Navigating Market Transformation, Building Integrated Competitiveness, and Accelerating Innovation and Digital Transformation in the High-Value Medical Consumables Sector
In recent years, China’s high-value medical consumables industry has developed rapidly, with significant improvements in technological capabilities. These advancements have not only enhanced the quality and efficiency of healthcare services but also provided patients with safer and more effective treatment options, making the industry an indispensable force in the Healthy China strategy.
However, as policies and market conditions continue to evolve, the high-value medical consumables industry is facing dual pressures from external challenges and internal transformation and upgrading. The industry urgently needs to identify a development path that not only strengthens its resilience against external shocks but also drives the optimization and upgrading of internal mechanisms.
In this context,byGuoke Hengxing(Beijing) Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as: Guoke Hengxing), organized by VCBeat and VCBeat Select, and supported by BioBAY and the Biomedical Industry Branch of Jinji Lake Craftsman Academy (BioTOP), the “2024 Industrial Park Tour for the Upgrading of High-Value Medical Consumables Industry” was successfully held in Suzhou on August 28.The event brought together more than ten renowned Chinese entrepreneurs, along with representatives from investment firms and other segments of the industry chain, to engage in in-depth discussions on core topics such as innovation in high-value medical consumables, digital transformation, and the construction of an industrial ecosystem. These efforts aim to help companies build end-to-end operational capabilities across the entire industry chain and secure a first-mover advantage in the market.
On-Site Visit to the Industrial Upgrade Park for High-Value Medical Consumables in 2024
At the beginning of the conference,Liu Yuwu, Assistant to the General Manager of Guoke HengxingDelivering remarks as the representative of the event organizer, he first emphasized the core purpose of this event:Delve into the future development opportunities in the high-value medical device sector, foster collaboration within the industry, and drive innovation and transformation.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuwu specifically highlighted the importance of digital transformation in the medical device industry and introduced how Guoke Hengxing leverages advanced management tools, models, and artificial intelligence technologies to help enterprises achieve digital transformation in sales, thereby driving comprehensive business digitization. He expressed his anticipation for discussing with partners at the conference how to empower the upgrading of the high-value consumables industry.
After the event officially commenced,Zhang Xiaonong, General Manager of Aoriji Medicalwith"Innovation and Industrialization of Biodegradable Metal Materials: Starting with Closure Clips"as the theme, to be the first to share insights with everyone.
General Manager of Aoruiji Medical, ZhangSmallholder Farmers
During his presentation, Zhang Xiaonong shared Oruiji Medical’s innovative achievements in the field of biodegradable metal materials, particularly highlighting its biodegradable vascular closure clips, which have been successfully commercialized after 14 years of research and development. He emphasized the potential of magnesium-based materials in biomedical applications, including their biodegradability and functional properties. Additionally, he discussed the technical challenges encountered during product development and the corresponding solutions, as well as the company’s considerations regarding product pricing and market strategy, especially how to balance cost and market demand under the centralized procurement framework implemented by the National Healthcare Security Administration.
Next,Sun Zhihai, Senior Product Director at Guoke Hengxingwith《Reducing Costs and Improving Efficiency for High-Value Medical Device Enterprises Through Digitalization》shared insights on the topic, analyzing the opportunities and challenges faced by high-value medical device companies in their marketing efforts.
Senior Product Director, Guoke Hengxing Sun Zhihai
In his speech, Sun Zhihai introduced Guoke Hengxing’s digital transformation and supply chain management services. The company’s industrial internet platform for intelligent, data-driven supply chains helps manufacturers, distributors, service providers, healthcare institutions, and government agencies address challenges such as difficulties in attracting investment partners, inventory control, sales flow traceability, sales forecasting, high operational costs, and incomplete real-time visibility into digital operations. This enables them to achieve comprehensive digital transformation and industrial upgrading.
