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Innovating to drive China’s R&D transformation


Fresh from transforming the former Philips Innovations Services into a dynamic Digital Innovation unit, in April this year, Dr. Xi Wang was appointed as Head of Philips China R&D, Philips Research China and China Digital Innovation.

Xi Wang

The question of innovation is hot on the agenda of many global corporates, and Philips is no exception to the rule. As Head of Philips R&D in China, my role has two focuses: the first with Philips Research China, (which plays a critical role in the organization’s corporate strategy), and the second with the newly established China Digital Innovation group.

Against this context, Philips has sharpened its focus on health technology, which is a perfect match for my own passions. With my 13 years medical industry experience, I’m in a position now to offer new perspectives to our colleagues at a global level, strengthening the integration of business and R&D. I am excited to bring “new vitality” to digital innovation for a global leader in health technology.

 

Like much of the rest of the world, China is currently undergoing a major digital transformation, as business and commerce focus on delivering so-called “frictionless” customer and consumer experiences.  In China we have different digital habits, which directly impacts on things like product introductions and use cases. For this reason, the China Digital Innovation (CDI) was established in June, 2016.

 

In practical terms, CDI is the cornerstone of Philips’ HealthTech strategy in China and it’s hoped that it will help the organization to accelerate the delivery of integrated solutions to China. In China, we have different preferences when logging in to digital platforms, and so if there’s an urgent need for a dedicated team to localize such products, CDI is where it happens. That being said, our team won’t only focus on software, but also on hardware.

 

Of course, Philips’ transformation to focus on health technology also means a transformation of the research team. R&D was our sole concern in the past, which sometimes meant our work was divorced from reality. Now we have to integrate R&D as a support role for business teams sooner in the product development process. We aim to launch more products that meet market needs. Although “integrated solution’” is not the sales model we are used to, it’s still a very forward-looking strategic transformation.

 

China is a miniature version of the global market, which needs both advanced and primary products. Moreover, Chinese hospitals are faced with a large patient flow, making definite classification of patients almost impossible. To solve this problem, Philips facilities need to be more intelligent and adaptive to satisfy diverse needs of patients in China.

 

By partnering with local authoritative hospitals, Philips Research China is capable of conducting research on chronic diseases in China. During our transformation, our teams will better facilitate business communication and help create opportunities for business teams.

 

As such, it’s clear that ‘Innovation and You’ is more than just a corporate slogan, but rather, the core driving force of the R&D center. 

Xi Wang

Xi Wang, Ph.D.

Head of Philips China R&D, Philips Research China, and China Digital Innovation.
Vice President

 

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