Boston Scientific's CIIE experience fruitful

The second China International Import Expo began with great expectations, and ended leaving people looking for more.

Boston Scientific fully demonstrated how it is "advancing science for life" with its overall solutions for six diseases. During the 6-day expo, Boston Scientific invited government agencies, medical institutions, universities, financial institutions and industry partners to discuss how to innovate and promote development. The company also signed multiple agreements.

"The CIIE is a high-profile exhibition bringing together high-quality exhibitors and traders in all industries, demonstrating a shared, mutually beneficial and cooperative global trade system. This was the first time that BSC had attended the CIIE. We brought so many innovative products to the CIIE because we saw that the event's theme 'New Era, Shared Future' aligns well with our strategy," said June Chang, vice-president of Boston Scientific and managing director of Boston Scientific Greater China.

The Medical Devices & Healthcare exhibition hall was the first to be completely filled at the 2nd CIIE. The number of Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders present doubled, and the number of new products and new technologies announced this year also was much bigger than last year.

Innovation-driven: Your products speak for themselves

President Xi Jinping said in his keynote speech at the CIIE's opening ceremony that in the future China will adhere to the new development philosophy, continue to implement an innovation-driven strategy, and work hard to foster and build up new economic drivers. "Innovation" is always one of the most important drivers, whether for a country or for a company.

When your products speak for themselves, you know you have an ideal manifestation of how innovative a company is. At this year's CIIE, focusing on the six major diseases with the highest incidence in China, Boston Scientific exhibited 33 of its cutting-edge new products, 24 of which had not yet been officially launched in China, and five that had already won or had been nominated for the Prix Galien Award, known as "the Nobel Prize for Pharmaceuticals".

What is even more worthy of note is that the world's first glass radioactive glass microspheres, TheraSphere Y-90* for treating hepatocellular carcinoma was exhibited as a star product. This product combines traditional radiotherapy and vascular interventional therapy to deliver an effective radiotherapy treatment for liver cancer while minimizing damage to healthy human organs by radioactive substances.

On Day Two of the 2nd CIIE, witnessed by Shen Xiaoming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and Hainan Governor, Boao Evergrande International Hospital signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Boston Scientific, announcing it will create an interventional radiotherapy center for hepatocellular carcinoma, mainly using the TheraSphere Y90. This was in response to Xi's call in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony to accelerate the effort to build a free trade port in Hainan and make the province a new center of opening up.

"This year BSC celebrates its 40th anniversary, and for the last 40 years every employee has been striving to deliver on the 'advancing science for life' commitment," Chang said. "The overall solutions for six critical diseases that were exhibited by BSC at the CIIE demonstrate BSC's complete portfolio and internationally leadership in technology, as well as the capacity for innovation it has acquired over the 40 years since its inception."

Working together to accelerate development on win-win terms

In the cold weapon era, it might be true that we admire heroic individualism. But facing economic globalization today, we admire the spirit of "win-win" cooperation even more.

Those who can do something big know how to apply force and know how to leverage it even better. 

Chang said that the China market has huge potential, with both opportunities and challenges. Seeking development behind closed doors is not feasible, and facing the future China market, the company will strive to create a medical ecosystem with the spirit of innovation and collaboration, to vigorously promote the development of the healthcare industry, she said.

As Xi put it, what the CIIE trades are products and services, but what it exchanges are cultures and concepts. We should "hold hands" instead of "letting go", and "dismantle walls" instead of "building walls".

In October Boston Scientific China signed an agreement to build its second headquarters in the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone. Through an all-round collaboration with the development zone and demonstrating the strength of each, Boston Scientific will help to improve the ability to provide med-tech services and disease management, and make high-quality medical solutions available at the grassroots level in the western region, benefitting more Chinese patients.

"In such an open and friendly business environment, BSC will continue to join forces with partners from other industries to accelerate development through innovation, and seek win-win results through cooperation," Chang said.

Although the 6-day exhibition is over, the momentum continues. During the event, Boston Scientific was able to get a better sense of China's fast development and its tremendous potential. Given the fruitful experience this year, the company has decided to attend the 3rd CIIE. The company believes that it will certainly be another "eye opener" next year, and also hopes that the CIIE will become better and better in the future.