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

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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

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11:11 Systems Announces Strategic Partnership with Cato Networks to Deliver SASE Solution for Distributed Enterprises

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New Managed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution combines SD-WAN, cloud-native networking and security capabilities with 11:11’s connectivity, cyber resilience and cloud expertise

SYDNEY, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 11:11 Systems, a leading managed infrastructure solutions provider, today announced the global availability of its 11:11 Managed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution and a new strategic partnership with Cato Networks.

11:11 Managed SASE is a fully managed secure connectivity solution leveraging Cato Networks AI-native network security platform. This solution brings together intelligent SD-WAN, cloud-delivered security and global connectivity into a single offering. It enables organisations to simplify and secure access across branch offices, data centres, users and cloud environments, reducing complexity without sacrificing performance or control.

Built on the Cato Networks cloud-native SASE platform, 11:11 Managed SASE combines zero trust network access (ZTNA), firewall as a service (FWaaS), secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), advanced threat protection and centralised visibility into a unified managed experience. 11:11 also delivers 24x7x365 monitoring and support, incident management integration and operational accountability to help customers limit vendor sprawl, increase agility and free internal teams to focus on higher-value priorities.

The offering is backed by 11:11’s broader networking, cloud and cyber resilience capabilities. Through its global backbone, carrier-agnostic connectivity options and integrated portfolio spanning cloud, backup, disaster recovery and security services, 11:11 gives customers a practical path to modernise network and security architecture while strengthening resilience across the business.

“Enterprises are under pressure to support users, applications and locations that are more distributed than ever, while limiting complexity and improving security,” said Justin Giardina, CTO, 11:11 Systems. “Our Managed SASE solution provides customers with a unified approach to modernising networking and security, along with the visibility, support and flexibility they need to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.”

According to Karl Soderlund, global channel chief, Cato Networks, “As enterprises move beyond fragmented legacy networking and security stacks, they need a simpler way to gain visibility, context and control across hybrid work environments and reduce the operational burden on IT. Through our partnership, we can address these challenges head on and deliver end-to-end visibility and protection in a single service built for the reality of modern work.”

The joint offering is well suited for distributed enterprises, multi-site organisations, hybrid workforce initiatives, SD-WAN refreshes, security modernisation efforts and businesses with limited IT resources. 11:11 meets customers where they are by supporting existing environments, simplifying multi-vendor operations and serving as a single provider accountable for network, security, cloud and data integration.

This partnership expands 11:11’s Network as a Service portfolio and follows Forrester’s inclusion of 11:11 Systems in its report, “The Secure Access Service Edge Services Landscape, Q1 2026.”

About 11:11 Systems

11:11 Systems is a managed infrastructure solutions provider that empowers customers to modernise, protect and manage mission-critical applications and data, leveraging 11:11’s resilient cloud platform. Learn more at www.1111Systems.com and follow 11:11 on LinkedIn.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/1111-systems-announces-strategic-partnership-with-cato-networks-to-deliver-sase-solution-for-distributed-enterprises-302830322.html

SOURCE 11:11 Systems

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Crowell & Moring Expands Financial Services Group with Former UBS Bank USA General Counsel Cristina Diaz

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NEW YORK, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Crowell & Moring has added Cristina Diaz, former executive director and general counsel of UBS Bank USA, and most recently head of legal for UBS’s U.S. Remediation Management Office, to the firm’s Financial Services Group as senior counsel in New York. Diaz brings more than two decades of in-house counsel and law firm experience in bank regulation, compliance, and risk management.

At Crowell, Diaz will counsel banks, fintechs, and digital assets companies on a broad range of bank regulatory matters, including charters and licensing, permissible activities, capital requirements, regulatory enforcement, M&A, and corporate governance. She will also counsel clients navigating the intersection of traditional banking and emerging financial services, including digital assets companies seeking to acquire or establish national banks, and banks exploring partnerships with fintechs and digital assets firms.

At UBS, Diaz advised on the firm’s most pressing regulatory matters, including most recently UBS Bank USA’s charter conversion from a Utah industrial bank to an OCC national bank and key compliance remediations. This work gave Diaz extensive experience navigating relationships with state and federal financial regulators. Earlier in her career, Diaz spent eight years at Davis Polk & Wardwell advising U.S. and foreign banks on bank regulatory matters, M&A, and capital markets transactions.

“Cristina is a highly experienced, solution-oriented attorney who brings deep knowledge in the bank regulatory space. She will be an enormous asset to the firm’s growing regulatory and transactional offerings to banks, digital assets businesses, and fintechs,” said Carlton Greene, Co-Chair of Crowell’s Financial Services Group.

