Technology

Hong Kong: A Hub of Innovation Leading the Future of AI in Healthcare，The 2nd CREATE Symposium Hosted by CAIR Concludes Successfully

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2024

HONG KONG, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics into the medical field has revolutionized healthcare technologies. The focus now is on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technologies and clinical applications to enhance diagnostic capabilities and improve overall healthcare efficiency. On November 22-23, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences hosted the Second Hong Kong Clinical-driven Robotics and Embodied AI TEchnology Symposium (CREATE Symposium) at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, Hong Kong Science Park.

This two-day symposium brought together a distinguished lineup of international experts, clinicians, and medical device innovators to foster cross-disciplinary dialogues spanning academic research, industry development, and clinical applications. Participants exchanged insights on the latest breakthroughs and future trends in healthcare technologies, propelling the innovative application of AI and robotics in medical practice.

Following the success of the first day, the second day of the CREATE Symposium featured insightful discussions by more than 10 experts, focusing on the applications of AI in medical device innovation and clinical practices. In his welcome speech, Professor Zhen Lei, IEEE/IAPR Fellow and Professor of CAIR emphasized CAIR’s mission: “CAIR is committed to becoming an international R&D hub for scientific and technological innovation, advancing AI research and intelligent design, and fostering new momentum for both mainland and international communities. By bringing together global talent and technology, we aim to establish Hong Kong as an international hub for innovation in intelligent technology.” Mr. Changlin Gao, General Manager of Beijing-Hong Kong Exchange of Personnel Centre, representing one of the supporting organizations, highlighted the forum’s role in creating a high-level platform for collaboration: “This forum has established a platform for the international academia, industry, and medical community to jointly explore the cutting-edge applications and future directions of AI technology in healthcare.

From Exploration to Practice: AI Empowering the Future of Healthcare

Professor Dinggang Shen, Founding Dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering at the ShanghaiTech University and Co-CEO of United Imaging Intelligence, highlighted how AI technology is advancing the standardization and intelligent development of medical diagnoses and treatments. By integrating multimodal data, including imaging, pathology, and genomics, AI is improving medical efficiency, optimizing resource allocation, and enhancing patient outcomes. He also shared his team’s innovative work in areas such as image enhancement, low-dose imaging, and comprehensive cancer diagnosis.

In the field of surgery, embodied AI technology is gradually being integrated into minimally invasive procedures and surgical robots, providing surgeons with high-precision, low-risk assistance. Professor Hongbin Liu, Director of CAIR, stated that the goal of AI is to empower rather than replace humans, enabling doctors to become “super doctors”. He envisioned the future operating rooms become fully intelligent spaces where humans and robots collaborate seamlessly, improving surgical outcomes through advanced interaction. .

Professor Shaohua Zhou, Executive Dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Science and Technology of China, emphasized the growing importance of general and foundational models in medical imaging AI. These models address challenges related to data scarcity and task complexity through a “train-once, multi-task” approach. He highlighted the integration of multimodal data and the combination of generative and discriminative models to develop reliable and interpretable intelligent systems capable of supporting clinical applications and improving patient health predictions.

Some other distinguished experts and scholars shared their latest research progress and practical applications: Dr. Yongjian Chen, Deputy General Manager of Qingdao Hisense Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.; Dr. Qi Dou, Assistant Professor at Department of Computer Science and Engineering and T Stone Robotics Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Professor Zhong Wu, Director of Administration, Chief Physician at Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Dr. Kevin Ka-ho Kam, Director of Ambulatory Cardiology Services and Associate Consultant of Medicine & Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital; Professor Lei Du, Chief Physician and Professor at the Department of Anesthesia, West China Hospital, Sichuan University; Dr. Huai Liao, Chief Physician at Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Dr. Shifang Li, Chief Physician, Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University; Dr. Hua Wang, CTO of Magspin Instrument Co., Ltd.