To address the challenges enterprises face in distributor recruitment, Guoke Hengxing leverages big data models and a database of 1.3 million distributors to match clients with appropriate engagement models online, while conducting nationwide recruitment events offline to jointly facilitate the identification of high-quality leads. As manufacturers often struggle to monitor inventory among secondary and tertiary distributors, Guoke Hengxing assists enterprises in capturing multi-tier distributor sales data and mapping national channel inventory distribution for enhanced sales management. The "Announcement by the National Medical Products Administration, the National Health Commission, and the National Healthcare Security Administration on Implementing the Third Batch of Unique Device Identification (UDI) for Medical Devices" states that "medical device operating enterprises should actively apply UDI in their business operations, ensuring coded inbound and outbound processes to achieve product traceability throughout the circulation phase." Guoke Hengxing provides end-to-end traceability in the circulation phase at the serial number level. Channel operations are fully digitized from lead generation to contract signing, reducing labor costs and improving operational efficiency. Digital visualization dashboards enable enterprises to gain comprehensive business insights, conduct forecasting, and enhance precise decision-making capabilities.
Especially in the face of policy challenges and supply chain complexities unique to the high-value medical consumables industry, Sun Zhihai emphasizes that Guoke Hengxing is dedicated to providing customized digital technology products and services. These solutions leverage big data and AI technologies to optimize distributor management, order processing, and inventory control, helping enterprises adapt to regulatory changes, achieve supply chain optimization, and control costs.
In the subsequent first roundtable discussion session,Long Han, Chairman of Better Micro Medical; Pu Jumin, Head of Market Access at Dingke Medical; Xu Yi, Vice President of Yingmai Technology; Chen Shuguo, Founder and CEO of Xuanyu Medical; Sun Zhihai, Senior Product Director at Guoke Hengxing; and the moderator, Liu Shaohua, Head of Marketing at Guoke HengxingJointly Focus on"The Post-Centralized Procurement Era: Innovation and Transformation in the High-Value Medical Consumables Industry"were explored.
From left to right:
Liu Shaohua, Host and Head of Marketing at Guoke Hengxing
Long Han, Chairman of Better Micro Medical
Pu Jumin, Head of Market Access at Dingke Medical
Xu Yi, Vice President of Yingmai Technology
Chen Shuguo, Founder and CEO of Xuanyu Medical
Sun Zhihai, Senior Product Director at Guoke Hengxing
During the roundtable discussion, the six panelists engaged in an in-depth exploration of how manufacturers of high-value medical consumables can achieve cost reduction and efficiency gains, thereby enhancing their competitiveness, through innovation-driven strategies and digital transformation amidst the industry-wide changes brought about by centralized procurement policies. The panelists also shared insights into product innovations and market strategies in specialized fields such as peripheral vascular devices, coronary stents, and pulsed field ablation. They emphasized the importance of integrating medical practice with engineering and highlighted the opportunities and challenges for domestically produced alternatives to imported products within the centralized procurement framework. Furthermore, the panelists reached a consensus that for enterprises to achieve sustainable development, they must gain a profound understanding of clinical needs, strengthen internal management, optimize supply chains, and actively adopt digital technologies to adapt to the rapidly changing market environment.
Amid the current backdrop of insufficient medical resources, surgical robots are held in high expectation. As a significant technological innovation in the field of vascular intervention, vascular interventional robots provide a novel solution for clinical vascular interventions. This event also invited Aibo Hechuang, a medical robotics company specializing in vascular interventional surgical robots, to deliver a themed presentation.
Shao Fang, Deputy General Manager of Marketing and Overseas Sales at Aibo Hechuang
Shao Fang, Deputy General Manager of Marketing and Overseas Sales at Aiboh HechuangWith"Clinical Value and Research Progress of Pan-Vascular Interventional Robots"Titled “[Title],” the presentation highlighted the company’s innovative achievements in the field of peripheral vascular interventional robotics. She emphasized that the company distinguishes itself through the integration of medicine and engineering, dedicating itself to the research and development of automated cardiovascular and cerebrovascular interventional technologies. It has successfully launched a neurointerventional robot developed in collaboration with Changhai Hospital and achieved the world’s first 5G-enabled remote surgery. Shao Fang pointed out that Aibo Hechuang’s products enhance surgical precision and alleviate physicians’ workload through technological innovation, holding promise for facilitating the decentralization of medical resources. She also expressed her desire to seek strategic collaborations with manufacturers of consumables and imaging equipment to jointly advance industry development.
