First GHWP Innovative Medical Device Symposium Successfully Convenes to Advance Global Regulatory Harmonization and Industry Innovation

On April 12, the inaugural GHWP Medical Device Industry Innovation Symposium was grandly held, coinciding with the 89th China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF). The event attracted more than 200 professionals, including representatives from regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders in GHWP member countries and regions.

Mr. Gao Guobiao, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Center for Medical Device Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and Member of the GHWP Strategic Advisory Committee, attended and delivered remarks. The seminar was moderated by Mr. Bryan So, Executive Secretary-General of GHWP. Attendees included Ms. Eun Hee Cho, Vice Chair of GHWP; Mr. Li Chao, Managing Director of Sinopharm Reed Exhibitions; Mr. Alfred Kwek, Member of the GHWP Strategic Advisory Committee; and Ms. Miang Tankasemsub, Vice Chair of the GHWP Technical Committee, among others.

“To further promote synergy in the regulation of innovative medical devices and to drive innovation in the medical device sector, GHWP and Sinopharm Reeds Exhibitions are jointly hosting this Seminar on Innovative Medical Devices.” In her opening remarks, Eun Hee Cho provided a detailed introduction to the background and original intent behind the establishment of this seminar.

Leveraging the advantages of the CMEF platform, Li Chao stated, “As a showcase platform covering the entire industry chain, CMEF features nearly 5,000 exhibiting companies and sees the on-site launch of numerous innovative technologies. Through this collaboration, we aim to implement certain practices of the Global Harmonization Working Party (GHWP), foster alignment among relevant standards, and facilitate more international and localized exchanges and cooperation within the industry.”

Gao Guobiao pointed out that the medical device industry is internationally recognized as a sunrise industry. In this era of globalization and informatization, the sector is at a critical stage of transitioning from high-speed growth to high-quality development. In recent years, regulators and industry stakeholders must jointly address and collaborate on how to promote the harmonization, convergence, and mutual trust of global medical device regulations in the face of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, biomaterials, and standalone medical software.

In his keynote address on “Overview and Development Trends of Medical Device Innovation,” Alfred Kwek noted that innovation in medical devices is the result of collective global efforts in technological development within the healthcare sector, and that the rapid translation and application of advanced technologies pose significant challenges to regulatory authorities worldwide.

Subsequently, representatives from regulatory authorities in China, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, along with representatives from the Global Harmonization Working Party (GHWP) and industry stakeholders, engaged in in-depth sharing and discussions centered on two core topics: global regulatory policies for innovative medical devices, and regulatory reliance, globalization of the medical device industry, and industry achievements.

Roundtable Discussion on Regulatory Policies for Innovative Medical Devices and Industry Achievements

Roundtable Discussion on Regulatory Trust and the Globalization of the Medical Device Industry

In his closing remarks, guest speaker Miang Tankasemsub expressed his hope that future seminars will drive greater industry synergy, facilitate the sharing of insights and challenges, foster joint innovation, and continue to promote the spirit of collaboration. He emphasized the goal of achieving enhanced synergy to make greater contributions to global healthcare.

Notably, several officials from Mozambique’s health system also attended the conference, including Mr. Ernesto Sambo, Director of the Procurement Department under the Health Insurance Fund of the Ministry of Health of Mozambique, and Mr. Joao Cassiano Carlos, Director of the Department for Review of Pharmaceuticals, Health Supplements, and Biological Products at the Mozambique Medicines Regulatory Authority. Their participation facilitated a more comprehensive understanding of the Global Harmonization Working Party (GHWP) and further strengthened trust in China’s medical device industry.

Furthermore, the 89th CMEF featured a dedicated GHWP thematic exhibition zone, showcasing innovative medical device regulatory policies from Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, and China. This initiative empowered industrial innovation, regulatory convergence, and global development, attracting a large number of experts from across the medical device supply chain for visits and study. This GHWP Medical Device Innovation Seminar marked the first strategic collaboration between GHWP and CMEF. It established a platform for exchanging innovative practices among global leading enterprises and outstanding local innovators, significantly promoting global harmonization and mutual trust in medical device regulations.