6th CMIA Medical Innovation Conference Kicks Off in Qingdao on May 24, 2024
According to the “World Intellectual Property Indicators” report, since 2021, China has ranked first in the world for three consecutive years in terms of the number of valid patents, with an ever-widening gap from the United States, which ranks second.
China’s healthcare industry is entering a new cycle of innovation. The translation of medical achievements has gradually shifted from national policy advocacy to collaborative innovation among government, industry, academia, and research institutions. The value of physicians and medical institutions in medical innovation is being increasingly validated and reinforced. Domestic models of medical innovation are progressively transitioning toward clinical practice and the integration of medicine and engineering, while specialized medical institutions are gradually establishing clear pathways for the commercialization of their innovative outcomes.
Addressing unmet clinical needs is both the starting point and the ultimate goal of medical innovation. As discoverers of clinical problems, articulators of clinical needs, and users of clinical devices, physicians—equipped with scientific thinking cultivated through daily learning and practice—are natural innovators. Moreover, by engaging in medical innovation, physicians can not only address clinical pain points and provide patients with more cost-effective products but also explore new possibilities for their career development.
Academician Ge Junbo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), and Founder and Chairman of the China Medical Innovation Alliance, once interpreted the correct approach for physicians to engage in medical innovation as follows: Innovation is not solely the responsibility of innovators. The so-called integration of medicine and engineering is not merely a literal combination of “medicine” and “engineering,” but rather a multifaceted collaboration involving various platforms, including universities (affiliated hospitals), enterprises, government bodies, and legal and policy frameworks.
However, real-world cases demonstrate that the path to translating medical innovations into practice is fraught with challenges and long-term hurdles. Every participant must maintain a clear awareness and sound judgment regarding the issues, pain points, and limitations inherent in the translation of medical innovations. Physicians engaging in innovation should not take it for granted; instead, they should adopt a long-term perspective, recognizing the roles and influences of various innovation factors—such as policy, industry, academia, research, capital, and legal frameworks—underpinning collaborative medical-engineering innovations.
The so-called “one-third is determined by fate.” After gaining a clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing these dynamics, innovators should recognize that innovation is closely intertwined with the developmental trends of the nation and society. Undertaking the right actions at the right time can often enable innovators to achieve twice the results with half the effort.
According to statistics, the ratio of medical device to pharmaceutical market share in China is approximately 1:3–4, compared with roughly 1:1 in developed countries. Developed countries account for about 72% of the global medical device market, whereas China accounts for approximately 14%, indicating substantial room for growth in China’s medical device industry.
In recent years, the state has introduced a series of policies to support and prioritize innovation in medical devices, driving a gradual increase in the domestic substitution rate of medical devices in China. This trend is particularly pronounced in fields such as cardiac occluders, dura mater, and patient monitors, where the extent of domestic substitution is significant.
Meanwhile, by leveraging regional human resources and industrial capabilities, various provinces and municipalities have gradually developed distinctive industrial belts in the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Bohai Rim region. These developments have injected significant momentum into the growth of China’s medical device industry and, to a certain extent, facilitated domestic medical device registration.
However, despite the growth in the quantity of innovations within China’s medical device industry, there remains a significant gap in quality compared to developed countries, particularly in building sustained innovation capabilities at a strategic industrial level.
On the one hand, China’s overall capacity for medical innovation is relatively low, with a predominance of mid- to low-end products, a high proportion of generic and improved products, and a scarcity of original innovations. On the other hand, domestic R&D investment in medical innovation is insufficient. Statistical data show that R&D expenditure accounts for only 1–2% of revenue in China’s pharmaceutical industry (3% for medical devices), whereas the average level in developed countries stands at 15–18% (over 15% for medical devices).
Meanwhile, China has long lacked a corresponding innovation ecosystem and supporting policies. Most enterprises must independently manage the entire process from innovation to commercialization, resulting in low success rates. Furthermore, the absence of innovation intermediary services hinders the efficient alignment between social capital and industry.
How to Address This? Guided by the mission of “Healthy China, Medical Responsibility, Innovation-Driven Development, and Openness for Mutual Benefit,” the Chinese Medical Innovation Alliance (CMIA) was established in 2017. Academician Ge Junbo, together with Health界 (Healthjie), spearheaded the formation of CMIA in collaboration with 33 top-tier research hospitals across China and 40 national leaders in medical disciplines, including 16 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, thereby initiating explorations into pathways for translating medical innovations into practice.
“After years of exploration, practice, development, accumulation, and consolidation, CMIA has become a key platform for exchange in medical innovation and translation, gathering essential elements and core resources. It has emerged as a pioneer in China’s medical innovation and translation landscape, playing a pivotal role in fostering an enabling environment and building a robust ecosystem,” introduced Ge Junbo. “We are committed to establishing the CMIA Medical Innovation Conference as the ‘bellwether of medical innovation in China’!”
