政府新闻
上海公布AI医疗计划引领全球生物制药 2024-12-29
At-home diagnostics, disease predictions via big data, and medical training in the metaverse – Shanghai is positioning itself as a global leader in AI-driven healthcare with a bold new development plan.
The Shanghai Medical Artificial Intelligence Development Plan (2025-2027), unveiled this week, aims to accelerate AI innovation in drug development, clinical decision support, and intelligent surgery, positioning Shanghai as a key player in the rapidly expanding AI healthcare sector. The plan focuses on advancing algorithm capabilities, enhancing computational power, and improving data governance, among other initiatives.
At the 2024 Life & Health Conference in Hongqiao CBD, Zhu Tongyu, vice dean of Fudan University's Shanghai Medical College, emphasized the transformative impact of AI on biopharmaceuticals.
"AI is revolutionizing the biopharmaceutical industry," Zhu said. "Technologies like our graphene biochip, which can sequence an entire genome in just four minutes, are making it possible for at-home diagnostic tests to potentially handle up to 70 percent of clinical diagnoses in the future."
Shanghai's ecosystem for AI-driven healthcare is expanding rapidly. The city is already home to 34 companies engaged in AI drug development, with 51 preclinical studies and 14 clinical trials currently underway – representing 60 percent and 47 percent of national totals, respectively. While no AI-assisted drug has yet reached the market, Shanghai's robust infrastructure and deep talent pool are expected to drive breakthroughs in the near future.
Zhu Lili, vice president of AstraZeneca China, also highlighted China's rapid technological progress.
"What sets China apart is its ability to leapfrog in the application of new technologies," she said. "While we may have started later, China's speed in adopting AI and big data gives it an edge.
"Our advantage also lies in our numerous real-world use cases," she added. "We can quickly test and refine solutions, which gives us a distinct advantage globally."
Fudan University is central to Shanghai's push to become an AI-powered medical leader. It has established several institutes, including the Institute of Intelligent Medicine and the Big Data Research Institute, to advance AI in healthcare.
Fudan is also developing a metaverse-based medical platform for anatomy, surgical navigation, mixed reality, and robotic assistance.
"We've already launched over 20 AI-driven courses in intelligent medicine," Zhu Tongyu said. "We plan to expand this into a full curriculum to train the next generation of healthcare innovators."
Additionally, Fudan is using AI to analyze clinical data, helping to predict diseases and save time for healthcare professionals. Its predictive models are already achieving high accuracy in forecasting rare diseases.
According to the city government, Shanghai's integration with the Yangtze River Delta has created a mature industrial ecosystem, facilitating significant progress in the biopharmaceutical sector.
To further solidify Shanghai's leadership within the Yangtze River Delta's biopharmaceutical ecosystem, the Yangtze River Delta Health Industry Alliance was launched during the conference. The alliance includes partners such as the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Institute of Business Innovation and global life sciences giants such as Danaher and AstraZeneca China.
The alliance is set to streamline resources and foster collaboration, reinforcing Shanghai's growing role in the global biopharmaceutical sector.
Source: Shanghai Daily
