Original Title: Notice on the Issuance of the "Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting the Development of the Medical Robotics Industry (2023–2025)"
To Relevant Units:
To implement the national "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Medical Equipment Industry (2023–2025)" and further promote the high-quality development of the medical robotics industry in Shanghai, the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Municipal Health Commission, the Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, and the Municipal Drug Administration have jointly formulated the "Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting the Development of the Medical Robotics Industry (2023–2025)." This document is hereby issued to you for earnest implementation.
This notice is hereby issued.
Attachment: Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting the Development of the Medical Robotics Industry (2023–2025)
Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology
Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology
Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health
Shanghai Municipal Medical Security Bureau
Shanghai Municipal Drug Administration
October 26, 2023
Attachment
Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting the Development of the Medical Robotics Industry
(2023–2025)
This Action Plan is formulated to implement the national “Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Medical Equipment Industry (2023–2025),” the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Medical Equipment Industry,” and the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Robotics Industry,” further promote the high-quality development of the city’s medical robotics industry, accelerate the construction of a biomedical industry innovation hub with international influence, and contribute to the creation of a world-class biomedical industry cluster.
I. General Requirements
1. Guiding Principles
Focusing on the trends toward miniaturization, intelligence, and biomimicry in medical robotics, this plan prioritizes the development of medical robotics industrial clusters. It proactively plans for new products, business models, and industry formats that will drive future technological and industrial transformation in medical robotics, promotes collaborative innovation among industry, academia, research institutions, and medical institutions, strengthens demonstration of practical applications, and establishes an innovation system characterized by industry-medical integration, digital and intelligent driving, and open leadership.Focusing on modern engineering technologies and key generic technologies for medical robots, we will promote the deep integration of industrial, innovation, and talent chains, and accelerate the independent R&D of core technologies. We will strengthen brand building and promotion, leverage the leading role of flagship medical robot enterprises, the creativity of top-tier teams, and the influence of flagship products to create a range of innovative medical robot products that are domestically leading and even internationally advanced.
2. Main Objectives
By 2025, the city aims to become a domestic hub for medical robotics technological innovation, a center for high-end manufacturing, and a demonstration site for collaborative applications, with a significant upgrade in industrial capabilities and an industry scale reaching 10 billion yuan.
—— Accelerate breakthroughs in cutting-edge achievements. Establish foundational technology platforms for intelligent medical robots, tackle key components such as control, perception, and motion systems, and bring forth more than 10 internationally advanced innovative products.
— Significantly enhance industrial capabilities. Establish no fewer than two specialized medical robotics industrial clusters and cultivate approximately 10 leading enterprises in specific medical robotics segments.
— Continuously improve the innovation ecosystem. Establish approximately 5 specialized technical public service platforms and at least 3 medical robotics application demonstration platforms, creating more than 10 scalable and replicable application demonstration scenarios.
II. Development Priorities
— Surgical Robotics Segment. Promote continuous performance improvements in laparoscopic surgical robots, dental implant robots, and gastrointestinal diagnostic and therapeutic robots to enhance product competitiveness. Accelerate the development of multi-channel vascular intervention robots, integrated intraoperative 3D fluoroscopy orthopedic robots, multimodal image-guided bronchoscopic robots, flexible surgical robots for narrow passages, and plastic and reconstructive surgery robots. Support the innovative development of fully automated laparoscopic/bronchoscopic surgical robots and 5G-enabled remote surgical robots.
— Rehabilitation Robotics Sector. Promote the continuous deepening of multimodal integration in upper and lower limb rehabilitation robots, exoskeleton robots, and hand function rehabilitation robots to improve the efficacy of collaborative rehabilitation therapy. Accelerate the development of rehabilitation robots for multi-environment simulation and behavioral quantification analysis, as well as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) rehabilitation robots. Develop rehabilitation robots for functional neurological disorders based on brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
——Service Robotics Sector. Promote the convenience and intelligent upgrading of service robots for disinfection and cleaning, solution preparation and medication delivery, and intelligent medication dispensing/inspection. Accelerate the development of medical logistics robots with complex environmental perception and navigation capabilities, and advance AI-assisted diagnostic robots, intensive care robots, and humanoid companion care robots.
