Digital · Intelligent · New Power: Highlights and Product Launches from the First Forum on Pharmaceutical Digital Economy Development

On May 10, the “Digital • Intelligent • New Force” First Summit on the Development of the Digital Economy in the Pharmaceutical Industry, jointly organized by Unnamed Penguin and Tencent Smart Healthcare, was held in Shanghai.

Fu Mingzhong, Honorary President of the China Pharmaceutical Commercial Association; Mao Jiye, Dean of the Business School at Renmin University of China; Zou Xiaoliang, Founder and CEO of Unnamed Penguin; Liu Yunting, General Manager of Tencent Smart Healthcare; and numerous representatives from pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, investment firms, and media outlets attended the conference. The event was moderated by Ms. Tian Ying, President of Unnamed Penguin.

This forum marks the first joint hosting by Unnamed Penguin and Tencent Smart Healthcare. During the event, guests from various fields engaged in in-depth discussions on the current status, trends, and implementation pathways of the digital economy in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ms. Liu Cunying, Vice President of the China Pharmaceutical Commerce Association, delivered the welcome address. She pointed out that changes in pharmaceutical regulations and the market are the endogenous drivers prompting pharmaceutical companies to improve quality and efficiency, promote compliance, restructure business models, and upgrade their industries, with digitalization inevitably becoming a new momentum for the development of the pharmaceutical economy.

Mr. Mao Jiye, Dean of the Business School at Renmin University of China, delivered a keynote speech titled “Digital Innovation and Digital Marketing.” In his address, he pointed out that mobile internet is changing the world. Traditional manufacturing enterprises are increasingly struggling to meet the demands of the new generation of consumers. Currently, China’s industrial digitalization lags behind the global average. However, the combination of a highly developed consumer internet and robust manufacturing capabilities has created favorable conditions for the growth of China’s digital economy, making the manufacturing sector the primary arena for enhancing the country’s digital economy. Dean Mao emphasized that digital transformation represents the greatest certainty amidst uncertainty. All industries warrant reconstruction through digitalization, and in the future, all enterprises will be technology-driven (data-driven) companies.

Liu Yunting, General Manager of Tencent Smart Healthcare, delivered a presentation titled “Empowering ‘Internet + Healthcare’ with Digitalization,” sharing Tencent’s strategy of deepening its roots in consumer internet while embracing industrial internet. He highlighted how Tencent Smart Healthcare provides end-to-end services along the patient journey and collaborates with enterprises to build digital disease-management platforms. By integrating multiple channels through a unified management platform, the company enables systematic management. Tencent Healthcare connects enterprises, physicians, and patients, offering digital solutions that leverage omnichannel advantages to precisely target users with tailored content and services.

Zou Xiaoliang, founder of Unnamed Penguin, delivered a keynote speech titled “The Digital Future.” He traced the evolution of production factors over the past four decades to reveal how digitalization has become a national strategy. As a cultivator of the pharmaceutical digital economy, Unnamed Penguin has developed into an industrial internet solutions provider by deepening its understanding of the industry and rapidly responding to user needs. Mr. Zou used the metaphor of a banyan tree to describe Unnamed Penguin’s growth model: the roots represent the integration of internet technology with pharmaceutical industry practices; the trunk signifies the development of industry knowledge bases and data products; and the leaves symbolize numerous commercialized application products, illustrating the company’s robust and flourishing growth.

Mr. Zou elaborated on the three core principles guiding the growth of Unnamed Penguin. Value-Centricity: Innovating value around customers; Technological Focus: Upholding technological attributes and adhering to innovation-driven development; Long-Termism: Competing in long and broad tracks, where slow is fast.

Meanwhile, a dynamic management cycle for growth is implemented. Culture orientation, mechanism assurance, and capability support constitute the connotation and essence of Unnamed Penguin’s growth culture.

The conference held a roundtable discussion on how to build a digital ecosystem.

The discussion was moderated by Jiang Tianjiao, Dean of VCBeat. Panelists included Shao Jun, Founding Partner of Chuanghehui Capital; Bian Shenghui, Head of Bayer’s China Brand Business Unit; Pei Xuejun, Vice President of Jianmin Pharmaceutical Group; Liu Jinghan, Deputy General Manager of Jointown Pharmaceutical Group; Yang Dingming, Vice President of Unnamed Penguin (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.; and Liu Ling, Senior Product Director of Tencent’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry Center. The panelists shared valuable insights on the challenges facing the industry and corresponding strategies from the perspectives of investment, manufacturing and distribution, and digital solutions.

