Boston Scientific Establishes China's Second Headquarters in Chengdu, Partnering with West China Hospital to Drive Western Healthcare Innovation

VCBeat has learned that on September 15, 2020, Boston Scientific Corporation officially inaugurated its China “Second Headquarters” and Innovation Training Academy in Chengdu. Together with the recently operational Boston Scientific Western Logistics Center, these facilities will enable Boston Scientific to leverage Chengdu’s radiating influence and driving role to better integrate into the local healthcare ecosystem, promote high-quality medical solutions for grassroots communities in western China, and enhance access to premium healthcare services. On the same day, the “Huaxi–Boston Scientific Joint Innovation Center,” co-established by Boston Scientific and West China Clinical Medical College/West China Hospital of Sichuan University (hereinafter referred to as “West China Hospital”), was officially unveiled, aiming to accelerate the translation of innovative achievements and foster talent development in western China.

In Chengdu, Boston Scientific’s strategic plan will operate under the framework of “one headquarters and three major centers.” The operation of the logistics center, the completion of the training academy, and the establishment of the West China Hospital–Boston Scientific Joint Innovation Center mark the implementation in Western China of Boston Scientific’s collaborative medical innovation ecosystem integrating government, industry, academia, research, and healthcare.

“As the world’s most innovative medical technology company, Boston Scientific will aim to ‘establish a foothold in Chengdu and serve the western region,’ uphold open collaboration, stimulate market vitality through innovation, and make healthcare resources more timely and accessible,” said Ms. Zhang Jun, President of Greater China at Boston Scientific. “Leveraging Chengdu’s strategic location, we will work with partners across all sectors to build an innovative healthcare ecosystem with reach across western China, bringing cutting-edge medical technologies to more patients at the grassroots level and fully supporting the ‘Healthy China’ initiative.”

As a globally leading medical device company, Boston Scientific wields significant influence in both medical device innovation and the industry sector, with global revenue reaching USD 10.735 billion in 2019. The decision to establish its “second headquarters” in Chengdu holds substantial strategic significance for Boston Scientific’s market layout in China.

  Boston Scientific Corporation’s “Second Headquarters” in China – Opening Ceremony

Boston Scientific was one of the first international medical device companies to enter the Chinese market, establishing its China headquarters in Shanghai in 1997.

Boston Scientific places immense importance on the Chinese market. As one of the strategically significant markets for Boston Scientific’s future development, the company has been continuously increasing its investments in China in recent years, particularly in areas such as innovative R&D, clinical research, professional education, and talent development.

The selection of Chengdu, a city deep in the heartland of the Chinese market, as the location for Boston Scientific’s “Second Headquarters” and Innovation Training Academy in China further underscores the company’s commitment to the Chinese market.

Ms. Zhang Jun stated, “The Chinese market is the most important market in Boston Scientific’s global strategy, and Chengdu is a key pillar of Boston Scientific China’s Western Development Strategy.”

Choosing to establish its presence in Chengdu, Boston Scientific aims to build an innovative medical ecosystem centered in Chengdu and covering Western China. Ms. Zhang Jun stated, “Chengdu’s emphasis on the medical and biological industries, along with its vibrant urban landscape, left a deep impression on Boston Scientific.”

The development of western China has always been a core national development strategy. To promote coordinated development between the eastern and western regions, the State Council officially issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Formation of a New Pattern in the Large-Scale Development of Western China in the New Era” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”) this May. The “Opinions” put forward requirements for healthcare construction in the western region, including strengthening medical infrastructure and equipment conditions, improving the professional technical skills of medical personnel, and accelerating the standardized construction of primary healthcare institutions.

Ms. Zhang Jun revealed that Boston Scientific will implement its “One Headquarters, Three Centers” strategy in Chengdu in the future. The three centers are the Logistics Center, Training Center, and Innovation Center.

Boston Scientific’s Western China Logistics Center commenced operations this August. By leveraging the efficient logistics system of the Chengdu-Europe Railway Express and air cargo transport, along with the “one warehouse, two systems” management model that integrates bonded and non-bonded warehouses at the Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town, the company has shortened transportation turnaround times and enhanced the diversity and timeliness of its supply chain. As the first enterprise to benefit from the bio-town’s “one warehouse, two systems” management policy, Boston Scientific completed customs clearance for its first batch of cardiac interventional products within just one day of their arrival in Chengdu. The “Chengdu Speed” has provided greater convenience for Boston Scientific’s supply chain operations in central and western China.

The second major initiative is the training center. The Boston Scientific Innovation Training Academy and Innovation Center in Chengdu is the third innovation training academy established by Boston Scientific in China, following those in Shanghai and Beijing. The Boston Scientific Innovation Training Center will deliver professional education and provide high-quality clinical skills training for physicians, accelerate collaboration with healthcare services, technology firms, and research institutions, and facilitate the promotion of cutting-edge technologies and innovative medical solutions.