III. Key Tasks
1. Strengthen Forward-Looking Industrial Planning
Accelerate miniaturization efforts, focusing on the innovative integration of technologies such as multi-material micro-nano manufacturing, micro-imaging systems, and high-efficiency micro-scale actuation and motion control. Develop precision diagnostic and therapeutic micro-nano robots featuring integrated opto-mechanical-electrical systems and diverse functionalities. Strengthen intelligent support by promoting the integration of next-generation information technologies—including big data, digital twins, and artificial intelligence—with medical robots. Develop real-time intraoperative multimodal fusion sensing technologies and explore new paradigms for intelligent, precise, and visualized automated surgery.Explore bionic applications, support breakthroughs in key technologies such as extended reality, flexible sensing, and brain-computer interfaces, advance the innovative integration of medical robots with generative large models, explore new forms of embodied intelligence, and promote the intelligent and personalized development of medical robots. (Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Office)
2. Breakthroughs in Key Core Technologies
Accelerate independent R&D of foundational technologies and drive breakthroughs in key innovations such as 3D ultra-high-definition surgical vision systems, high-precision lightweight medical robotic arms, multimodal image navigation, high-precision master-slave bilateral stability control, and real-time operating systems for medical robots.Advance iterative innovation in specialized technologies, deepening research into technologies such as MRI compatibility for surgical robots across different clinical scenarios, guidewire tip positioning and tracking, fusion of "human-machine-environment" perception data in complex dynamic human environments, and precise perception and feedback of intraoperative thrust;Accelerate technological innovations in rehabilitation robots, such as the integration of electromyographic stimulation with motor cognition and the integration of real-time assessment with rehabilitation training in a realistic environment; promote the iterative development of technologies for service robots, such as high-precision real-time positioning through the integration of multi-sensor and multi-algorithm systems. (Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Office, Municipal Development and Reform Commission)
3. Accelerate R&D on Key Materials and Components
Mobilize collaborative efforts across the industrial chain to support leading medical robotics enterprises with core competitiveness and ecosystem leadership in partnering with universities, research institutes, medical institutions, third-party testing platforms, and upstream and downstream enterprises to conduct integrated industry-academia-research-medical-testing collaborative R&D.Strengthen the foundation of core materials and components by accelerating research and development of advanced materials such as ultra-hard medical-grade stainless steel, ultra-fine high-strength fatigue-resistant tungsten wire, shape-changing fiber composites, and high-strength, biocompatible polymer materials;Accelerate breakthroughs in key components such as miniaturized, highly reliable, low-backlash servo motors; high-computing-power, low-latency bus-based motion controllers with 100 or more axes; high-dynamic, high-precision fiber-optic shape sensors; sub-millimeter real-time optical motion capture systems; and solution-mixing and disinfection devices. (Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Office)
4. Attract, Cultivate, and Strengthen High-Quality Enterprises
Attract and strengthen leading enterprises by accelerating the introduction of top-tier companies with core competitiveness in the medical robotics sector, high-growth enterprises with strong potential, and major industrialization projects. Support leading medical robotics enterprises in establishing functional headquarters and open innovation centers to empower the entire industrial chain ecosystem.Cultivate and scale up innovative enterprises by optimizing the innovation and entrepreneurship environment. Strengthen support for medical robotics startups and encourage innovative enterprises to deepen their expertise in niche markets. Foster a cohort of high-tech enterprises, specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises, “unicorn” companies, and “gazelle” enterprises in these niche sectors. Encourage local medical robotics enterprises to establish comprehensive intellectual property portfolios both domestically and internationally, and support their efforts to go public.(Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Local Financial Supervision, Municipal Intellectual Property Office)
5. Building a “Dual-Core” Industrial Space
