Zhongshan Hospital Innovation Transformation Prospectus: 51 Patents Commercialized in Two Years

In May 2021, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongshan Hospital”) hosted an “Innovation Fund” competition, in which project applicants engaged in fierce debates over their innovative inventions to vie for funding. The final winners would receive grants ranging from RMB 10,000 to RMB 30,000.

This marks the 12th year since the establishment of the Innovation Fund, which has now grown to exceed RMB 30 billion. To further accelerate the translation of scientific research innovations into industry-academia-research collaborations, Zhongshan Hospital revamped the fund this year, providing tiered funding based on the development stage of the outcomes, categorized into three streams: Incubation, Cultivation, and Acceleration.

The effects of the reform were also immediate.In 2021, Zhongshan Hospital filed a total of 575 patent applications, with 222 patents granted and 83 commercialized, generating nearly RMB 40 million in conversion revenue; among these, 37 commercialization projects involved subsequent payments or royalties based on product sales.。

In fact, Zhongshan Hospital’s efforts in translating research findings into practical applications go far beyond this; its transformation and progress are evident in many areas, including scientific research training, system development, and mobilizing the vitality of medical staff.

Zhongshan Hospital, established in 1937, is hailed as the first hospital for Chinese people.

In terms of facilities, equipment, and scale, it far surpassed most general hospitals of its time and was hailed as the most advanced public hospital in the Far East. When Zhongshan Hospital opened its doors in the 1930s, more than eighty years ago, its conditions were astonishing: it featured Siemens’ latest X-ray machines, oversized elevators capable of accommodating a hospital bed, central heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, and Shanghai’s only high-pressure steam sterilization equipment.

Zhongshan Hospital continues to maintain exceptionally robust capabilities in a wide range of surgical services. Reportedly, the hospital handles nearly 5 million outpatient and emergency visits, admits approximately 190,000 inpatients, and performs close to 140,000 surgeries annually. It has achieved an A++ rating in the National Performance Assessment for Tertiary Public Hospitals for two consecutive years, with a Case Mix Index (CMI) of 1.49. Key indicators, including the proportion of Level 4 surgeries among discharged patients, have received full marks.

Behind the shining achievements lies not only the accumulation of historical heritage, but also Zhongshan Hospital’s continuous innovation.Establish a “three-in-one” clinical research management system comprising the Scientific Research Department, the Clinical Trial Center, and the Institute of Clinical Medicine to promote and strengthen scientific collaboration across disciplines, fields, and hospitals, thereby providing robust support for clinical research.

Under the clinical research management system, Zhongshan Hospital first provides physicians with a “robust” scientific research platform, including eight provincial- and ministerial-level engineering technology research centers, six provincial- and ministerial-level key laboratories, as well as multidisciplinary clinical diagnosis and treatment centers, cancer prevention and control centers, and precision medicine centers. In addition, Zhongshan Hospital has established a special fund for clinical research and the “Zhongshan Hospital Award for Promotion of New Clinical Technologies,” aimed at encouraging physicians to innovate in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques.

Therefore, Zhongshan Hospital has put forward a requirement for every doctor:Be a “research-oriented physician” and “physician-scientist” who is proficient in both clinical practice and scientific research.Professor Fan Jia and his team at the hospital developed the “Plasma miRNA Liver Cancer Detection Kit”; Professor Zeng Mengsu and his team in the Department of Radiology created the world’s first 5.0T ultra-high-field MRI scanner; and Director Zang Rongyu and his team in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology pioneered a new diagnostic and therapeutic model for recurrent ovarian cancer.... Amidst a strong research atmosphere, Zhongshan Hospital has also produced numerous clinical innovations.

The 2023 Analysis Report on the Competitiveness of Medical Scientific Research in Shanghai Hospitals shows that Zhongshan Hospital ranks first in both research input and output. Experts have commented that, as the medical institution with the strongest scientific research competitiveness, Zhongshan Hospital has performed exceptionally well in research output and the translation of achievements into practical applications. Its ability to effectively summarize research findings has laid a solid foundation for sustained and impactful scientific advancements.

In 2008, Zhongshan Hospital established the Division of Achievement Management and Translation within its Research Department, assigning dedicated personnel to handle the application, management, and translation of intellectual property projects. In 2023, the hospital formed a Leadership Working Group for the Industry-Medicine Integration Innovation Base, with an Office for the Industry-Medicine Integration Innovation Base established under it to coordinate and advance the hospital’s industry-medicine integration efforts.

The reason why the hospital established departments related to the transformation of scientific and technological achievements is simple, namelyCapable of transforming these scientific research achievements and patented technologies into practical products or services, thereby realizing the commercialization of the technology.

During the service delivery process, Zhongshan Hospital’s technology transfer team also demonstrated meticulous attention to detail.

