From May 19 to 22, 2026, in response to the national "Belt and Road" Initiative, fully leveraging Macao’s unique platform advantages, precisely aligning with national development strategies, and promoting the coordinated development of translational medicine and the big health industry, the 2026 "Belt and Road" Global Health Forum was grandly held at the Wynn Palace Ballroom in Macao. The forum was organized by the Macao University of Science and Technology Foundation and the Macao Translational Medicine Center, co-organized by Springer Nature, and co-hosted by Macau University of Science and Technology. It received support from the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, Economic and Technological Development Bureau and Health Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund, and the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau, with Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. serving as the Special Invited Sponsor.
This year’s forum closely follows the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important directive on “leading the development of new quality productive forces through scientific and technological innovation and building a modernized industrial system.” It actively aligns with the national innovation-driven development strategy and the Healthy China strategy, while resonating with Macao SAR’s “1+4” moderate economic diversification strategy and the goals of “Healthy Macao 2030.” Leveraging the institutional advantages of “One Country, Two Systems,” the forum further strengthens Macao’s core role as a communication bridge between Portuguese-speaking countries and Mainland China. It brings together high-quality resources from home and abroad to build an international, high-level platform for academic exchange, technology transfer, and industry collaboration. Focusing on cutting-edge fields such as innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), AI-empowered healthcare, longevity and anti-aging technologies, and the industrialization of translational medicine, the forum aims to promote industrial upgrading and efficiency, accelerate the construction of the “Health Silk Road,” deepen international scientific and technological collaboration in the big health sector, inject new vitality into Macao’s moderately diversified economic development, and contribute Macao’s wisdom to the high-quality development of the global big health industry.
Group Photo of Distinguished Guests of Honour at the Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was held on the morning of May 20. Among the officiating guests were: Liu Chak Wan, Chancellor of Macau University of Science and Technology; Arnout Jacobs, President of Springer Nature Greater China; He Yao, Chair Professor, Director of Macao Translational Medicine Center and Vice President of Macau University of Science and Technology; Liang Jinxia, Representative of Director Lei Haichao and Supervisory Commissioner of the Department of Laws and Regulations, National Health Commission; Li Yongxian, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Gao Yuan, Counselor of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Che Weng Keong, Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute; Cheong Chok Man, Director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau of Macao SAR; Thomas Efferth, Professor at the Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Member of Academia Europaea; Norberto Peporine Lopes, Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Elected Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Choi Peng Cheong, Director of the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau; Cheang Seng Ip, Deputy Director of the Health Bureau; Zhu Jiankang, President of Macau University of Science and Technology; Fan Chunhai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at the Translational Medical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Ye Guilin, Member of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund; José Faro, Professor, Co-Founder, Co-Director and Administrator of the Lisbon School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ESMTC); Zoe Zou Wenyu, Chief Officer of Integrated Resort Marketing Strategy, Wynn Macau.
Director He Yao Delivers the Opening Address
In his speech, Director He Yao stated that the Macao Translational Medicine Center, as a collaborative innovation institution integrating industry, academia, research, and clinical application, fully leverages Macao’s unique economic, geographical, policy, and cross-border cooperation advantages. It strengthens cooperation and exchanges with the Mainland and international partners, signs strategic cooperation agreements with authoritative institutions at home and abroad, and jointly establishes translational medicine centers in fields such as traditional Chinese medicine, artificial intelligence, immune cells, and visual health. The Center has published translational medicine book series in four languages (Chinese, English, Portuguese, and Spanish) and developed a series of big health products and technologies, including TCM preparations, health supplements, functional foods, and medical devices. These efforts have received special coverage from media outlets including CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, Science and Technology Daily, China Daily, and Nature.
This year’s forum gathers top experts from various fields around the world, focusing on the core themes of TCM internationalization, standardization, and serving human health. It continues to strengthen Macao’s radiating, leading, and synergistic driving role in the big health industry with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting the Bay Area in building a world-class innovation source and industrial cluster benchmark for AI-enabled TCM translational medicine. At the same time, it solidifies the foundation for deep integration of industrial and innovation chains in the big health sector along the Belt and Road, providing solid strategic support and a cooperation cornerstone for the high-quality and sustainable development of the big health industry, and contributing Macao’s strength and wisdom to the high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and the building of a global community of health for all.