In recent years, in response to the nation’s urgent demand for medical innovation, to advance the development of China’s medical sector, and to promote international medical exchange and cooperation so as to enhance the global influence of China’s medical innovation, the CMIA Medical Innovation Conference has continuously brought together stakeholders from government, healthcare, academia, industry, research, and investment. By establishing an international platform for medical innovation exchange and promotion, it has made positive contributions to advancing technological innovation and development in medicine.
Amidst rising tides and daily innovations, the “2024 6th CMIA Medical Innovation Conference” will be held in Qingdao from May 24 to 26, 2024.
Guided by the Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Research Center of the National Health Commission, this conference is jointly hosted by the Chinese Medical Innovation Alliance (CMIA), the Chinese Association of Research Hospitals, the Hainan Boao Medical Innovation Research Institute, Jiankangjie (Health Circle), the Administrative Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area, and the Administration Bureau of Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone. It is co-organized by the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, the Oriental Pan-Vascular Device Innovation College (OPIC) of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and the Eastern Medical Device Innovation Center (EMDIC), with Beijing Kangwei Yichuang Technology Co., Ltd. serving as the organizer. Jointly academically hosted by dozens of public hospitals, the conference is positioned around the core themes of “Barometer of Medical Innovation in China” and “Langya Gathering for the Translation of Medical Innovations in China.” Focusing on the unveiling of the Best Practices for Hospital Innovation and Translation in China (2023), it aims to guide the direction of medical innovation, explore mechanisms for medical innovation, share pathways for medical innovation, and discuss systematic solutions for medical innovation.
It is reported that the 6th CMIA Medical Innovation Conference in 2024 will feature 15 thematic forums and over 70 keynote presentations, covering cutting-edge topics such as artificial intelligence and the development of consortia for translating hospital-based innovations. More than 160 distinguished guests from government, industry, healthcare, academia, and investment sectors are expected to attend and share their insights.
It is reported that the Executive Council Meeting of the China Medical Innovation Alliance (CMIA), the event themed “Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Upholding Integrity and Fostering Innovation to Unleash New Momentum for TCM Development” along with the launch of the Guidelines for Smart Service Construction in Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals, and the Kick-off Meeting for the 2024 Evaluation and Selection of Research-Oriented Hospitals will also be held during this congress.
“As beneficiaries of China’s reform and opening-up, we are obligated and responsible for contributing our efforts to the rise of Chinese science and medicine,” stated Academician Ge Junbo. Looking ahead, the China Medical Innovation Alliance (CMIA) will continue to provide industry leadership by issuing consensus statements and guidelines on the translation of scientific and technological achievements in medical institutions, thereby deepening innovators’ systematic understanding of the translation of medical innovations. The alliance will also carry out services and model research focused on innovation translation within medical institutions and across specialized disciplines. Furthermore, it will explore treating medical institutions and the medical sector as an integrated entity to secure greater support and foster the development of the industry for translating innovative achievements.
“Medical innovation in China has gradually evolved from past imitation to improvement, and now to original innovation. In the early stages, imitation was acceptable, but today it is more important to advocate for original and independent innovation. In the field of medicine, true independent innovation must be deeply rooted in clinical practice,” stated Academician Ge Junbo. He emphasized that whether in clinical research or translational innovation, the ultimate focus should always be on patients—aiming to alleviate their suffering and improve their quality of life.
Qiao Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Executive Vice President of Peking University, Director of the Health Science Center, and co-founder of the China Medical Innovation Alliance (CMIA), stated: “As a critical link in the entire chain of medical technological innovation, healthcare institutions play an irreplaceable core role in promoting the development and translation of pharmaceutical and medical technological innovations. We should clearly define the scientific and technological innovation functions of public hospitals. At the same time, we must also recognize that medical innovation requires upstream and downstream innovators and factors to join forces, thereby jointly building a medical innovation system.”
Chen Yihan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice President of Tongji University, and Director of Shanghai East Hospital, stated, “This is the finest era for medical scientific exploration. In decades to come, we will undoubtedly contribute original discoveries and inventions to human health.”
In the view of Academician Ge Junbo, China’s medical innovation sector currently boasts not only a market full of potential but also sufficient capability to develop original, homegrown products, thereby providing patients with better and higher-quality medical services. In this era, characterized by fierce competition and abundant opportunities for entrepreneurship and success, young people represent the group with the greatest potential.
“I have always believed that young people are best suited for innovation, as you possess more ideas, passion, and focus than your predecessors. The current era and society have endowed you with the greatest opportunities. Therefore, young people, seize your youth and pursue what you wish to do!” said Academician Ge Junbo.
Free Admission to the 6th CMIA Medical Innovation Conference 2024!
Langya Sword Forum: Exploring the Path of Innovation; The Pinnacle of Medicine: Jointly Planning for Future Development;
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Multiple forums are also recruiting speakers!
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