In the afternoon, the speakers visited the CAIR exhibition hall to explore CAIR’s groundbreaking research achievements. Highlights included: CARES Copilot 2.0, Embodied Intelligent Ultrasound Robot, Augmented Reality Navigation Systems, Medical Imaging Enhancements Techniques, Real-time Surgical Digital Twin System, and Flexible Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Robot. The visit sparked in-depth discussions on addressing clinical challenges and market commercialization. Later, a closed-door seminar focused on the clinical applications of AI and robotics in cardiothoracic surgery and intensive care.

Earlier, around 40 young scholars from Hong Kong had visited the CAIR exhibition hall. They participated in a lunch discussion with project researchers, expressing strong interest in CAIR’s research achievements and team culture. Many expressed their aspirations to join CAIR in the future.

The successful conclusion of the “Hong Kong CREATE Symposium” not only highlights its pivotal role in advancing academic exchange and collaboration in the field of embodied intelligent medical technology, but also provides a cross-disciplinary and international platform for innovative dialogue among global experts and scholars. By uniting industry leaders, showcasing groundbreaking research, and delving into emerging trends, the forum serves as a catalyst for the continued evolution and practical application of embodied intelligent medical technology.

Looking ahead, as these technologies continue to evolve and expand, their transformative potential in the healthcare sector will be further unlocked. This progress will not only drive innovation but also strengthen efforts toward the sustainable development of human society, offering new insights and solutions to global healthcare challenges.

About CAIR

Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences is the first national-level R&D institution in Hong Kong approved by the central government. It is also directly affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) is one of the two innovation centers under its umbrella. CAIR focuses on research in areas such as multimodal AI surgical models, embodied AI medical robots, and the fundamental theories of AI. The goal is to build Hong Kong into an artificial intelligence hub with national support, attract international high-end talents, and establish an international innovation hub for the applications of artificial intelligence and robotics in medical technology and life sciences.

For more information, please visit CAIR’s WeChat public account or the Center’s official website: https://www.cair-cas.org.hk

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SOURCE Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Technology

Foresite Named 2026 Google Cloud Security Partner of the Year for North America

Published

24 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Recognition highlights leadership in practitioner-governed, AI-enhanced security operations

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Apr. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Foresite Cybersecurity today announced it has been named the 2026 Google Cloud Security Partner of the Year in the North America category, presented at Google Cloud Next ’26 in Las Vegas.

Foresite named 2026 Google Cloud Security Partner of the Year

Organizations looking to operationalize AI-driven security on Google Cloud can learn more at next.foresite.com.

Foresite delivers fully managed security operations on Google Security Operations (SecOps), enabling customers to detect and respond to threats in seconds, reduce investigation fatigue, and maintain continuous audit readiness without expanding internal teams.

Operating as the human control layer for AI-driven security, Foresite combines Google’s agentic investigation capabilities with practitioner-validated accountability. Every autonomous investigation is reviewed and authorized by a named analyst before response actions are executed, giving customers clear visibility into how decisions are made and risk is managed.

“The Google Cloud Partner Awards honor the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud. “We are proud to name Foresite a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year.”

As a Google Cloud Premier Partner with Security and MSSP specializations, Foresite delivers managed services through its Catalyst platform — extending Google SecOps with operational governance, automation, and continuous compliance capabilities. Over the past year, the company expanded its SecOps delivery practice while sustaining 96% customer retention, reflecting growing demand for managed, AI-enhanced security operations.

Across its managed services portfolio, Foresite delivers a 90% reduction in mean investigation time and sub-15-second automated threat response for its customers — enabling security teams to focus on strategic risk decisions rather than alert triage.

Foresite’s approach to managed security operations on Google Cloud was the subject of an independent Technical Validation by Enterprise Strategy Group (now part of Omdia), commissioned by Google in August 2025. The report examined how Foresite’s Catalyst platform extends Google Security Operations to deliver threat detection, investigation, and response for organizations at varying levels of security maturity.