Focusing on dual-core drivers, we will leverage the “Zhangjiang Robot Valley” to strengthen the leading role of flagship enterprises and build demonstration bases for medical robotics design and R&D, integrated innovation, and industrial clusters. Relying on the “Da Linghao Bay,” we will explore new models for R&D institutions such as the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical Robotics Research Institute and establish demonstration bases integrating cutting-edge technological innovation, clinical testing, and the incubation and commercialization of research outcomes.Strengthen the coordinated layout of regional industries, promote the integrated development of the Songjiang G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, Baoshan Robot Industrial Park, and Lingang Life Blue Bay, and cultivate new growth points for the medical robotics industry. (Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Education Commission, Pudong New Area, Minhang District, and relevant district governments)
6. Deepen the Integration of Industry and Healthcare
Accelerate the commercialization of clinical innovations, facilitate communication channels between medical institutions and enterprises, and establish a profit-sharing mechanism that fully reflects the value of innovation factors such as knowledge, technology, and data. Through corporate and market-oriented operations, promote the commercialization of more medical robotics innovations within the city.Increase the supply of high-quality clinical resources, with a focus on National Medical Centers and specialized hospitals, to effectively match enterprises’ clinical trial needs with medical institutions’ clinical resources; deepen the development of the Municipal Hospital-Enterprise Collaborative Research and Innovation Platform (HI-CLIP), and encourage local medical institutions to provide clinical resources for high-quality medical robotics projects. (Municipal Commission of Health, Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Shanghai Kang Hospital Development Center)
7. Optimize Product Market Entry Services
Strengthen guidance on the market launch of key products, enhance communication and coordination with the Yangtze River Delta Branch of the Medical Device Technical Review and Inspection Center under the National Medical Products Administration, expand the integration of research and review processes, and guide enterprises in resolving specific issues encountered during the registration and application process for key medical robot products.Support the application process for innovative products by establishing communication channels between medical robotics enterprises and the Municipal Medical Device Testing and Research Institute. Encourage medical robots with high clinical value and strong innovation to enter the Special Review Channel for Innovative Medical Devices, and provide targeted, proactive, and precise services to enterprises in R&D, clinical trials, registration, and production. Extend the reach of the Biomedical Product Registration Guidance Service Station to strengthen coordination and guidance;For products that have entered the Special Review Channel for Innovative Medical Devices and obtained their first medical device registration certificate for production within the city, provide full-process tracking services and offer corresponding support. (Municipal Drug Administration, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Health Commission)
8. Promote Product Application Demonstrations
Facilitate the adoption of products within hospitals. Encourage medical institutions to leverage new infrastructure initiatives to establish comprehensive demonstration campuses and departments for medical robots, and to build demonstration platforms for humanoid robots, orthopedics, and rehabilitation and elderly care. Support locally produced medical robots with high clinical value and strong innovation to be included, in accordance with regulations, in the *Shanghai Catalog of New and Excellent Biomedical Products* and the *Shanghai Recommended Catalog of Innovative Products*.Promote post-market re-evaluation of products. Support local medical institutions in leading the integration of regional medical resources and collaborating with medical robot manufacturers to innovate, conduct application demonstrations and post-market re-evaluations of medical robots, and form a virtuous cycle of “application demonstration – feedback and improvement – level enhancement – dissemination and promotion” to continuously improve the performance and quality of medical robots. Establish application demonstration and innovation centers, and support the collaborative development by medical institutions and enterprises of application demonstration and innovation centers in specific medical robot sectors to accelerate product clinical application and iterative upgrades.(Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Drug Administration, Shanghai Hospital Development Center)
9. Improve the Professional Service System
