Hainan Unveils Digital Therapeutics Policy Framework to Establish National Innovation and Application Hub
On February 18, the “Hainan Free Trade Port Digital Health and Medical Ecosystem Conference,” hosted by the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Hainan Provincial Health Commission, and organized by Hainan Eco-Software Park and Yunhai Chain Holding Co., Ltd., was successfully held at Hainan Eco-Software Park. The conference announced several major initiatives and proposed establishing China as a leading hub for the innovation and application of digital therapeutics, drawing significant attention from the industry.
The conference attracted over 200 representatives from industry regulatory authorities, the medical community, the pharmaceutical sector, the investment community, and digital health enterprises. In this pivotal year for advancing customs closure operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), these stakeholders convened to discuss the future of the digital healthcare industry. During the event, the first “Digital Healthcare Innovation Base” in the Hainan FTP was officially unveiled, and the establishment of the “Hainan Digital Economy Industry Investment Fund” was simultaneously launched. Moving forward, Hainan will promote the high-quality development of its digital healthcare industry within the FTP through an integrated strategy comprising “funds, bases, and conferences.”
Not long ago, Hainan Province released the “Hainan Province Digital Health ‘14th Five-Year’ Development Plan,” incorporating “digital therapeutics” into its provincial-level planning. This marks the first time digital therapeutics have been included in a provincial plan, drawing significant attention from the industry. As the inaugural digital health and healthcare conference held in Hainan following the promulgation of the Plan, this event has once again garnered considerable industry interest by focusing on hot topics such as “digital therapeutics,” “digital reconstruction of the healthcare ecosystem,” “investment and financing trends in the digital health sector,” and “the development of global digital health unicorn enterprises.”
The Conference Sparks Strong Industry Attention (Image Provided by the Conference Organizer)
More than 200 guests from the medical, pharmaceutical, investment, and digital health sectors—including representatives from 30 listed companies, 28 unicorn enterprises, and firms such as Jinhui Feng Investment, Xinghe Holdings, Startup Factory, Spring Light Club, Innoangel Fund, Heli Investment, and Yuanhang Capital—convened in the Free Trade Port to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on policy, funds, markets, technology, and other key areas.
Attending the event were Lai Yongwen, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Hainan Province; Gui Gang, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission; Zhang Yuhui, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Health Commission; Hong Haibo, Deputy County Mayor of Chengmai County People’s Government; relevant leaders from the Hainan Provincial Medical Products Administration, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau; and Yang Chunzhi, General Manager of Hainan Eco-Software Park.
Hainan Eco-Software Park and Hurun Report Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony (Image provided by the conference organizer)
The conference announced several major initiatives, focusing on supporting Hainan in cultivating unicorn companies and listed enterprises in the digital health sector, and establishing Hainan as a leading hub for the innovation and application of digital therapeutics in China. In addition, Hurun Report announced a strategic partnership with the Hainan Ecological Software Park, revealing plans to jointly release the “Global Digital Economy Unicorns” list and host the Global Digital Economy Unicorn Summit within the year. During the event, attendees participated in investment and financing discussions as well as a closed-door policy seminar, offering many constructive insights into the robust development of the digital health industry in the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Digital therapeutics, as an intervention for the prevention, management, and control of diseases, are increasingly gaining industry recognition for their clinical value. The Hainan Free Trade Port Digital Health and Medical Ecosystem Conference provides a platform for communication and exchange among stakeholders in the field of digital therapeutics, facilitating joint discussions on key issues shaping its development.
Zhang Yuhui, Party Committee Member and Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Health Commission, outlined new models in healthcare—such as AI-assisted diagnosis, digital therapeutics, and smart medical services—from the perspective of the mission and opportunities presented by smart health within the Healthy China initiative. Addressing the recent public attention generated by Hainan’s pioneering release of China’s first provincial-level digital health plan, which formally incorporated digital therapeutics into a provincial planning document for the first time, Zhang provided a detailed overview of Hainan’s policy framework for the development of digital therapeutics during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
Zhang Yuhui, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Health Commission (Photo provided by the conference organizer)
He stated,Hainan Will Designate a Group of Medical Institutions for Digital Therapeutics by Disease Area Across the Province and Establish Research and Application Centers, listing to encourage and facilitate cooperation between enterprises and medical institutions, helping to improve the treatment and management standards of medical institutions in Hainan;Establish a fast-track approval pathway for digital therapeutics to expedite the regulatory review of evidence-based products, and promote their timely inclusion in medical insurance coverage based on robust clinical evidence; fully integrate digital therapeutic products into the healthcare reform initiatives across Hainan’s cities and counties, providing strong policy support and promotion., extending digital therapeutics across the entire island and all regions to enhance the health and well-being of Hainan residents.