Mr. Shao, Founding Partner of Chuanghehui Capital, believes that while there are abundant opportunities in the medical internet sector, future challenges will stem from policy, whereas opportunities will arise from technology. Beyond the impact of the pandemic, the concurrent maturation of multiple technologies has inevitably accelerated the process of digitalization and transformation.

Mr. Bian, Head of Bayer’s China Brand Division, stated that in response to the pressures and challenges of volume-based procurement bidding, Bayer will transform its strategy by focusing on two key areas: optimizing category structure and rejuvenating its brand image. The company will also implement a “three one-thirds” strategy for its channel structure, all of which necessarily requires data empowerment. Furthermore, by achieving horizontal integration of data, Bayer aims to provide consumers with customized product services. Mr. Bian emphasized that data should not be limited to reports; he expressed his hope that intelligent data sharing will become a prominent topic in the coming year.

In his address, Mr. Pei, Vice President of Jianmin Group, pointed out that Jianmin Pharmaceutical has been using the Unnamed Penguin Terminal Connect system for over a year. By matching product flow data to identify market potential and untapped segments, and by driving volume growth at the terminal level, the system’s highly scalable standardized product features have significantly contributed to OTC market growth. With coordinated channel and business model strategies, the company’s flagship product, Longmu Zhuanggu Granules, increased its market share from 5% to 14%, truly achieving performance growth driven by data.

Mr. Liu, Deputy General Manager of Jointown Pharmaceutical Group, believes that the focus of digitalization in the pharmaceutical distribution sector lies in AI-driven intelligent procurement and tailored omnichannel product promotion solutions for pharmaceutical companies. The essence of digitalization is not technology itself but management; it requires careful consideration of the digital insights, operations, and strategies provided to clients, with a focus on user value to deliver maximum value and reshape customer perceptions.

Yang Dingming, Vice President of Unnamed Penguin, believes that the industrial internet should focus on solving problems encountered in the workplace, which affects everyone and their ways of working. To seize opportunities and build a digital ecosystem and work methods within enterprises, continuous iteration is essential to achieve results. In the process of building a digital ecosystem, it is not about packaging existing processes according to one's original thinking as digitization, but rather reengineering processes and models. Unnamed Penguin will help enterprises succeed together.

Mr. Liu, Senior Product Director of Tencent’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry Center, believes that consumer-facing products should prioritize usability by integrating the mass internet with the industrial internet. In the short term, the primary focus should be on accuracy to unlock true digital value, followed by professionalism, particularly in the digitalization of drug research and development and sales.

He Baochen, Chief Technology Officer of Unnamed Penguin, introduced the six major features of the data service product “Caiyun.”

Zhang Hui, Senior Director of Customer Success at Unnamed Penguin, introduced Terminal Link 4.0

Liu Ling, Product Director of Tencent’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry Center, introduced the seven major scenarios of Tencent’s Smart Pharmaceutical Management Platform (TSEP).

The conference featured a distinguished awards ceremony to recognize pharmaceutical companies that have provided assistance and support to Unnamed Penguin during their long-term collaborations. The event presented the “Best Digital Practice Award,” the “Best Digital Innovation Award,” and the “Best Digital Management Achievement Award.” Nearly twenty enterprises received honors, including Jointown Pharmaceutical Group, Bayer China Brand Business Division, Jianmin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., and Xi’an Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd.

Ms. Fu Mingzhong, Honorary President of the China Pharmaceutical Commerce Association, attended this conference. In her remarks, she pointed out that application software must be deeply rooted in the industry, emphasize standardization and process optimization, strive for recognition from both the government and the industry, and deliver refined, patient-centered services.

2021 marked the inaugural year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. Against the backdrop of the new development paradigm characterized by the “dual circulation” and “dual-drive” economic strategies, this conference examined the direction, pathways, and future of pharmaceutical economic development from a strategic height focused on the digital economy in the healthcare sector, as well as from the perspectives of the entire industry chain and end-to-end processes. It is believed that this conference will play a significant role in promoting the digital transformation and upgrading of the pharmaceutical industry.

Unnamed Penguin is committed to its mission of “Connecting Health,” dedicated to providing big data products and solutions in the life and health sector to help customers achieve data-driven business growth.

“Unnamed” in Unnamed Penguin represents Peking University, symbolizing the humanistic spirit, as the life and health sector is an industry that embodies humanistic care; “Penguin” symbolizes technology. The founding team of Unnamed Penguin graduated from Peking University, with its technological strength derived from Tencent. The company is named Unnamed Penguin to reflect its aspiration to drive the digital development of the life sciences industry by combining humanistic values with technological power.