Yangtze River Delta Digital Health Industry Chain Alliance Launches Operations to Co-create a Digital Health Ecosystem

On November 1, at the 2020 China (Wenzhou) New Era “Two Healths” Forum, the Yangtze River Delta Digital Health Industry Chain Alliance was officially launched. The alliance will leverage technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to gradually build an open industrial platform, empower the development of digital health, and promote the integrated development of the greater health industry in the Yangtze River Delta. Fan Youshan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; Huang Rong, Vice Chairman; Nan Cunhui, Rotating Chairman of the Yangtze River Delta Entrepreneurs Alliance; Tang Liang, Co-Chairman; Xu Xiang, Vice Chairman; Wang Xiaofei, Vice Chairman; along with representatives from founding members including WeDoctor and Huawei, attended the launch ceremony.

At the launch ceremony, the Zhejiang University International Innovation Institute was officially designated as the Secretary-General Unit of the alliance, while the National Institute of Health and Medical Big Data at Zhejiang University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, United Imaging Healthcare, Insigma Technology, and Shanghai Qianmai Medical were appointed as Vice-Chairman Units.。

It is understood that this forum, themed “New Stage, New Pattern, New Mission,” serves as a platform for dialogues among entrepreneurs from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, aiming to enhance Zhejiang’s capacity to support the integrated development of the YRD. As one of China’s most economically dynamic, open, and innovative regions, the YRD is witnessing accelerated innovation in digital technologies—including cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI)—and their rapid integration with various industries. Under the national strategy for YRD integrated development, the three provinces and one municipality (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Shanghai) are gradually pooling their strengths to promote integrated industrial layout and coordinated development of industrial chains.

As one of the four industrial chain alliances with output values exceeding RMB 1 trillion, jointly initiated by three provinces and one municipality, the Yangtze River Delta Digital Health Industrial Chain Alliance is committed to the goals of “co-creating a digital health industry ecosystem, jointly building a demonstration zone for the Yangtze River Delta health ecosystem, and safeguarding the health of over 200 million people.” Focusing on industrial collaboration and innovation in service models, the alliance prioritizes the application of technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to co-create a robust digital health industry ecosystem.

It is reported that the alliance, with WeDoctor Group serving as the chairing entity and Zhejiang University International Innovation Institute as the secretariat, is progressively building an open and innovative platform to empower the digital health industry. It has attracted 68 members, including renowned universities, tertiary hospitals, medical technology firms, and financial enterprises.

According to Dr. Wang Yang, a relevant official from the lead council member unit of the alliance, following the commencement of its operations, the alliance will fully leverage the industrial development advantages of the Yangtze River Delta region. By utilizing an “Internet Plus” platform, it will integrate key industry elements—including healthcare services, pharmaceuticals, health insurance, elderly care with medical support, and medical education—to promote the interconnectivity of digital health resources in the Yangtze River Delta. The alliance aims to build a Yangtze River Delta Health Service Community, facilitating the sector’s shift from a “disease-centered” to a “health-centered” model. Simultaneously, it will foster the formation of a new digital health ecosystem through industrial clustering, thereby promoting the integrated development of the broader health industry across the Yangtze River Delta.