The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The National University of Singapore (NUS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the adoption of healthcare innovations.
Witnessed by Prof. Cheng DONG, Associate Vice President (Knowledge Transfer) of PolyU, and Prof. Roger FOO, Vice-Dean (Research), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of NUS, the MoU was signed by Prof. Chunyi WEN, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering of PolyU, and Prof. Wei Seong TOH, Research Director and Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of NUS on 5 June 2026.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic degenerative disease which can hamper the functioning and the quality of life of older adults. To address KOA, Prof. Chunyi WEN leads a research team that has developed an innovative AI-empowered biomechanical assessment tool, KneeVidScan, to enable early identification and intervention of knee osteoarthritis. This technology has been recognised with TechConnect Global Innovation Award 2021 and Hong Kong ICT Award 2022. By leveraging PolyU’s innovation, Prof. WEN and his team launched the first community screening programme for knee osteoarthritis in Hong Kong in 2023 and have since served more than 1,800 older adults under the auspices of HKSAR Government’s Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living. The related results were recently published in a prestigious scholarly journal from Nature Portfolio.
This MoU strengthens a shared commitment to the implementation of KneeVidScan in real-world clinical practice, and to the establishment of a strategic academic-clinical partnership that focuses on healthy ageing, functional mobility, and community-based musculoskeletal research. It is the first time the NUS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has introduced Hong Kong’s AI technology and expertise in knee osteoarthritis to Singapore, helping to advance precision orthopaedics in the primary healthcare setting and also enhancing the academic collaboration between Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Through this collaboration, the identification and management of knee osteoarthritis in community settings can be improved by enabling earlier intervention, improving care navigation and right-siting, and reducing downstream burden on hospital services.