“Our Technical Validation of Foresite’s Catalyst platform examined how practitioner-led governance can extend Google Security Operations to deliver measurable detection and response outcomes. Google Cloud’s Partner of the Year recognition independently confirms what our analysis identified — that platform-native expertise, rather than tool access, is what differentiates managed security outcomes for mid-market and enterprise organizations.”— Tony Palmer, Practice Director, Omdia (formerly Enterprise Strategy Group).

“We’re entering an era where AI can investigate threats at machine speed,” said Jeremy Hehl, Chief Evangelist at Foresite. “Enterprise organizations need confidence that those decisions are governed and aligned to real business risk. This recognition from Google Cloud reinforces our focus in helping customers operationalize AI security at scale.”

Foresite is showcasing its Agentic SOC capabilities at Google Cloud Next ’26, demonstrating how security teams can move beyond alert monitoring to govern autonomous response using Google SecOps, Google Threat Intelligence, and AI security controls.

Foresite is purpose-built for organizations that need enterprise-grade security operations without enterprise-scale friction. The company delivers the operational rigor and platform expertise these organizations require to run Google SecOps effectively — without the overhead of building and staffing a full internal SOC.

About Foresite Cybersecurity
Foresite Cybersecurity is a Google Cloud Premier Partner providing managed security operations, compliance automation, and threat intelligence services. Through its Catalyst platform, Foresite helps organizations operationalize AI-driven security with practitioner-led governance and measurable risk reduction. Learn more at foresite.com.

Media Contacts
Claire Simpson Director of Global Brand & Strategic Marketing
Tim Suwandhaputra VP, Go-to-Market
press@foresite.com

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SOURCE Foresite

Technology

Tredence Awarded 2026 Google Cloud Global Industry Solutions Partner of the Year Award for Retail

Published

24 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Trusted for driving the data & AI strategy for 8 of the top 10 retailers, powering $2 trillion in retail revenue

LAS VEGAS and BENGALURU, India, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tredence, a global AI and data science solutions company, today announced it has been named the 2026 Google Cloud Services & Industry Solutions Partner of the Year for Retail. This award reflects Tredence’s demonstrated ability to deliver measurable customer impact at scale. Notably, this is Tredence’s third such distinction, having previously been recognized in CPG and Gaming, a testament to Tredence’s unmatched depth, breadth, and impact across the industries it serves.

For the world’s leading retailers, Tredence has consistently delivered the full AI transformation journey — migrating, modernizing, and deploying scalable AI applications and agents on Google Cloud, powered by Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise. In FY25, Tredence drove transformative impact across 25+ strategic retail accounts spanning four continents, delivering measurable business outcomes and accelerating Google Cloud adoption at unprecedented scale. Tredence’s impact has been defined by three core motions:

Modernization at scale, building agentic foundations – Tredence executed some of the world’s most complex retail cloud migrations, including the largest-ever cloud migration in retail history, migrating 12 petabytes of data for 40,000+ analytics users with 100% operational continuity, and a landmark platform overhaul delivered ahead of schedule, reducing total cost of ownership by 20–40% and building the unified data foundations that power agentic AI at scale.Accelerating agentic AI adoption – Tredence deployed 100+ AI/ML accelerators, including 10+ retail-specific multi-agent systems built on Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise, eliminating up to 70% of manual effort, automating up to 98% of manual ticketing processes, and cutting temporary labor costs by 20%, compressing months of deployment into weeks across some of the most complex retail environments in the world.Delivering global impact at measurable scale – Tredence drove transformative outcomes across every retail format and across geographies unifying supply chain data across 20,000+ stores to automate retail media insights, deploying a full agentic platform in just 6 months for a major wholesale retailer, and delivering greenfield Google Cloud wins, proving that the Tredence and Google Cloud partnership delivers measurable impact across every retail segment and scale of ambition.

“The Google Cloud Partner Awards honor the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud. “We are proud to name Tredence a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year.”

