Healthcare science and technology innovation

This high level forum, hosted by Chinese Hospital Association and coorganised by BMJ Group, brought together Chinese and British senior hospital presidents, policymakers and funders to explore the policies, strategies, and industry trends and the new chapter of healthcare research and innovation collaboration between the two countries.

During this event, Dr Kamran Abbasi, The BMJ editor in chief, launched “The international impact of Chinese hospital research 2025 – a report on 20 years’ health policy and clinical guideline citations worldwide”, which assesses the global impact of medical research from Chinese hospitals between 2005 and 2024, with a focus on 10 leading institutions with the highest number of articles cited by in health policies and clinical guidelines internationally. The findings highlight a research ecosystem that translates academic rigour into practice-changing guidance, improving outcomes across diverse health systems.

BMJ Impact Analytics identifies citations of research in health policy documents and clinical guidelines worldwide. The tool searches over 18 million health-related documents from over 47,000 organisations. It is the only analytics tool dedicated to health and social care, and is used by funders, national public health agencies, health systems and industry to track the real-world impact of research. This specialised focus and breadth make it well suited to assessing how research influences patient care and professional guidance.

It is the only tool of its type, dedicated to health and social care, which allows it to provide the most comprehensive tracking of where research is cited in clinical guidance and health policy globally. This specialised focus and broad scope allow it to show how research is used by healthcare professionals globally.

This China–UK forum surfaced how strategic collaboration in healthcare science and technology can unlock new value for both systems. Participants mapped out how shared data assets, joint research infrastructure and aligned evidence frameworks could shorten the path from discovery to patient care.

China’s scale in clinical delivery and growing research capacity, paired with the UK’s strengths in data infrastructure and innovation systems, create a unique opportunity. Together, the two countries can accelerate evidence generation, enable secure cross-border data sharing, and bring high-impact innovations to real-world settings.

By convening leaders from government, academia, industry and health systems, the roundtable helped convert ambition into practical plans — reinforcing a foundation for deeper, sustainable collaboration that could reshape the future of healthcare in both countries and beyond.

President, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital Association

Secretary of the Party Committee, Beijing Municipal Health Commission

Chair, BMJ Group

Executive Vice President, Chinese Hospital Association

Vice President, Chinese Hospital Association

Counsellor for Healthcare & Life Sciences, British Embassy Beijing

Director, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Promotion Center for Medicine and Health

Editor-in-Chief, BMJ Innovations, UK

Chair Professor and Director, Centre of EBM and Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology

Editor-in-Chief, The BMJ

Secretary of the Party Committee, Peking University Third Hospital

Vice President, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Vice Dean, Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University

President, The First Hospital of Jilin University

Vice President, West China Hospital, Sichuan University

Vice President, Hubei Provincial People’s Hospital

Executive Vice President, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University

Vice President, Peking University First Hospital

Deputy Director, China Office, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Managing Director, China, BMJ Group

BMJ Group doesn’t just publish evidence. We create it, structure it, and connect the right voices to amplify its relevance. Our trusted brand, shaped by decades of publishing excellence, assures partners and participants of scientific integrity and editorial independence.

We help our partners unlock access to the right contributors, build credibility through association, and create tangible outcomes that strengthen health systems.

This ability to convene global expertise and translate dialogue into real-world action makes us a strategic partner for any organisation aiming to improve healthcare outcomes through trusted, expert-led collaboration.