From the outset, dedicated intellectual property specialists at Zhongshan Hospital have actively sought out valuable patent filing opportunities. To facilitate and encourage medical staff to file patents, the team from the Achievement Management Department has streamlined the patent application process for frontline clinical personnel—applicants need only complete a simple internal application form, after which the Research Office will take various measures to assist inventors in preparing their submission materials.

Throughout this process, Zhongshan Hospital has also established close collaborative partnerships with third-party intellectual property agencies. These agencies boast professional teams that leverage their extensive experience and specialized expertise to conduct in-depth optimization and refinement of the hospital’s patent application materials. This includes thorough exploration of patented technologies, precise definition of claims, and meticulous polishing of patent application documents, ensuring that every filed patent receives comprehensive protection.

In addition to optimizing patent application materials, Zhongshan Hospital also emphasizes the promotion and commercialization of its patent projects.They promote the hospital’s patent projects to the market through multi-channel, comprehensive approaches, attracting more partners and investors.

During the promotion process, the hospital’s Technology Transfer Office will assign dedicated personnel to assist with negotiations and draft contracts, ensuring that the rights and interests of both parties are fully protected. Additionally, they will facilitate tasks such as finalizing transfer agreements and completing tax-exemption registrations, providing comprehensive support for the smooth commercialization of patent projects.

It is worth noting that the technology transfer team at Zhongshan Hospital maintains close communication and collaboration with multiple departments, including Legal Affairs, Asset Management, Finance, and Audit, to conduct rigorous evaluation and review of contracts, thereby ensuring that every partnership aligns with the hospital’s interests and long-term strategic planning.

Through this streamlined process, Zhongshan Hospital employs professional measures to safeguard the interests of both inventors and the hospital, while significantly reducing the time and effort medical staff spend on patent applications.

The key factor in the translation of achievements still lies in people; therefore, mobilizing the enthusiasm of doctors is an important link in promoting the translation of medical science and technology achievements.

Members of the technology transfer team at Zhongshan Hospital have also stated in public forums that many clinicians, due to their heavy workloads, are unfamiliar with the processes and stages involved in translating technological innovations into practical applications, and even feel at a loss when dealing with seemingly mundane tasks such as patent applications. Furthermore, the translation of medical research achievements is inherently a protracted and challenging endeavor. Issues such as insufficient funding, technical bottlenecks, prolonged clinical trial periods, and difficulties in market promotion can all dampen physicians’ enthusiasm for participating in technology transfer.

To this end, Zhongshan Hospital must first raise physicians’ awareness of the importance of translating research findings into practical applications, leveraging brief windows such as morning clinical huddles and post-shift hours to disseminate knowledge on patenting improvements in medical devices.

Moreover, Zhongshan Hospital hosts the “Fudan Zhongshan Patent Grand Salon” annually and holds regular monthly sessions of the “Patent Mini-Salon.”The objective is to establish a platform for direct communication and exchange between physicians and enterprises.

At both the large and small salon events, Zhongshan Hospital specially invited experienced angel investors as guests to personally impart practical methods and techniques for translational research to physicians. Through this guidance, doctors are better able to transform their innovative clinical ideas into results with tangible practical value. More often than not, these salons serve as incubators for promising concepts, providing many innovative achievements with opportunities for contract signing and further promotion.

To more effectively incentivize physicians to actively participate in the translation of scientific and technological achievements, Zhongshan Hospital has implemented both financial incentives and career advancement measures. Regarding financial incentives, Zhongshan Hospital awards 80% of the actual funds received from the commercialization of research outcomes as performance-based rewards to the inventors, providing tangible monetary benefits to physician teams. In terms of career progression, Zhongshan Hospital has established an evaluation and promotion system for “Medical Science and Innovation Experts,” incorporating factors such as intellectual property applications, grants, and commercialization into the performance assessment and promotion criteria for medical staff.

On December 21, 2023, Zhongshan Hospital hosted the fourth Fudan-Zhongshan Patent Salon, themed “Integration of Industry and Medicine: A Two-Way Commitment.” At the event, Zhongshan Hospital signed collaborative innovation agreements with medical enterprises for 20 projects. These projects covered a range of areas, including liver cancer, gastric cancer, cardiomyopathy, tumor immune cell detection, mitral valve replacement, ultra-minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, arterial dissection repair and plaque removal, as well as surgical instruments such as cartilage shavers and sternal retractors/protectors. For Zhongshan Hospital, achieving successful translation of scientific achievements requires not only robust internal management but also a global perspective, fostering collaborations with enterprises and higher education institutions to create complementary advantages.

A review of Sun Yat-sen University’s history of technology transfer reveals a centrifugal process: first, excelling in clinical research; second, establishing an internal commercialization system; and third, building a framework for external collaboration.