Siemens Healthineers' Global Chief Executive Officer stated that the company has been deeply rooted in China for 26 years, building on an enterprise history spanning over a century. Since establishing a research and development center in China in 1992, the company has developed a comprehensive local innovation framework. It now employs 1,000 R&D personnel and several thousand staff in China, with the number of engineers surpassing that of many manufacturing plants. The company operates six R&D centers, three of which are located in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, forming a mature local innovation ecosystem. Siemens Healthineers has launched 160 locally developed products and established deep R&D partnerships with medical institutions and hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College.
He highlighted the company's core collaboration and innovation focus: applying AI technology in partnership with research entities and local startups, with significant exploration in areas such as fatty liver disease, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, and brain-computer interfaces. Leveraging the strong capabilities of its China team and utilizing 5G technology, the company is working to bridge the medical knowledge gap between rural township health service centers and top-tier hospitals, providing remote medical support.
The CEO emphasized that Siemens Healthineers is committed to enhancing the innovation capacity of the entire healthcare system by establishing long-term mechanisms and deepening cooperation with research institutes, as well as local and rural medical institutions. The company aims to introduce new treatment therapies while balancing cost-effectiveness, long-term usage, industry innovation, and the learning curve for medical equipment, thereby improving its accessibility and practicality.
Finally, he shared his perspective on industry development trends, noting that China possesses unique growth opportunities. Not only has life expectancy increased significantly, but the focus has also shifted towards chronic disease management. This requires a systematic approach and a life-cycle perspective to achieve early disease detection and efficient management.
Whether in the prevention and control of cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases or in precision medicine for early cancer intervention, there is a need to transition from product innovation to systemic innovation. China holds distinct advantages for this transformation, including a homogeneous and large-scale healthcare system, coupled with the government's strong determination to drive change and lead globally.