Each year, long-time participants such as Olympus, a Japanese optical medical technology company, have much to gain from the China International Import Expo, where they showcase their products and services, gauge market demand, and discern industry trends.

Since its establishment in China in 1972 as a pivotal bridge in Sino-Japanese exchanges, Olympus has consistently considered the Chinese market an indispensable component and a catalyst for growth in its global strategic blueprint. To Wang Xiaoyong, executive general manager at Olympus Global for medical services in China, the CIIE serves not only as a grand platform for the unveiling of new products, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative services, but also as an “accelerator” for deeper immersion into the Chinese market and a discerning "telescope" for recognizing industry trends.

Olympus exhibition booth at the fifth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

A Grand Stage for Showcasing Products and Services

Each CIIE bears witness to the debut of a plethora of new global products, technologies, and services, with many of these making their premieres on a global, Asian, or Chinese scale.

The medical equipment and medical care products exhibition area, which plays a crucial role in healthcare, is one of the sectors with the most significant number of new products launched at the CIIE. Over the last five years, Olympus has unveiled nearly 90 medical technology products across various fields including digestive health, respiratory health, otorhinolaryngology, urology, gynecology, and surgery. Many of these cutting-edge products made their first appearances at the CIIE, garnering significant attention.

At the 2020 CIIE, Olympus launched VISERA ELITE II, a surgical product with a multifunctional video imaging platform powered by advanced algorithms and optical sensitivity. This equipment streamlined the efficiency of operating rooms by catering to the diverse requirements of various medical departments. The product’s release at the CIIE attracted considerable industry attention, with extensive media coverage that significantly influenced vertical industry dissemination, much to the delight and surprise of the company.

The favorable market response prompted Olympus to accord priority to the CIIE as a platform for showcasing new products. At the 2021 CIIE, the company introduced its EC Endoscope, equipped with an optical zoom function capable of magnifying images up to 520 times, which achieved extensive brand exposure, reaching over a hundred million person-times both online and offline within the same year.

Visitors try out the electronic respiratory endoscope at the Olympus booth at the fourth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

In 2022, Olympus presented OER-Smart, an innovative endoscope cleaning and disinfection device, among its flagship products at the CIIE. The product gained exposure to more than 190 million person-times through coverage by over 40 media outlets that visited the booth. Wang commented, “The CIIE serves as a bridge for exchanges and collaboration conducive to corporate development, and Olympus has garnered significant attention in this regard.” Years of participation in CIIE have empowered the company to exhibit its cutting-edge products, technologies, and solutions, reaffirm its core values, capitalize on market opportunities, and secure a distinct competitive advantage.

An "Accelerator" for Advancing Localization Processes

At the fifth CIIE, Olympus entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with China RongTong Medical & Healthcare Group Co., Ltd., signifying the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two companies in medical equipment and after-sales services, medical technology support, and physician training, aiming to enhance the technical service capabilities of Chinese hospitals in endoscopy and laparoscopy. This agreement serves as a vivid example of foreign-invested companies leveraging the CIIE as a platform to expand their presence within the Chinese market and foster industry growth.

A continuous presence at the CIIE for five consecutive years has allowed Olympus to better understand China’s market demands and build closer relationships with its Chinese clientele. The company has set forth the goal wherein “China will play a pivotal role in driving business development in the future” and initiated the “China Strategy” in 2021, underlining its unwavering commitment to the Chinese market.

Strategic cooperation signing ceremony between Olympus and China RongTong Medical & Healthcare Group Co., Ltd. at the fifth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Bolstered by growing confidence acquired through its participation in the CIIE, Olympus, in its capacity as an "investor", is displaying heightened resolve. In April 2023, Olympus officially inked an agreement to establish its production and research and development (R&D) base in Suzhou, China. This project stands as the company’s inaugural venture into medical equipment production and R&D within China, signifying a significant stride in the pursuit of its "China Strategy" by manufacturing core products that extend beyond its Japanese origins.

A Discerning "Telescope" for Recognizing Industry Trends

In the past five years, the CIIE has consistently served as a platform for global enterprises to unveil their cutting-edge products, pioneering technologies, and innovative services, functioning as a discerning "telescope", endowing multinational corporations with the ability to identify market dynamics and anticipate emerging industry trends. Each November, the CIIE stands as an indispensable fixture on Olympus's calendar, offering the company a unique opportunity for keen observation, fruitful dialogues, exploratory ventures, and realization of valuable returns.

"During each annual exposition, industry experts, hospital conglomerates, procurement professionals, and other stakeholders of the healthcare sector from around the world convene for collaborative discussions. Such occasions are exceptionally rare, and the environment proves highly conducive to expanding our business horizons. Additionally, engaging in competition alongside other leading medical equipment companies aids us in recognizing industry trends, fine-tuning product portfolios, and optimizing our market positioning." In Wang's perspective, the CIIE provides an unparalleled platform for comprehensive communication and interaction among enterprises and stakeholders, yielding a positive impact that surpasses what other exhibitions or conventional platforms can offer.

The ongoing pandemic in recent years has significantly heightened collective awareness regarding life, health, and medical services across all sectors of society. Amidst continuous technological advancements and the pursuit of service optimization, endoscopic equipment has emerged as a pivotal tool for uncovering latent illnesses within the human body, thereby facilitating the goals of "early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment". Wang noted a substantial surge in customer inquiries regarding these products at the company’s booth at the CIIE, with a prominent presence of dedicated professionals seeking hands-on experiences. Through extensive interactions with various stakeholders at the CIIE and an unwavering commitment to industry monitoring, Olympus has cultivated an astute perspective on the significant gaps prevalent in the endoscopy market. The most conspicuous deficiencies revolve around the increasing demand for diagnostic and treatment solutions, coupled with a dearth of proficient endoscopic practitioners. The 2020 China Digestive Endoscopy Census offers revealing statistics on medical institutions and physicians per one million people for digestive endoscopy in China and Japan. China has 5.29 medical institutions and 28.12 physicians, whereas Japan stands out with figures of 164.7 and 191.2, respectively. This discrepancy underscores the immense potential for improving China’s endoscopic diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

Olympus China Medical Training & Education Center (C-TEC). [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

"Over the last few years, Olympus has provided training to approximately 62,000 endoscopy medical professionals through both online and offline channels, enriching the pool of endoscopy physicians. The company has also sequentially established technical service centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Xi'an, Chengdu, and Hangzhou, opening up new markets for corporate equipment and technical services. These initiatives not only help the company’s global expansion in conjunction with China, but also serve as an important reference for Olympus as it advances toward its goal of becoming a 'global leading medical company'." Wang emphasized, "In the face of the progress of medical science, a shared concern of humanity, the CIIE not only showcases the vast potential of the Chinese healthcare market but also reflects the determination of the Chinese healthcare industry to explore and develop together with the international community."

In 2023, Olympus celebrates its sixth consecutive participation in the CIIE, unveiling its latest and most cutting-edge digestive endoscopy system to the Chinese audience. Wang expressed that the "four-leaf clover" encapsulates a multitude of opportunities, emphasizing the importance of ongoing exploration to unlock the treasures presented by the CIIE.

By Jiang Man