Key Risks and Development Strategies for China’s High-End Medical Equipment Innovations

OBJECTIVE: Sufficient amounts of basic medical materials and high-end medical equipment are required for epidemics. This study aims to investigate and determine the key risks and main factors influencing China’s high-end medical equipment innovations using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) matrix. Then, on the basis of findings and relevant literature concerning the development of China's high-end medical equipment in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 period, we put forward strategies for the development of and innovations in high-end medical equipment for China, based on an analytic network process ANP–SWOT model. METHODS: In this study, a comprehensive ANP–SWOT analysis model was selected to examine the current state of development of the high-end medical equipment innovation industry in China. First, a SWOT model was used to comprehensively analyze the internal and external factors influencing the development of the industry. Then, an ANP network structure was designed to accurately reflect the relationships among the influencing factors. Subsequently, weights for the influencing factors were determined according to the importance of the factors, and alternative choices for China’s strategy for high-end medical equipment innovation were presented. RESULTS: The results revealed that the essential features of the best strategy for the innovation and development of China’s high-end medical equipment industry were as follows: first, speeding up the construction and improvement of a technological innovation system that is enterprise-dominated, market-oriented, and involves joint industry–university research; second, a greater focus on increasing the financial support for research and development and industrialization; and third, strong government support through taxes, medical insurance, promotion of talent, and appropriate land usage. CONCLUSION: Strong governmental support through taxes, medical insurance, promotion of talent, and land usage is required to ensure rapid development of the high-end medical equipment industry in China.