Shanghai Jiao Tong University Launches Medical Chip Research Institute and Innovation Translation Center in Caohejing

On February 23, 2024, the inauguration ceremony for the Institute of Medical Chips and the Center for Innovation and Translation of Medical Chips at Shanghai Jiao Tong University was grandly held in the Caohejing Development Zone. Attendees included Wu Hong, Director of the Medical Administration Division of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission; Chen Jiangping, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Yu Wei, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Commission of Xuhui District, Shanghai; Xue Han, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Caohejing Development Corporation; Gao Weiqiang, Wang Kuan-Cheng Chair Professor and Dean of the MED-X Research Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Gu Hongchen, Deputy Dean and Distinguished Professor of the School of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Sun Jianqi, Deputy Dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Qian Dahong, Tenured Professor and Director of the Institute of Advanced Medical Chips at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; as well as other faculty representatives. Together, they explored the development opportunities and future prospects in the field of medical chips.

Wu Hong delivered the opening address. He first extended his congratulations on the official establishment of the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center. He pointed out that chips are an indispensable component of medical devices and a critical technological barrier that the high-end healthcare industry urgently needs to overcome. Achieving independent research and development of medical chips is a vital pathway to ensuring supply chain security and promoting industrial upgrading and development. He expressed hope that the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center would contribute “chip”-driven thinking and propose “chip”-based innovations to drive higher-quality development in the healthcare industry.

Chen Jiangping briefly reviewed the development history and achievements of the biomedical engineering discipline at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, emphasizing the School of Biomedical Engineering’s focus on the potential and opportunities in the medical chip sector. The school is committed to providing scientific research support for major national needs and cultivating outstanding talents with multidisciplinary backgrounds. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Medical Chips will provide strong support for the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center, promoting the translation and application of scientific research outcomes and making positive contributions to the advancement of China’s medical technology industry.

Xue Han stated that in recent years, Caohejing has established biopharmaceuticals, integrated circuits, and artificial intelligence as its leading industries. It has introduced a large number of high-level incubators and new R&D institutions, focusing on frontier fields and fostering a new ecosystem for the integrated development of diverse entities to cultivate “nuclear explosion points” for industrial growth. He expressed hope that all parties will fully leverage their respective advantages and industry chain resources, deepen cooperation in the medical-engineering cross-disciplinary sector around areas such as high-end active medical devices and the commercialization of academic research, enhance the clustering efficiency of life science-related industries, create a demonstration effect, and solidify the high-quality development of the park’s industries.

Professor Qian Dahong first expressed his gratitude to the distinguished leaders and guests for their concern and support of the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center. He introduced the center’s development plan, covering its founding background, overall positioning, development goals, and operational model. Relying on the Institute of Medical Chips at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center aims to cultivate an ecosystem for medical electronics and establish a bridge for large-scale, mass collaboration between medical device companies and chip manufacturers.

At the event, Qian Dahong, Director of the Institute of Medical Chips at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Huang Jing, Assistant General Manager of Caohejing Management Company, jointly unveiled the plaque for the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center. Following the ceremony, attendees toured the exhibition hall of the Medical Chip Innovation and Translation Center, where they received on-site briefings on the achievements and progress of various medical chip projects.

Medical chips are the key source technology enabling a leap in device system performance. They have long been the focal point of intense competition at the pinnacle of the industry and represent a critical technological barrier that China’s high-end medical equipment sector urgently needs to overcome. The Caohejing Development Zone has partnered with the School of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to leverage China’s top-tier medical research resources, establish an industry-academia-research collaboration platform and specialized carriers, strengthen policy support and technological services, accelerate the cultivation of talent for industrialization, and drive high-end medical device industries toward a new era of independent and original innovation.