“I am delighted to join Crowell & Moring and integrate my bank regulatory experience with the firm’s nationally-recognized digital assets practice. As traditional banking and emerging financial technologies continue to evolve, clients need actionable and sophisticated legal counsel. Crowell offers the collaborative platform to help institutions successfully execute their growth and compliance strategies,” said Diaz.

Diaz received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the New York University Law Review, and received her B.A., summa cum laude, from New York University. She is fluent in Spanish.

About Crowell & Moring LLP
Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, and MENA. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex regulatory and policy, litigation, transactional, and intellectual property issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its comprehensive programs and initiatives to advance the professional and personal development of all members of the Crowell community.

Media Contact:
Email: prteam@crowell.com

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SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP

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Quantinuum and SoftBank Corp. Publish Joint White Paper on Scaling Practical Quantum Computing Use Cases Toward the Fault-Tolerant Era

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The companies have published a joint white paper mapping commercially relevant quantum computing use cases in quantum chemistry and graph analytics to Quantinuum’s hardware roadmap.The paper provides a framework for assessing how advances in quantum hardware and algorithms, could affect when practical industrial applications become feasible.SoftBank Corp. and Quantinuum will use the roadmap to inform their exploration of future quantum AI data center services and related business models.

TOKYO and BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Quantinuum (NASDAQ: QNT) and SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”) today announced the publication of “Quantum Computing Frontiers,” a joint white paper that maps two commercially-relevant quantum computing application areas against Quantinuum’s hardware roadmap. The analysis examines how advances in quantum hardware and algorithms could affect when these applications become practical for industrial use.

The paper focuses on two representative application domains that SoftBank is actively using Quantinuum’s systems to research: quantum chemistry for new materials discovery and energy research, and topological data analysis for large-scale graph analytics, including for telecommunications fraud detection. The authors anchor their assessment of the scalability of these two application areas against Quantinuum’s published hardware roadmap, examining how projected advances in hardware capabilities and algorithms may enable the commercial readiness of future industrial applications.

Building on this use-case roadmap, the paper also examines how quantum computing, AI, and high-performance computing could be integrated into future computing infrastructure. It considers how progress across successive hardware generations could inform future quantum AI data center services and related business models, a key focus of the Quantinuum and SoftBank partnership announced last year.

“The key takeaway of this study is that organizations do not need to wait for large-scale, fault-tolerant systems to explore where quantum computing can begin creating value,” said Duncan Jones, General Manager, Applications Group at Quantinuum. “By using today’s systems to develop, benchmark and refine applications in areas such as quantum chemistry and graph analytics, enterprises can build the technical and operational readiness needed for the next era of quantum-enabled computing.”

“The question is no longer whether quantum computing may deliver value, but rather which problem classes become executable at which stage of hardware maturity,” said Ryuji Wakikawa, Senior Vice President & CTO at SoftBank Corp. “However, we believe progress in hardware must be complemented by equally strong developments in quantum algorithms and the integration of quantum systems with AI and high-performance computing.”

The white paper discusses illustrative scenarios describing how representative applications, technology maturity, and potential market opportunities may evolve over time under stated assumptions. The analysis provided in the paper is intended to provide a conceptual framework for understanding potential market evolution and does not represent financial guidance or forecasts. These analyses are intended to support discussion of future technology development and should not be interpreted as commitments regarding commercialization, infrastructure investment, products, services, or financial performance.

The full white paper is available to download on the SoftBank and Quantinuum websites.

About SoftBank Corp.

Guided by the SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy, “Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. Building on its strong business foundation, SoftBank Corp. is aiming to activate the potential of AI across its businesses and drive implementation in line with its “Activate AI for Society” growth strategy. While further growing its telecom business, SoftBank is expanding its AI computing infrastructure and AI and Cloud service businesses with the aim of becoming a provider of Next-generation Social Infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/

About Quantinuum

Quantinuum (NASDAQ: QNT) is a leading quantum computing company offering a full-stack platform designed to make quantum computing deployable in real-world environments. The company has commercially deployed multiple generations of quantum systems built on the well-established QCCD architecture, which it has implemented with novel designs and capabilities to achieve the industry’s highest accuracy levels based on average two-qubit gate fidelity.[1] Quantinuum has active engagements with market leaders across pharmaceuticals, material science, financial services, and government and industrial markets. The company has a global workforce of approximately 700 employees, including top scientists and researchers. Over 70% of its technology team holds PhDs or Master’s degrees. Quantinuum’s headquarters is in Broomfield, Colorado, with additional facilities across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Qatar, and Singapore.

For more information, please visit www.quantinuum.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. The words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “will,” “seek,” “foreseeable,” the negative version of these words, or similar terms and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Quantinuum to predict all such factors. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Quantinuum does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

[1] As of December 31, 2025.

SOURCE Quantinuum

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