Subsequently,Chen Chong, Director and Marketing Director of Zhongtian MedicalCombining current hot topics, with"Where Is the Great Sage’s Return in Pan-vascular Intervention Heading?"delivered an insightful presentation on the topic.
Chen Chong, Director and Marketing Director of Zhongtian Medical
Chen Chong used *Monkey King: Hero Is Back* as a metaphor in his discussion to emphasize the importance of teamwork and innovation, and cited the success of *Black Myth: Wukong* to highlight the market’s substantial demand for high-quality products. In the face of DRG (Diagnosis-Related Groups) and centralized procurement policies, he advocated that companies must innovate to adapt, while recognizing the necessity of transformation within the healthcare industry. Chen Chong reviewed the development trajectory of the medical device industry, tracing its evolution from a focus on regulatory approval to an era where innovation reigns supreme, underscoring the central role of innovation in sustaining corporate growth. He predicted significant growth potential in the pan-vascular intervention sector and called on enterprises to address market pain points by delivering high-quality products.
The second roundtable forum, with“Cross-Boundary Dialogue: The ‘Changes’ and ‘Constants’ in the Neurointerventional Industry”as the theme, invitedChen Chong, Sales and Marketing Director at Zhongtian Medical; She Han, Sales Director at Shenping Medical; Qiao Zeng, Partner at Banfei Incubator; Liu Yuwu, Assistant to the General Manager at Guoke Hengxing; and Liu Shaohua, Head of Marketing at Guoke Hengxing, who served as the moderator.Participation.
From left to right:
Liu Shaohua, Head of Marketing at Guoke Hengxing
Chen Chong, Sales and Marketing Director at Zhongtian Medical
She Han, Sales Director at Shenping Medical
Qiao Zeng, Co-founding Partner of Banfei Incubation
Liu Yuwu, Assistant to the General Manager of Guoke Hengxing
In this roundtable discussion, five panelists delved into the development trends in the field of neurointervention. They noted that despite the uncertainties brought about by technological advancements and policy changes, demand for high-quality medical products and innovative solutions remains stable. With the rising rate of domestic substitution and market expansion, China has the potential to become the largest neurointerventional market globally. In the face of capital influx following centralized procurement and intensifying industry competition, companies must rely on technological innovation and digital transformation to optimize cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, global expansion and international cooperation have become key strategies for companies to broaden their market reach and enhance competitiveness. Experts remain optimistic about the industry’s long-term growth, believing that the neurointerventional sector will usher in more development opportunities through continuous innovation and adaptation to market changes.
At the “2024 Tour of Industrial Upgrade Parks for High-Value Medical Consumables – Suzhou Stop” event, industry experts and corporate leaders conducted an in-depth analysis of the current development status of the high-value medical consumables sector under prevailing healthcare policies and market conditions. In the face of price reduction pressures stemming from centralized procurement policies and rapid market shifts, the industry has demonstrated positive momentum in technological innovation and domestic substitution.
It is worth noting that technological innovation is regarded as the core driver of industry development. Domestic enterprises have achieved technological breakthroughs in multiple niche segments through independent research and development, thereby enhancing the market competitiveness of their products. Meanwhile, digital transformation has become a key strategy for companies to improve operational efficiency and market adaptability. Through cross-sector collaboration and ecosystem building, enterprises are better positioned to respond to the changes brought by the era of centralized procurement, achieving cost reduction and efficiency gains. The industry is also poised for more rapid development and broader social impact.
Looking ahead, conference participants expressed strong confidence in the outlook for the high-value medical consumables industry. They anticipate that the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine, will usher in a new wave of growth. The guests also emphasized that fostering the healthy development of the industry requires collaborative efforts from policymakers, healthcare providers, and industry enterprises. They advocated for building an environment that encourages innovation while ensuring fair competition, thereby promoting comprehensive progress and sustainable growth in the high-value medical consumables sector.