Professor Ling Qin highlighted that achieving impact beyond academia shall be an incentive for the industry to invest in scientific research.

In the seminar organised by the Department of Neuroscience of City University of Hong Kong, Prof. Qin delivered a lecture entitled Opportunities and Models of University and Industry Collaboration in Translational Medicine on 13 August 2021. He holds joint professorship in Shenzhen Institutes of Advance Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and serves as the director of Innovative Orthopedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory.

Under the Research Excellence Framework (REF), “impact” is defined as a change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services that are beyond academia. This provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of such investment.

Prof. Qin further elaborated on opportunities which are available in the Greater Bay Area using an example of translational medicine in orthopedics and musculoskeletal system. Prof Qin and his team have developed biodegradable magnesium-based orthopedic implants to meet the challenge in skeletal aging as published in Nature as Seeking Biodegradable Metals for Clinical Use. Such collaborative effort attracted substantial grants to fund his research.

He had extensive experience on conducting academic-industrial collaboration in innovation and translation of Class II and Class III medical devices and implants. In this connection, he explained the roles of multiple parties where the enterprise is the main stakeholder of product declaration whereas the university research laboratories promote innovation and transformation.

In order to promote such models of University-industry collaboration, Prof. Qin has also built up an academic platform by launching an international journal, Journal of Orthopaedic Translation (JCR Q1, IF:5.191, http://www.e-jot.com), and serves as the Editor-in-Chief to support international colleagues to engage in translational medical research.

More than 30 participants attended the seminar.