The Research Grant & Innovation Sandbox reflects this effort. In its first year, it attracted 100 proposals from teams across Malaysia, Singapore, India and Hong Kong, spanning areas such as oncology, chronic disease management, patient experience and clinical workflows.

Twenty-three projects have since been supported, with 21 currently in progress. Early momentum is already visible, including two research abstracts accepted at the World Congress of Nephrology 2026, a global scientific meeting organised by the International Society of Nephrology.

Alongside this, the “Future of Work: AI Agents in Action” Hackathon has focused on building capability in emerging technologies. Over three months, 240 colleagues developed practical AI-driven solutions to address operational challenges — generating 167 ideas across areas such as clinical operations, patient experience, data and reporting, and workflow automation. Shortlisted teams will present their solutions to a leadership panel, with selected outcomes to be showcased at the 11th IHH Healthcare Quality Summit in October.

While distinct in focus, both initiatives point to a broader shift towards a more deliberate approach in enabling ideas to move from concept to application. This includes not only providing platforms and resources, but also fostering confidence, capability and ownership among teams.

Many of the next breakthroughs in healthcare may already exist within our network. Our role is to bring these ideas forward and translate them into tangible impact for patients — through better care, stronger systems and more empowered teams.