In addition,Hainan also plans to host an international digital therapeutics conference in the future., bringing together global innovation information, talent, resources, and institutions to provide comprehensive support for all enterprises engaged in digital therapeutics that come to Hainan for development.
Professor Guo Qing, Chairman of the Health Management Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Chairman of the Healthcare Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, delivered a presentation titled “Application and Development Trends of Digital Therapeutics in Chronic Disease Health Management.” Professor Guo pointed out that with the deepening application of technologies such as 5G, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence in the medical and health sector, building a “Three Early” (early screening, early assessment, and early intervention) health management system can monitor health risk factors and implement health interventions, thereby supporting the implementation of the Healthy China strategy.
On How to Implement Digital Therapeutics, Professor Guo Qing BelievesEstablish a five-party collaborative mechanism involving government, industry, academia, research, and application; create a 5G-enabled “three-early” full-cycle proactive health management service system; advance the Healthy China Initiative to achieve the goals of “promoting health, preventing major diseases, and managing chronic diseases”; launch pilot programs for 5G-enabled “early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment” health management services in workplace communities and residential neighborhoods.Establishing Health Management + Health Insurance to Innovate Health Service Models。
ShuKang by Chengdu Shangyi and myPKFiT by Takeda China are among the first digital therapeutics to receive registration approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China. At the conference, Dong Lei, a medical expert at Chengdu Shangyi, and Dong Yufang, Head of the Innovation Incubator and Digital Advisory Committee for Takeda China, shared insights from the perspective of industry practitioners on their respective frontier explorations and practical implementations of digital therapeutics.
Li Shengli, Global Partner of Fosun Group and Executive President & Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Fosun Pharma, outlined Fosun’s approach to cultivating digital health platforms, drawing on the company’s core strengths. Dr. Li Jian, Principal Expert in Digital Health at Amazon, shared insights into the new landscape of global digital therapeutics and strategic layout from the perspective of Amazon Web Services.
Furthermore, Jiang Tianjiao, Partner at VCBeat and Dean of the Dancake Research Institute, who has conducted in-depth research on the digital therapeutics industry, outlined the future of digitalization in the healthcare sector. He believes that the substantial incremental value created by digital therapeutics will drive transformation across the entire healthcare industry, reshape the healthcare industrial system, and propel the development of the industry chain.
Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman of Hurun Report, analyzes the development characteristics and trends of Chinese and U.S. unicorn enterprises based on the Global Unicorn List, and provides insights into the development of the digital health industry. He revealed thatAmong the current 1,058 unicorn companies worldwide, those from China and the United States account for 74% of the global total.
Among these,The number of unicorn companies in the health tech sector ranks fifth on the current global unicorn list, indicating that a significant number of future Fortune Global 500 and China Top 500 companies will emerge from the health tech industry., with boundless prospects. Furthermore, Hurun believes that a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem—comprising supportive policies, benchmark enterprises and entrepreneurs, and high-quality talent—helps accelerate the emergence and success of unicorn companies. The Hainan Eco-Software Park already possesses these conditions.
Hainan has also announced that it will promote the high-quality development of the digital medical and health industry in the Hainan Free Trade Port through a trinity strategy of “funds, bases, and conferences.” In particular, regarding the digital therapeutics industry, Hainan aims to establish itself as a leading hub for innovation and application of digital therapeutics in China.
Regarding the fund, witnessed by Shen Danyang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Hainan Province, Hainan Financial Holdings Group signed a cooperation agreement with the Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Investment Fund. Upon approval by the Provincial People’s Government, the provincial finance will provide full funding of RMB 10 billion to establish the Hainan Financial Holdings Group Co., Ltd. and the Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Investment Fund.
During this period, Hainan Eco-Software Park signed a cooperation agreement with Hainan Provincial Finance and Financial Group Co., Ltd. to support the establishment of the Hainan Digital Economy Industry Investment Fund. The Hainan Digital Economy Industry Investment Fund was also launched at Hainan Eco-Software Park.
This fund is among the first to sign a strategic cooperation agreement with the Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Investment Fund. It aims to implement the requirements set by the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People’s Government for the high-quality development of the Hainan Ecological Software Park, focusing on industries such as blockchain and other digital technologies, digital health, digital education, digital culture and sports, and digital finance, with the goal of cultivating unicorn companies and listed enterprises.
Launch Ceremony of the Hainan Digital Economy Industry Investment Fund (Photo provided by the conference organizer)
The launch ceremony for the establishment of the Hainan Digital Economy Industry Investment Fund was held at the Hainan Free Trade Port Digital Medical Health Ecosystem Conference. Zhou Lixia, Chairman of Jinhui Feng Investment; Sun Dongsheng, Special Advisor to Galaxy Holding Group and former President of Shenzhen Capital Group; Mai Gang, Founder of Startup Factory; Yang Shoubin, Founder of Chenguang Li Industrial Capital Group; Zhang Zhiyong, Partner at Yuanhang Capital; Wang Haibo, Managing Partner at Shanghai Angel Venture Capital; and Yang Chunzhi, General Manager of Hainan Eco-Software Park, jointly participated in the launch ceremony.
