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Co-founder and CEO of Profit Royal Pharmaceutical Limited Sarinda Kwok on the purpose of technology in healthcare
“While making a profit is necessary to sustain any business, I wanted to contribute to the betterment of people’s health, even if it's just a little,” says Sarinda Kwok. Fuelled by this vision, Kwok and her team at Profit Royal Pharmaceutical Limited are upgrading the healthcare system with their internationally acclaimed nanofibre technology.
Protect with technology
Profit Royal was established in 2008 by Sarinda Kwok. In 2013, she joined hands with a scientific research company to explore advanced nanofibre technology in the development of respirators. “We looked back on the SARS outbreak in 2003 and can see increase in the level of technology and equipment available today. If there is such cutting-edge technology that can protect our medical practitioners who are safeguarding our health, why shouldn’t we participate in the research?” And so, in 2016, one of the world’s first nanofibre respirators with advanced bactericidal technology was born.
Eradicating doubt
The Covid-19 pandemic marked a turning point for Profit Royal. As the world battled the shortage of face masks, Kwok led her team to join the fight without hesitation by supplying Hong Kong with their NASK nanofibre respirators—the first nanofiber respirator in the world to earn a full certificate from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH).
This technology soon became patented in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan and the United States. Nevertheless, Kwok and her team have received plenty of doubt from the public in 2016. “At trade shows, people told us they did not believe our technology was developed in Hong Kong because it was pioneering. It was frustrating,” Kwok said.
“However, we decided to view it as motivation, to persevere and show them what Hong Kong is capable of.” And that is exactly what she did with her team throughout the pandemic. “We proved that nanofiber technology can be mass-produced,” she said. “There are lab-scale businesses in the US exploring the same technology, but they take seven working days to produce an A4-sized nanofibre fabric. On the other hand, each line produces over ten thousand nanofibre respirators daily.”
Giving back
While the pandemic posed a business opportunity to Kwok, it also, in turn, shed light on an obstacle: hiring. “From 2020 to last year, we had to reject some orders because we couldn't hire. It was a pity from a business standpoint, but we had no choice.” To relieve their reliance on manpower, Kwok and her team are moving into the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), a state-of-the-art manufacturing base in Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s (HKSTP) Tseung Kwan O InnoPark. “In AMC, we plan on utilising AI sensors to detect quality issues in the production line, which can help avoid problems such as human fatigue or neglect in manufacturing and quality control.” Last year, Kwok officially established her R&D team, which is now based in one of HKSTP’s labs. “Apart from financial subsidies for tenants, HKSTP has various facilities. One of our R&D teammates is not from Hong Kong, and HKSTP provided accommodation (InnoCell) for rent, which is good as it helps attract talents from all over the globe.”
“I was born and raised in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has given me a lot, including this opportunity to move into the AMC with HKSTP,” Kwok added. “I want to give back to society.” Armed with the motto “protect with technology”, Kwok and her team are exploring new nanofiber products such as diapers and air filters to elevate the quality of life for the people of Hong Kong and beyond. “We have already met with social welfare organisations for our diapers, and preliminary tests for our air filters estimate we can save significantly on electric fees with our technology.” She states, “We need time to show people our products. We hope to show that Hong Kong can do it.”
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