Global Health Industry Innovation Center: Accelerating the Transformation of Medical and Health Research Achievements

(Source: Beijing Business Today)

"The innovation platform has built a fast-track bridge for the transformation of our theories into final clinical trials," said Chen Xuesheng from Yellwin.

The innovative platform mentioned by Chen Xuesheng was initiated and established by the Global Health Industry Innovation Center of Tsinghua University's Industrial Development Research Institute, also known as the Global Health Industry Innovation Center Proof-of-Concept Platform, which is supported by the Municipal Science and Technology Commission.ZhongguancunThe Management Committee continues to provide support, making it an innovative and highly influential platform for the transformation of achievements in Beijing's medical and health field.

According to Chen Xuesheng's introduction, the research and development of implantable medical devices initially require the use of software for product design and verification through simulation software. However, there is a significant difference between theoretical verification and actual clinical situations. "For instance, relevant medical devices may involve 100 parameters or variables in real clinical scenarios, but during theoretical simulations, only 10 might be used for calculations. Therefore, theoretical verification can only serve as a preliminary screening for the final product design. To fundamentally meet the requirements for later clinical use, further validation on an actual model platform (with more parameters) is needed. The innovative platform provides technical support that is closer to reality for this subsequent validation." Chen Xuesheng continued: "The innovative platform provides us with the conditions for rapid verification of our scientific research concepts. For us, the innovative platform is a bridge—from theory to the final clinical trial stage—accelerating the transformation of theory into practice."

There are quite a few high-end medical enterprises like Yellwin that have settled on this platform. According to official data, so far, the platform has incubated and invested in 30 companies including Tupai Medical, Weici Technology, Chaomu Technology, and Xijian Technology, with a total project valuation exceeding 9 billion yuan.

According to the official introduction, the Global Health Industry Innovation Center Concept Verification Platform provides comprehensive support for projects with excellent potential. For instance, after being selected for the platform, the platform first conducts feasibility assessments and classification, assembling professional teams to carry out concept validation and feasibility analysis on the projects in the database. Based on technical characteristics, maturity, and transformation needs, it completes scientific classification and advances subsequent services in a targeted manner. At the same time, the platform offers technical processing and prototype trial production, assisting projects through customized concept verification services to complete the full process from product definition, R&D design, rapid prototyping, performance testing, to clinical validation. The platform has cumulatively carried out 45 concept verification projects, completed the trial production of 16 prototypes (units), and promoted the transformation of 30 patents in Beijing, effectively enhancing project maturity.

"After completing the proof of concept, the platform continues to follow up on the project, providing full-chain support for incubation and acceleration. It matches projects with comprehensive resources across spatial carriers, technology, clinical, registration certification, industry, and capital dimensions. Through multiple measures such as incubation, investment, acceleration, and brand empowerment, the platform drives projects from the laboratory to the industrial end," said Wang Jingjing, Director of the Global Health Industry Innovation Center.

Beijing is home to over 90 universities and thousands of research institutes, boasting abundant resources in education, science and technology, and talent. These form an important foundation for scientific and industrial innovation, and also lend credibility to the Global Health Industry Innovation Center. Yan Ying, Director of the Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Department of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Zhongguancun Management Committee, stated: "Represented by the Global Health Industry Innovation Center, Beijing has established 46 concept verification platforms, which serve as accelerators for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements."

In addition, Beijing has launched a smart service platform for technology transfer called "Zhuan Guo Guo". Since its launch a year ago, the platform has showcased over 18,000 scientific and technological achievements and collectively listed more than 2 million pieces of various information that were previously scattered among universities, research institutes, enterprises, service agencies, and other entities. It can address common challenges in the process of transforming achievements, such as information asymmetry, low matching efficiency, and weak service coordination.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing will continue to strengthen the construction of the technology manager team and promote the growth of new innovative entities through a combination of fiscal funds and market investment, providing continuous momentum for the industrial development of Beijing. Yan Ying stated that the role of enterprises as innovative entities will also be fully utilized, relying on the construction of school-enterprise cooperation platforms, concept validation platforms, and pilot service platforms, which will accelerate the maturation and application of scientific and technological achievements.

Reporter Zhang Junhua from the Beijing Business Journal