VB-Link Cardiovascular Innovation Challenge Concludes Successfully in Tianjin with 16 Cutting-Edge Projects Competing for Three Major Awards
"Amidst the changing seasons, the posture of innovators remains constant; on the coordinates of history, the strides of strivers remain clear."
On June 15, 2023, the VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge – Cardiology Session was successfully held at the Tianjin Binhai · Binhai Zhongguancun Science and Technology Management Park Committee. A total of 16 cardiology projects, focusing on fields such as medical devices and digital health, presented their pitches in succession, competing for three major awards: the Most Commercially Valuable Award, the Most Innovative Potential Award, and the Best Development Exploration Award.
Since the First Human DiscoveryFrom the discovery of the DNA double helix structure to the current implementation of DNA testing and early disease screening, and from the advent of computers to the resonance of AI-driven diagnosis and treatment in the healthcare wave, progress has been relentless. Tu Youyou led her research team in continuous exploration, ultimately discovering artemisinin, which demonstrated 100% efficacy against both rodent and primate malaria. Technological advancement often stems from subtle insights and persistent dedication. Each step in innovation and translation transforms the unknown into tangible products or solutions, constantly breaking constraints and transcending temporal dimensions. As the “leading killer” threatening human life and health, cardiovascular diseases have seen a steady rise in both incidence and mortality. According to the World Health Organization, 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular diseases annually. Consequently, breakthroughs in frontier technologies and innovative solutions in the cardiovascular field have garnered significant attention. What technological innovations are currently emerging in this sector? In which specific disease subtypes is new intelligence being continuously delivered? And how can industry, research, and investment sectors “link” together to accelerate translational progress?
In this context,The VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge was launched in response to this need. The cardiovascular city-level competition received over 30 project registrations, with more than 80% of the projects focusing on source innovation in medical device products. These initiatives aim to address conditions such as coronary heart disease, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, and venous thrombosis, featuring innovations like surgical robots, vascular stents, and artificial heart valves. Nearly 20% of the projects concentrated on integrating digital platforms and artificial intelligence into cardiovascular rehabilitation and diagnosis/treatment. After a multi-dimensional selection process in the preliminary round, 16 high-quality projects deeply rooted in the cardiovascular field advanced to the city-level competition. The contestants included hospital professors and leading enterprise talents, showcasing a diverse and cutting-edge range of participants.
This competition attracted clinical experts and scholars from TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Chengdu Third People's Hospital, and other institutions, as well as industry and investment firms including Tasly Capital, Hetang Venture Capital, Jeno Medicine, Purple Cow Fund, and Tianjin Technology Investment Group.Nine leading experts participated as judges, offering insights and intellectual support from clinical, investment, and industrial perspectives to guide the frontier development of cardiovascular care.
As thisAs a co-organizer of the VB-Link series, Binhai-Zhongguancun Science Park has provided us with substantial support. At the opening of the competition, Xing Qidong, Deputy Director of the Administrative Office of Binhai-Zhongguancun Science Park, delivered an address. He noted that since General Secretary Xi Jinping’s inspection visit to the park in 2019, it has achieved greater focus and development in both technological capabilities and inter-departmental collaboration, as well as in supporting services and industrial orientation. Director Xing provided a detailed introduction to the park’s prominent advantages, strategic planning, development potential, and service ecosystem. He stated, “With the continuous enhancement of the park’s capacity, we are expanding further into the higher-value segments of the healthcare industry’s downstream value chain.”
Address by Xing Qidong, Deputy Director of the Office of Binhai-Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park
Subsequently, under the moderation of Bi Yuanfeng, Co-founder and COO of Danhuang Technology, representatives from 16 competing projects delivered impressive pitch presentations.At the roadshow, nine senior experts and industry leaders from the cardiovascular field served as judges, evaluating and scoring the projects based on their basic overview, team strength, and future prospects. Following the jury’s assessment, six winners of the “Most Commercially Valuable Award” were selected. These projects included the world’s first one-stop robotic system for atrial fibrillation pulsed field ablation (PFA), the world’s first internally implantable, precisely visualized small-diameter artificial blood vessel, the only approved intravascular lithotripsy technology on the market globally, a novel clinical technique for vascular injury repair, and a project from the only enterprise in the Asia-Pacific region with R&D capabilities for cardiac contractility modulation (CCM). Five winners received the “Most Innovative Exploration Award,” recognizing innovations that address critical bottlenecks such as poor clarity and low precision of guidance tools for cardiac interventional procedures, low efficiency in atrial fibrillation treatment, and low penetration rates of post-cardiopulmonary surgery rehabilitation. Finally, five winners were granted the “Most Promising Potential Award,” featuring solutions for clinical challenges including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and vascular repair.
The VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Competition is hosted by VB100 and VCBeat, co-hosted by Zhongguancun Development Group and the Administrative Committee of Tianjin Binhai–Zhongguancun Science Park, and co-organized by institutions such as Furong Laboratory and the Intellectual Property Center of Central South University. It has also received strong support from nearly 40 leading capital firms, multinational corporations, and innovation centers.
The inaugural competition featured four specialty tracks: ophthalmology, neurology, cardiology, and oncology. City-level competitions were held successively in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Hangzhou, culminating in the grand finals in Tianjin on June 28. The Cardiology Specialty Challenge is scheduled to take place in Tianjin on June 15—stay tuned!
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On November 22, 2016, the Tianjin Binhai-Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park was officially unveiled in the Tianjin Binhai New Area. As China’s only cross-provincial/municipal comprehensive reform pilot zone, the park serves as a key instrument for Beijing and Tianjin to thoroughly implement the Outline of the Plan for Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and to build a collaborative innovation community. Covering a planned area of 10.3 square kilometers, the park leverages the combined advantages of innovative policies from both Zhongguancun in Beijing and the Tianjin Binhai New Area to facilitate the relocation of high-tech enterprises and the commercialization of major scientific and technological achievements. Since its establishment more than two years ago, over 940 enterprises have been registered in the park, including more than 240 from Beijing, with a total registered capital of approximately RMB 10.4 billion.
The Future Healthcare Achievement Transformation and Collaboration Conference (VB-Link Conference), initiated by VCBeat and VB100, is a premier industry event in China that is market-demand oriented and focuses on the sharing of cutting-edge information, exhibition of achievements, matchmaking, and collaboration regarding the transformation of medical science and technology achievements. The conference features diverse content, including the Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Competition (VB-Link Competition), the VB-Link Award series, White Papers on Clinical Pain Points, and a series of themed summits.
The VB-Link Future Healthcare Achievement Transformation and Cooperation Conference, along with the Grand Finals of the VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge, will be officially held from June 28 to 29, 2023. A total of 24 high-quality projects across four medical specialties will converge in Tianjin for an exciting competition at the InterContinental Tianjin Yujiapu Hotel. Government officials, industry experts, research leaders, entrepreneurial elites, and renowned healthcare investors will also gather for this event. Stay tuned!
