A German healthcare expert has endeavored to foster closer collaboration with China in silver economy at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), as both nations face the issue of an aging population and growing demand for industries catering to the needs of the elderly.
Running from Nov 5 to 10, the seventh CIIE, a national-level expo dedicated to imports, attracted participants from 152 countries, regions, and international organizations.
Markus Fehr, Vice President of the German-Sino Healthcare Group and a fluent Chinese speaker, has been involved in healthcare cooperation with China for nearly 20 years. He said his primary goal at the expo was to focus on strengthening collaboration in the silver economy.
"Both in Germany and China, the aging population is becoming an increasingly important issue. In fact, Germany began experiencing demographic aging a few years earlier than China, so we have gained some valuable experience in this area," said Fehr at the expo venue.
According to Fehr, the German-Sino Healthcare Group has outlined a plan to cooperate with Chinese universities and is preparing to jointly establish a hospital with Chinese partners which will support research in the elderly care sector.
"The aging population is a global challenge, and international cooperation is needed to develop advanced technologies to address this issue. During this visit, we held an important meeting with Tongji University in Shanghai and its affiliated Shanghai East Hospital. We also signed a framework agreement with Hangzhou Normal University to establish a Sino-German international hospital, which will be a research-focused hospital," he said.
Meanwhile, Fehr noted that healthcare cooperation between China and Germany has become more reciprocal in recent years, as China's technological capabilities in this area have improved, moving beyond a one-way model where Germany was the main technical supporter.
"China has imported German technologies since 2005, but now the exchange is mutual, with Germany also learning from China and bringing Chinese-developed technologies to Europe," said the vice president.
At the CIIE, a special exhibition zone dedicated to elderly healthcare was set up, showcasing products for the aging population, such as new blood glucose meters, sleep pods, and home rehabilitation equipment. Some of these products are jointly developed by Chinese and German enterprises.
"We have set up two innovation incubators in China this year, with one in Beijing, aiming to accelerate innovation through collaboration with Chinese local businesses," said Zhou Xiaolan, President of Germany-based Bayer Group China.
German expert sees promising cooperation with China in silver economy at CIIE
