2020-2021 Pharmaceutical Digital Innovation Challenge: Call for Solutions to Address Industry Pain Points with Empathetic Technology

Every wave of global technological advancement has invariably encompassed the healthcare sector. In recent years, the digital transformation of this industry has intensified significantly. Digital technology companies are assisting key stakeholders in the healthcare sector to achieve comprehensive digital transformation. Telemedicine and internet-based healthcare have supported medical treatment, disease management, and epidemic prevention in small and medium-sized cities, while also facilitating consultations and medication access for patients with chronic diseases. Artificial intelligence in medical imaging has further aided timely clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 in affected areas. Robotics applied to ward services have alleviated the workload of medical staff, and big data technologies have assisted in epidemiological investigations and regional monitoring.

Now, this wave of digitalization has swept into the pharmaceutical industry.The pharmaceutical industry is developingA comprehensive top-down digital transformation has emerged, with pharmaceutical companies at the apex identifying pain points and digital solution providers below delivering corresponding solutions. A new collaborative mechanism has taken shape,Those who can build comprehensive solutions addressing pain points will capture this vast market.

Pain points in pharmaceutical companies are scattered across every stage, from R&D and manufacturing to operations and management, creating an urgent demand for solutions. On the other hand, underlying technology platforms such as Microsoft Azure provide the infrastructure, awaiting the rooting of solutions. What has been missing between pharmaceutical enterprises and technology platforms is a critical link that connects these two silos and revitalizes the entire ecosystem. Many institutions are seeking and supporting such industry connectors; one example is the Microsoft AI and IoT Lab located at Shanghai Zhangjiang Artificial Intelligence Island.

To further support connectors within the industry, this initiative is hosted by Microsoft China and Zhangjiang Group, with strategic partnerships from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and others; supported by CEIBS Alumni Healthcare Industry Association, Zhangjiang Sci-Tech Investment, Microsoft Accelerator, Microsoft AI and IoT Lab, Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park, Legend Capital, Probes Capital, and others; and operated by VCBeat.2020-2021 Pharmaceutical Enterprise Digital Solutions Innovation CompetitionOfficially Launched: Call for Entries Now Open!

Centered on five major digitalization scenarios for pharmaceutical companies, this competition solicits outstanding industry solutions nationwide, gathering China’s most innovative enterprises in pharmaceutical digitalization, with the aim of addressing pain points at their source,Empowering Pharmaceutical Companies with Digitalization, Infusing Technology with Warmth.

This competition focuses on digital solutions in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, targeting enterprises or projects that hold independent intellectual property rights with no ownership disputes, operate in compliance with regulations, maintain a strong social reputation, and have no record of misconduct.

Participating companies must have conducted market research and competitive analysis, possess a well-established business model, and meet the preliminary requirements for industrialization. They must hold independent intellectual property rights with no disputes, operate in compliance with regulations, and maintain a good social reputation. The competition is primarily open to enterprises.

The pain point identification and solution development for this competition are primarily focused on the following five areas:

1. Empowering Patients and the Public:Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly prioritizing a patient-centric development philosophy. We aim to identify digital solutions that enable pharmaceutical companies to extend their role beyond mere drug suppliers, expanding into a broader patient empowerment ecosystem.

Scenario Segmentation:Digital Chronic Disease Management,Direct Channel Management for Patient Engagement,Digital Patient Services,Patient Education,Digital Diagnosis and Treatment Center

2. Accelerating Innovation in Medical Research and Development:Big data and artificial intelligence technologies are making pharmaceutical R&D more efficient and precise. We aim to identify digital solutions that enhance the efficiency and success rate of every stage in the drug development process for pharmaceutical companies.

Scenario Segmentation:Artificial Intelligence Drug Discovery、Compound Validation and Structural Optimization,Drug Response Prediction,Digital Clinical Patient Recruitment,Digital Operations for Clinical Trials

3. Safeguarding the Security of Medical Information:As digital transformation deepens, the extensive collection, storage, and application of data have raised concerns about information security. We aim to identify digital solutions that help pharmaceutical companies strengthen their security frameworks for medical information management.

Scenario Segmentation:Real-World Data Collection and Application,Clinical Trial Data Storage and Structuring,Safety Production Management System,IoT-Based Information Acquisition System

4. Optimize the Experience of Healthcare Professionals:As remote work and online meetings become increasingly prevalent, the pharmaceutical industry is fully embracing digital transformation in its management and organizational structures. We aim to identify solutions that help pharmaceutical professionals enhance their productivity and achieve personal growth.

Scenario Segmentation:Digital Marketing,Evidence-Based Medicine Solutions,Pharmaceutical Full Lifecycle Management

5. Establish agile operational processes:Agile operations, a strategy originating in the internet industry, has extended into the pharmaceutical sector. We aim to identify solutions that enable agile development and rapid response throughout the comprehensive operational processes of pharmaceutical companies.

Scenario Segmentation:Internet Healthcare Industry Matchmaking、Supply Chain and Channel Management,Internal Enterprise Process Management

Resource Empowerment:Pharmaceutical Company PartnersWe will fully leverage the advantages of industrial clustering, using industry demands as a driving force to provide direct support, incubation, venture capital, and industrial collaboration in terms of capital and resources to teams that advance to the national finals.

Ecological Empowerment:Competition OrganizerLeveraging its own advantages, it will provide guidance and support to teams advancing to the national finals in areas such as strategic ecological cooperation and the expansion and implementation of application scenarios, ultimately achieving the goal of coordinated development with the ecosystem.

Technology Empowerment:MicrosoftSupport and guidance will be provided to teams advancing to the China-wide finals in terms of clinical needs and technology.

1. From now until December 20, 2020, participating entities may register through the official competition website.

Official Website Link:https://vcbeat.top/Forum/match2020(Click "Register Now" in the bottom right corner)

2. From December 20, 2020, to January 4, 2021, the judges of this competition will evaluate and score the submitted projects based on six dimensions: team strength, relevance to pain points, solution innovation, case implementation, technical feasibility, and market potential, ultimately selecting 10 projects to advance to the finals.

3. The finals are tentatively scheduled for January 15, 2021, with the specific venue to be determined.