Boston Scientific’s Innovation and Training Center in Chengdu will expand the company’s footprint while training tens of thousands of physicians in central and western China.

Following the establishment of the West China–Boston Scientific Joint Innovation Center, efficient collaboration with primary care hospitals and medical consortia has been achieved through information technologies such as AI, 5G, and big data. This initiative has led to the creation of discipline-based innovation centers for interventional therapy and training, helping hospitals in western China enhance management efficiency and the quality of medical services.

In addition to the logistics center and training center, Boston Scientific’s Chengdu “Second Headquarters” will also serve as an innovation center.

West China Hospital is a key strategic partner for Boston Scientific’s development in Western China, with a collaboration history spanning over 15 years. The jointly established “West China–Boston Scientific Joint Innovation Center” aims to leverage the disciplinary strengths of West China Hospital’s basic research at Sichuan University and its clinical translational medicine platform, effectively integrating international innovation experience with local R&D practices. This initiative seeks to promote the integrated development of industry, academia, research, and healthcare, while supporting West China Medicine of Sichuan University in achieving its grand vision of “comprehensively reaching world-class standards.”

In the future, both parties will leverage their respective strengths in clinical practice, scientific research, and innovation to conduct clinical and management training, cultivating outstanding talent in medical device innovation and hospital management for western China. Centered on themes such as healthcare innovation, integration of medicine and engineering, and technology translation, they will engage in transnational academic exchanges, seminars, training, and collaborations with top universities, research institutions, and healthcare organizations abroad.

Professor Huang Yong, Executive Vice President of West China School of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University, and West China Hospital, and Ms. Zhang Jun, President of Greater China at Boston Scientific, unveiled the plaque for the Joint Innovation Center on behalf of both parties.

Ms. Zhang Jun stated that the West China–Boston Scientific Joint Innovation Center will actively promote the development of the local medical ecosystem from three aspects.

First, as mentioned above, Boston Scientific will continue to uphold its original commitment to cultivating local talent.

Second, it enhances the hospital management capabilities of hospitals in western China.Boston Scientific aims to combine its long-accumulated international experience with local innovation practices, achieve better integration with the local healthcare ecosystem, actively participate in the ecosystem, and contribute to the enhancement of the entire medical industry chain.

Third, accelerate the translation of innovative research findings.West China Hospital boasts abundant and high-quality clinical resources and strong capabilities in basic scientific research. However, if basic research is disconnected from medical-engineering collaboration and clinical trials, the pace of innovation will be hindered. Boston Scientific hopes that the Innovation Center will accelerate the translation of innovative achievements, ground its efforts in the needs of Chinese clinical patients, and enable more innovations to take root and flourish locally.

The development of Boston Scientific in China can also be described as a model of localization for multinational medical device giants. The establishment of its “Second Headquarters” in Chengdu is a fruit of Boston Scientific’s integration into the local healthcare ecosystem.

In the first phase, localization primarily focused on product introduction. For instance, as early as 1998, Boston Scientific launched the Jagwire® guidewire in China, which significantly improved cannulation success rates in ERCP procedures and reduced post-ERCP complication rates, becoming a classic product in the field of digestive endoscopy. Meanwhile, Boston Scientific has continuously introduced globally renowned innovative products, including the WATCHMAN® Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device, a Galien Prize winner often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of the pharmaceutical industry," and the Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (S-ICD).

Furthermore, leveraging the policy dividends of the “Nine National Measures,” Boston Scientific has launched pilot programs for innovative medical devices and conducted real-world data studies in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan, further accelerating the market approval of its innovative products.

Phase II: Boston Scientific collaborates with venture capital firms, academic institutions, hospitals, government entities, medical professionals, and professional societies in China to jointly build a healthcare ecosystem.

At this stage, Boston Scientific is expanding this ecosystem to more regions, penetrating China’s primary healthcare sector to improve access to high-quality medical resources.

Boston Scientific has summarized its strategy in China as integrating global resources while deeply cultivating the local market. Over the past two decades, Boston Scientific has introduced numerous leading solutions to the Chinese healthcare market across multiple therapeutic areas, including interventional cardiology, cardiac rhythm management and electrophysiology, structural heart disease, peripheral and oncology interventions, endoscopic interventions, respiratory health, urology and pelvic health, and neuromodulation.

Boston Scientific is not only introducing advanced international R&D systems and expertise for medical devices, but also deeply tapping into local R&D potential based on domestic needs, integrating high-quality local R&D resources, and providing robust technical support for the development and market launch of medical device products in China.

Boston Scientific does not wish to be merely an importer of advanced products; rather, it aspires to become an indispensable supporter in elevating the overall standards of China’s domestic healthcare industry.