Establish professional service platforms. Support the Shanghai Medical Device Testing and Research Institute in building a medical robot evaluation and validation research center to conduct research on safety and ergonomics testing and evaluation methods for medical robots. Support medical robot enterprises in establishing open innovation platforms for laboratory animals to facilitate preclinical research. Support the joint establishment by medical institutions and enterprises of international clinical training centers for surgical robots, creating a training platform that is “demonstrable, operable, teachable, and applicable.” Support specialized industrial clusters in partnering with leading enterprises to establish medical robot application empowerment centers.Bring together experts from the fields of industry, science and technology, healthcare, and regulation to establish a municipal exchange platform for the medical robotics industry, leveraging leading enterprises and key medical institutions. Leverage the roles of state-owned and social capital to support the construction of specialized service platforms. Advance the development of a standards system by supporting enterprises and research institutes in participating in the research and formulation of international, national, industry, and group standards covering foundational aspects, products, and methodologies in the medical robotics field, thereby enhancing the influence of the city’s medical robotics brands.(Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Drug Administration, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, Shanghai Kang Hospital Development Center)
10. Promote the Expansion of Overseas Markets
In support of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, encourage local medical robotics enterprises to utilize multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms to provide high-quality, advanced medical equipment and solutions to “Belt and Road” countries. Expand into developed markets by providing appropriate support for medical robotics products developed and manufactured locally that have obtained international registrations from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), EMA (European Medicines Agency), CE (European Union), PMDA (Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency), and others, and have achieved sales in those markets.(Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Commission of Commerce)
IV. Support Measures
1. Strengthen Organizational Support
Fully leverage the coordinating role of the Municipal Leading Group for the Development of the Biomedical Industry to strengthen the work advancement mechanism. Member units of the Municipal Leading Group for the Development of the Biomedical Industry shall focus on key stages such as medical robot design and R&D, production validation, registration and market launch, hospital adoption, and iterative innovation. They shall collaborate in areas including institutional mechanisms, resource allocation, ecosystem development, regulatory services, and application demonstrations to strengthen coordination between the municipal and district levels, cooperation among districts, and collaboration between medical institutions and enterprises, thereby addressing common concerns and major issues.(Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Education Commission, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Municipal Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Office, Municipal Intellectual Property Office, Municipal Drug Administration, Shanghai Hospital Development Center)
2. Strengthen Policy Support
Coordinate the use of special funds allocated for the city’s strategic emerging industries, the promotion of high-quality industrial development, the science and technology innovation action plan, and the development of the Zhangjiang Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone to support core technology breakthroughs, the development of blockbuster products, product launches, first-of-a-kind equipment, and post-market re-evaluation in the medical robotics sector. Leverage the functional roles of relevant departments to increase support in areas such as medical robotics review and approval, government procurement of innovative products, inclusion in medical insurance coverage, accelerated hospital adoption, application demonstrations, and hospital performance evaluations.(Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Office, Municipal Drug Administration, Shanghai Hospital Development Center)
3. Strengthening Talent Attraction and Cultivation
Attract top-tier talent and entrepreneurial scientists in the field of medical robotics from around the world, strengthen service and support for high-level talent, and provide a broad platform for innovation and entrepreneurship. Fully leverage the role of various municipal talent programs—such as the Magnolia Talent Program and the Oriental Talent Program—in attracting, gathering, and supporting high-level talent. Further improve talent evaluation mechanisms and incentive measures in the medical robotics sector to accelerate the recruitment and cultivation of high-level and urgently needed talent in this field.(Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Municipal Education Commission, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, ShenKang Hospital Development Center)
4. Strengthen Payment Support
We will enhance policy guidance for medical institutions applying for new medical technology and medical service pricing items, optimize relevant business processes, expedite the review of applications, provide timely feedback to applicant institutions, and improve the mechanisms for establishing and dynamically adjusting medical service prices. We encourage medical institutions to utilize medical robots with high clinical value and strong innovation to provide medical services, in accordance with clinical needs and diagnostic and treatment standards. (Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Drug Administration, Shanghai Kang Hospital Development Center)
