2022 Western China Smart Healthcare Industry Summit Unveils Three Key Highlights

The healthcare and wellness industry is experiencing rapid development.

According to data from iiMedia Research, the overall revenue of China's health industry has maintained steady growth, reaching 8 trillion yuan in 2021 with an increase of 8.1%, and is expected to reach 9 trillion yuan by 2024.

Seizing the opportunities, local governments across China are actively promoting the development of the medical and big health industry, thereby facilitating faster and better growth for innovative enterprises. In this process, the western big health ecosystem, represented by Chengdu, has risen rapidly in recent years and is actively driving related industry summits.

On November 1–2, the “2022 Western Smart Healthcare Industry Summit” will kick off in Chengdu, aiming to advance the Healthy China 2030 ecosystem, showcase Chengdu’s initiatives in integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and attract top talent to develop their careers in the city.

This summit was hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine and the Sichuan Provincial Economic Cooperation Bureau, organized by AstraZeneca Investment (China) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Haibote Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., and Chengdu Luye Weixin Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Luye Pharma Group), and co-organized by the Administrative Committee of Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Notably, this summit focused on linking and integrating policy, industry, academia, research, healthcare, and investment sectors across the western region’s ecosystem and the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It established a platform for thematic discussions, innovation, and collaboration specifically targeting the integration of TCM and Western medicine, aiming to cultivate a more vibrant ecosystem...Overall, there are three core highlights of this summit worth looking forward to.

The summit has invited numerous distinguished guests from the industry, including Liu Changxiao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Yong Qi Zheng, Professor of Pharmacology at Yale University and Academician; Li Weimin, Professor at West China Hospital/West China School of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University; Wang Guochen, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Association of Chinese Medicine; Lei Wang, Global Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca and President of International Operations and China; Dianbo Liu, Chairman of the Board of Luye Life Science Group; Xiaohua Huang, General Manager of China Merchants Health Industry Holding Co., Ltd.; Yang Zhongqi, Vice President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine; Li Wang, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Chairman of Chengdu Huaxi Haiqi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.; Yuanjiang Shen, Managing Director of CICC; Kechun Li, Partner at Yuansheng Venture Capital; and Shuaishuai Wang, Chairman of Haibote.

They will share insights and engage in discussions centered on two major themes: “Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine” and “Western Ecological Circle,” with a core focus on empowering a new ecosystem for the pharmaceutical industry through the integration of industry, academia, research, healthcare, and investment. Meanwhile, expert speakers from universities and hospitals will explore cutting-edge topics in the two key areas of “R&D Innovation” and “Business Model Innovation.”

At the summit on the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), distinguished guests will share insights and engage in discussions on cutting-edge topics, including the cultivation and secondary development of blockbuster TCM products under “TCM Modernization” and “Clinical Translation and Secondary Development of TCM”; the use of real-world evidence to support TCM research and development; the translation of hospital preparations based on human use experience within the framework of “The Tripartite Integration of TCM Application and Industry Empowerment”; and the theme “Now Is the Right Time for TCM Investment.”

For instance, Academician Liu Changxiao of the Chinese Academy of Engineering will deliver an in-depth presentation on the theme “Ideas and Practices for the Innovative Development and International Cooperation of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Phytomedicines,” while Academician Zheng Yongqi will share insights on the theme “West Meets East: A Case Study on the Re-innovation and Development of the Classic Formula Huangqin Tang.”

At the Western Ecosystem Summit, attendees will engage in multi-format, multi-dimensional discussions and knowledge sharing on key topics such as “Incubation Collaboration and Exploration of the Western Innovation Ecosystem” centered on “source innovation” and “ecosystem innovation empowerment,” “Western Layout and Exploration of Fund Investment,” and “Challenges and Opportunities in Project Investment Cooperation in the Western Region,” offering insights and recommendations to promote the high-quality development of the Western ecosystem.