President Arnout Jacobs Delivers the Opening Address
President Arnout Jacobs emphasized that Springer Nature, a global leading scientific research, health, and education publishing institution, is committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Last year, Springer Nature initiated a strategic partnership with the Macao Translational Medicine Center (MTMC). This year, both parties are delighted to expand their cooperation into the field of traditional Chinese medicine and take an important step forward by signing a cooperation agreement for the joint publication of a Global TCM White Paper — a key area that MTMC has long advanced using evidence-based methods. Springer Nature is pleased to support MTMC’s vision of advancing the modernization and internationalization of TCM. Through its global platform, network, and professional resources, Springer Nature will help MTMC strengthen its international influence, attract world-class scientific talent, and provide data-driven insights to support more efficient and scientific research decision-making. By strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration, encouraging open exchange, and promoting evidence-based practice, both parties believe MTMC will continue to play a key role in advancing traditional Chinese medicine and make positive contributions to improving global health and well-being.
Supervision Commissioner Liang Jinxia Delivers the Opening Address
Supervisory Commissioner Liang Jinxia stated in her speech that this forum is a grand event for deepening international cooperation and advancing the building of a global community of health for all. She noted that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of the health industry and is making every effort to achieve decisive progress in the construction of “Healthy China” during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Jointly building the Health Silk Road is an important extension of the Belt and Road Initiative. Commissioner Liang fully affirmed Macao’s unique role as a bridge connecting China with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries, and praised the Macao University of Science and Technology Foundation and the Macao Translational Medicine Center for their active contributions to pooling international resources and elevating technological innovation in the life and health field. She expressed the hope that all parties would take this forum as an opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions and pragmatic cooperation in key areas such as scientific research collaboration, talent exchange, and mutual recognition of standards, jointly promoting the continuous progress of the big health industry and regional coordinated development. The National Health Commission will, as always, support Macao’s innovative practices in the big health sector and encourage more cooperative projects to take root and flourish.
At the opening ceremony, the ribbon cutting ceremony for the launch of the “Belt and Road” Global Health Forum and the “Belt and Road” International Alliance for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the plaque-unveiling ceremonies for joint construction centers, and the strategic cooperation signing ceremonies were held.
The Macao Translational Medicine Center signed a cooperation agreement with Springer Nature for the joint release of the Global White Paper on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In addition, it jointly established and unveiled plaques with seven institutions, namely the Macao Branch of the National Translational Medicine Center (Shanghai), the Global Industrial AI Alliance Center of Excellence/Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Institute, the National Emerging Industry Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Modern Chinese Medicine, the People’s Government of Dingxi City, the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, the Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, and China Resources Guangdong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The seven newly established centers are: the Macao Branch of the National Translational Medicine Center (Shanghai), the China Macao Shanghai AI Translational Medicine Center, the National Emerging Industry Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Modern Chinese Medicine (Macao Center), the Macao Dingxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Translational Medicine Center, the Shanghai Macao Visual Science and Translational Medicine Center, the Macao Fujian Immune Cell Translational Medicine Center, and the Macao China Resources Greater Health Products and Commercialization Committee.
Strategic cooperation agreements were separately signed with the People’s Government of Huangpu District, Shanghai, the Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai, Pudong Hospital of Shanghai, the Asian Society for Longevity Research, and the Macao Association for Culture, Education and Publication.
Director He Yao attended and officiated at the plaque-unveiling and signing ceremonies with representatives from all partner organizations.
The center also awarded distinguished consultant certificates to 11 experts from across the globe to further deepen academic exchanges and technological transformation cooperation, and provide solid support for the cultivation of young scientific and technological talents. During the product launch session, the center unveiled a series of initiatives and big health products, including the compilation and publication of multilingual translational medicine book series in Chinese, English, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as diversified products covering traditional Chinese medicine preparations, health supplements, foodstuffs and medical devices.
Chancellor Liu Chak Wan Presents Distinguished Advisor Appointment Certificate
Furthermore, the forum features the Nature Partner Conference and four thematic sessions: the AI Translational Medicine Session, the TCM Translational Medicine Session, the National Translational Medicine Center (Macao Branch) Session, and the Longevity and Anti-Aging Translational Medicine Session. Through multi-dimensional and in-depth exchanges of ideas, the forum builds consensus on industrial development and jointly charts a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the big health industry.
Rooted in Macao’s development positioning as “One Center, One Platform, One Base,” Macao is using translational medicine as an important pillar and the big health industry as a development engine. It is proactively integrating into the national development strategy, actively engaging with Belt and Road countries and regions, and striving to become an important hub leading the development of the big health industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and globally, while continuously injecting Macao’s strength into the building of a global community of health for all.
