At the China Medical Equipment Conference and the 27th Annual Academic and Technical Exchange Meeting recently held in Suzhou, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that the MIIT is working closely with relevant departments to actively promote the development of AI-powered medical devices.

　　Xin Guobin pointed out that the integration of advanced technologies with artificial intelligence will establish a strategic high ground for the future development of the medical sector and become a crucial direction for medical equipment enterprises to foster innovation and reshape their value chains. Currently, driven jointly by market forces and policy initiatives, medical equipment is accelerating its transformation toward digitalization, precision, and intelligence. Advanced medical products deeply integrated with artificial intelligence are continuously emerging, such as electronic health record systems, telemedicine platforms, high-end medical imaging equipment, and surgical robots. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is also working closely with relevant departments to strengthen top-level design, build a comprehensive policy framework, and steadily consolidate the foundation for industrial development. This effort aims to guide enterprises in speeding up R&D of new products and promoting the application of artificial intelligence technologies in the medical equipment sector. At the same time, active efforts are being made to establish collaborative platforms to facilitate the alignment between supply and demand. Last year, for instance, 21 hospitals—including Beijing Jishuitan Hospital—jointly formed an orthopedic surgical robot application center with related enterprises, exploring the establishment of relevant technical standards and clinical practice guidelines. Furthermore, efforts are underway to promote coordinated collaboration between central and local authorities and to advance the integration of military and civilian sectors, thus laying the groundwork for an initial pattern of mutual integration between production and use.

　　Xin Guobin also pointed out that currently, China's overall level of artificial intelligence technology still has a significant gap compared to that of developed countries. AI technology could become a strategic breakthrough for leading the future development of medical devices. Therefore, we must promote enterprises' transformation and upgrading—from following closely behind to running side by side and then taking the lead—through measures such as strengthening innovation, expanding applications, formulating standards, and cultivating talent.