovation, improving accessibility, and advancing connectivity, ultimately making the next generation of surgical care more accessible to patients worldwide.”

The Forum also featured two high-impact panel discussion sessions addressing critical dimensions of surgical transformation:

• Robotics, Innovation & the Future of Healthcare: The discussion explored the cross-sector collaboration needed to bring robotics into hospitals at scale, the governance and safety considerations for responsible clinical deployment, and how public, academic and private health systems are approaching this transformation differently.
• Nurturing the Next Generation of Surgeons: The session focused on modernizing surgical education and telesurgery training models to build global clinical capacity.

The program includes two pre-recorded keynotes from:

• Professor the Lord Ara Darzi, Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London, and the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, on the topic of “Building the Next Chapter Together in Robotic Surgery”
• Professor Seigo Kitano, President, Oita University, on the topic of “From Laparoscopy to Robotics: Making Innovation Count for Patients”

By bridging local research expertise with global commercial networks, Cornerstone Robotics continues to drive Hong Kong’s transformation into an international medical device innovation hub, defining the future of robotic-assisted surgery worldwide.