To create a highland for the innovation and application of digital therapeutics in China, and to provide a specialized platform and carrier for implementing the “14th Five-Year Development Plan for Digital Health in Hainan Province,” the “Hainan Digital Medical Health Innovation Base” was officially unveiled, witnessed by Gui Gang, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission; Zhang Yuhui, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Health Commission; and Yang Chunzhi, General Manager of Hainan Eco-Software Park.
Unveiling Ceremony of the Hainan Digital Medical Health Innovation Base (Photo provided by the conference organizer)
This is the first “Digital Health Innovation Base” in the Hainan Free Trade Port, entrusted with the mission to “boldly experiment, boldly explore, and independently reform; actively promote institutional and industrial innovation; drive the deep integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things with the health sector; and foster innovative development of new industries, new business formats, and new models, including ‘blockchain + general health’ and digital therapeutics.”
Located in the Hainan Ecological Software Park, the base will be established through a tripartite model integrating “base, fund, and conference.” An initial operational area of 20,000 square meters will be launched to facilitate enterprise clustering, while a 1,500-mu Digital Health Eco-Village is planned for subsequent development. Leveraging the policy advantages and institutional integrated innovation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the base will unlock benefits in key areas such as administrative approval and opening up application scenarios. It aims to provide a broad platform for aggregating industry resources within the Hainan FTP and for pioneering explorations and practices in the innovative development of the digital healthcare industry.
As a vital component of the digital economy, the digital health industry has become one of the key sectors prioritized for development in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Leveraging the policy advantages and institutional integrated innovation of the Free Trade Port, and reconstructing the health industry ecosystem through new technologies such as blockchain, Hainan Eco-Software Park has already made significant explorations and achieved practical results.
Currently, the “14th Five-Year Plan for Digital Health Development in Hainan Province” has just been released. Hainan is further unleashing policy and institutional dividends by centering on goals such as “establishing Hainan as a national pilot zone for the health industry.” It is promoting high-quality development of the digital health industry through measures including the introduction of incentive policies, the establishment of investment funds, and the opening up of application scenarios, offering immense potential and growth space.
Yang Chunzhi, General Manager of Hainan Ecological Software Park, believes that blockchain can effectively leverage its “trustworthy” value in the healthcare sector, particularly holding great promise in areas such as privacy protection, tamper-proof data security, health data sharing, and internet-based medical services.
At the technical level, the “Blockchain-Based Regional Digital Healthcare Collaborative Sharing Platform,” spearheaded by Yunhai Chain Holdings Co., Ltd. (formerly Nanhai Cloud) established within the industrial park, was selected as one of the “National Blockchain Innovation Application Pilots” announced by 17 ministries and commissions, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the General Office of the State Council, and the National Health Commission. This marks the only pilot project in Hainan Province in this field. Furthermore, the company has embarked on comprehensive digital collaboration with two major public hospitals—Hainan Provincial People’s Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University—scaling up scenario-based applications and positioning itself at the forefront nationwide.
At the industrial level, Hainan Eco-Software Park has proposed a philosophy centered on disruptive technologies and destructive innovation. By seizing opportunities in digitalization, exploring the transformation of data into production factors, and building an ecosystem, the park has adopted comprehensive strategies such as driving institutional innovation through technology, pursuing mergers and acquisitions for industrial integration, consolidating resources, creating competitive advantages, and generating value from scratch. These efforts have enabled it to pioneer a model in the digital health sector and achieve initial success.
Leveraging platforms such as the National Blockchain Innovation Application Pilot Program, a cohort of ecosystem enterprises is clustering within the industrial park. Since September 2021, Yunhailian Holdings has successively acquired and integrated several specialized companies, including Sicre Medbo (a global leading provider of comprehensive smart healthcare and IoT application solutions), Yisheng Yishi, and Minke Medical.
Among them, SinoCare is an A-share listed company and a leading enterprise in the industry. It has successfully supported the information technology infrastructure development of over 1,600 hospitals across China, including 14 of the top 20 hospitals nationwide, 50 of the top 100 hospitals, and six hospitals in Hong Kong and Macao, demonstrating extensive experience in healthcare digitalization. Yisheng Yishi and Minke Medical operate trusted physician resource platforms and professional physician service platforms. The park’s establishment of a future-oriented, full-lifecycle healthcare management ecosystem holds promising prospects.