For instance, in the segment focused on accelerating source innovation, the summit featured a range of highlights: West China Hospital shared its achievements in translating clinical insights into practical outcomes; AstraZeneca, a multinational pharmaceutical company, presented a case study on its CoSolve R&D collaboration model; Professor Liu Xinmin, Traditional Medicine Advisor to the World Health Organization and representative of the New Drug Technology Research Institute at Ningbo University, delivered a speech on “Opportunities for Natural Drug Development in the Space Station Era”; Ni Feng, founder of Ningbo Lida Pioneer, introduced an automation-driven drug target omics technology platform; and Dr. Zhou Hua, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of Huibaoyuan Biotech, shared cutting-edge insights on “Pioneering Multi-Molecule, Multi-Target Innovative Drugs and Secondary Development Through Modern Life Sciences.”

These five topics encompass hospital-based innovation, multinational corporation innovation, R&D innovations originating from space stations, as well as the concepts of single-target drug development and multi-molecule, multi-target approaches, offering industry insights from multiple dimensions.

It is evident that the summit featured rich and highly novel content, deeply integrating cutting-edge industry developments, information, and resources. By bringing together corporate needs in a single forum, it addressed the critical demands of innovative healthcare enterprises for a conducive growth environment and rapid expansion, while also providing insights into policy trends and capital flows.

To date, the summit has invited more than 30 industry leaders, including academicians and discipline heads, to deliver in-depth thematic presentations, as well as prominent figures from multinational corporations, listed companies, seasoned investors, and innovative enterprises, who will provide systematic insights into the most cutting-edge industry developments.

In other words, at this summit, attendees can gain insights into the policy landscape’s perspective on the current economic, policy, and regulatory environment; understand the needs and pain points in clinical practice; engage in direct communication and negotiations with investment institutions; and learn about diverse solutions and cutting-edge technology application cases from healthcare innovators.

At the sub-forum, distinguished guests will address the topic of how innovative traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can break through current bottlenecks. The discussions will cover the overall development of Sichuan Province’s pharmaceutical ecosystem, as well as promotional presentations for TCM industrial parks in Chengdu, Guangyuan, Bazhong, and other cities. In addition, clinical translation and secondary development of TCM, along with integrated TCM applications and industry empowerment, will be key focal points of discussion and sharing at the forum.

In addition, the summit has established a dedicated platform for thematic discussions, innovation, and collaboration on the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with Western medicine, aiming to build a more vibrant ecosystem. For instance, several significant collaborative achievements will be announced on-site, including the partnership between the China Association of Chinese Medicine and Peking University Weixin; the signing of strategic cooperation agreements with enterprises stationed at AstraZeneca’s Chengdu International Campus of Life Science Innovation (Chengdu iCampus); and a collective showcase by companies based in the Chengdu iCampus to mark its first anniversary.

In terms of the diversity of event formats, this summit has been meticulously designed: in addition to keynote speeches, it includes closed-door seminars, roundtable forums, announcements of collaborative achievements, and policy briefings. This approach maximizes the depth, breadth, and cutting-edge nature of the summit’s content, enriches its resources, and ensures practical implementation outcomes.

Thanks to its diverse formats, this summit will serve as a central platform for showcasing the insights of industry participants. Government leaders, academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, discipline leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors will engage in a “brainstorming” session covering macro-environmental factors and future trends of interest to the industry, including policy, technology, and capital.

It is evident that this summit serves not only as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy among various stakeholders in the healthcare industry, but also as a special invitation to attract more participants into the ecosystem. In terms of its caliber, this is an industry summit that achieves exceptional depth and breadth.

Finally, we sincerely welcome you to participate in the “2022 Western Smart Healthcare Industry Summit,” and look forward to working with you to seize the development opportunities in the healthcare and wellness industry.

To register for the conference, please scan the QR code. Note: In accordance with epidemic prevention and control requirements, attendees of the in-person conference must present a valid nucleic acid test result within its validity period, as per local epidemic prevention and control policies. To ensure smooth participation, please undergo nucleic acid testing in advance.

Event Time: November 1–2, 2022 (Tuesday and Wednesday)

Venue: Chengdu Jinjiang Hotel

Form: Offline + Online Live Streaming