“Winning Google Cloud’s Retail Partner of the Year reflects one thing: the outcomes we deliver for the world’s most admired retailers, consistently and at scale,” said Amanpal Dhupar, Vice President, Head of Retail at Tredence. “We are the trusted Data and AI partner for 8 of the top 10 global retailers and have built a team of world-class retail practitioners, a proprietary accelerator ecosystem powering over $2 trillion in global retail sales, and a last-mile operationalization capability.”

Tredence recently launched its Transformative Agentic Commerce Solution Accelerators at NRF 2026. Built on Google Cloud services, these accelerators can be customized for each retailer to address unique needs and deliver faster time-to-value.

Tredence will showcase these capabilities at Google Next, Booth #2911, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

About Tredence:

Tredence is a global AI and data science solutions provider focused on solving the last-mile problem in AI, the gap between insight creation and value realization. Tredence leverages deep domain expertise, data platforms and accelerators, and strategic partnerships to provide tailored, cutting-edge solutions to its clients. The company has 4,200+ employees across the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Riyadh, London, Toronto, and Bengaluru, serving top brands in Retail, CPG, Hi-tech, Telecom, Healthcare, Travel, and Industrials.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1773052/Tredence_Logo.jpg

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Technology

dbt Labs Wins a 2026 Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award

Published

24 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

PHILADELPHIA, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — dbt Labs, the leader in standards for AI-ready structured data, announced today that it has received the 2026 Google Cloud Partner of the Year award for Data and Analytics: Data Pipelines and Governance. dbt Labs works together with Google Cloud to provide the foundation for an organization’s transition to AI leadership and innovation. The combination of rich data warehousing capabilities and the democratization of complex data transformation removes technical barriers, enabling analysts and business leaders to accelerate their time-to-value.

dbt Labs is being recognized for its achievements in the Google Cloud ecosystem, helping joint customers manage data at scale on Google Cloud and turn it into trusted, actionable insights with speed and efficiency. Thousands of organizations run dbt on Google BigQuery globally, an integration designed to accelerate the delivery of trusted analytics and AI. By consolidating data transformation into a single, unified tool, joint customers quickly gain increased operational efficiency through advanced orchestration features. dbt Labs empowers customers to manage and trust results, ensuring high-quality data is ready to power analytics and AI initiatives both today and in the future.

“Every AI strategy needs to be underpinned by a standardized foundation and process to control, govern and document progress for high-quality, trusted results,” said Shawn Toldo, Vice President, Worldwide Partner Ecosystem at dbt Labs. “Together, dbt Labs and Google Cloud enable organizations to build that foundation for an AI-ready future. We are excited for the recognition and growing partnership with Google.”

“The Google Cloud Partner Awards honor the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud. “We are proud to name dbt Labs a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year.”

This recognition is the latest example of dbt Labs’ momentum since launching on Google Cloud Marketplace one year ago. The partnership’s trajectory is driven by extensive global adoption and usage across diverse industries and a rapidly expanding community of active practitioners. Additionally, dbt Labs’ partner team earned two Google Partner All Star awards, reinforcing the deep collaboration and commitment to driving mutual success.

By bringing Google AI capabilities into dbt workflows, joint customers gain the trustworthy, well-documented, governed foundation that reliable analytics and AI demand. To learn more about how dbt Labs and Google Cloud are enabling AI-ready data pipelines, watch the on-demand webinar “Building dbt Models Faster with Google AI” at https://www.getdbt.com/confirmation/building-dbt-models-faster-with-google-ai-recording.

About dbt Labs
Since 2016, dbt Labs has been on a mission to help data practitioners create and disseminate organizational knowledge. dbt is the standard for AI-ready structured data. Powered by the dbt Fusion engine, it unlocks the performance, context, and trust that organizations need to scale analytics in the era of AI. Globally, more than 80,000 data teams use dbt, including those at Siemens, Roche and Condé Nast.

Learn more at getdbt.com, and follow dbt Labs on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

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SOURCE dbt Labs