The 2025 World Digital Health Forum, held on March 28th, was jointly hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Tsinghua University. This year, the forum’s opening remarks were delivered by Li Xiaohong, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Sui Zhenjiang, member of the Party Leadership Group of the Beijing Municipal Government; Zeng Rong, vice president of Tsinghua University; and Dong Jiahong, chair of the Forum Presidium and dean of the School of Clinical Medicine (Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital), Tsinghua University.
An affiliate of the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, the 2025 World Digital Health Forum was organized around the theme of "Innovation in digitalized intelligence: Vitalization of a new framework for healthcare." The focus of the event was the in-depth exploration of innovative ways in which digital and intelligent technologies can be utilized to harness the full potential of healthcare, cultivate interdisciplinary talent in smart health, and foster new industries and models. Other aims included expediting digital health industrialization, contributing to the development of a new productive force in healthcare, fueling high-quality economic and social growth, and enhancing global health governance.
Li Xiaohong delivers a speech.
In his speech, Li Xiaohong emphasized the three key areas in which the Chinese Academy of Engineering intends to accelerate the integration of digital technologies with biological and health sciences for the enhancement of human health and well-being: Use of AI as a catalyst for creating new momentum for intelligent healthcare, prioritizing the use of technology in public welfare as a means to strengthen universal health coverage, and promoting open collaboration in building a global health community.
Sui Zhenjiang delivers a speech.
Sui Zhenjiang highlighted that Beijing will seize strategic opportunities in AI to deepen its integration with the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. The city will focus on AI-driven paradigm innovation, with the aim of achieving breakthroughs in key technologies. Efforts will also be made in expanding the applications of medical devices, telemedicine, and smart healthcare system development for the elderly and in the establishment of a comprehensive service system for lifelong healthcare. Moreover, Beijing will strengthen industrial support mechanisms and build a collaborative innovation ecosystem, fully empowering the transformation and upgrading of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
Zeng Rong delivers a speech.
Zeng Rong stated that in recent years, Tsinghua University has been making continuous efforts in the field of medicine. Progress has been made in brain-computer interfaces, AI-driven drug discovery, and talent development. Looking ahead, Tsinghua University will continue to leverage its strengths in conducting interdisciplinary research, taking technological innovation as the lead, and promoting the integration of medical education, research, and clinical practice, contributing to the Healthy China strategy and the advancement of global health.
Dong Jiahong delivers a speech.
Dong Jiahong proposed three innovative paradigms: “A New Voyage in Smart Healthcare,” “A New Frontier in Health Governance,” and “A New Approach to Talent Cultivation”. He emphasized the importance of creating a cross-border talent training network and mutually recognized digital healthcare standards under the Belt and Road Initiative given that generative AI and digital intelligence technologies are reshaping the cognitive framework of medicine.
Respective speakers of the keynote session.
The keynote session was hosted by Wong Tien Yin, co-chair of the conference and senior vice-chancellor of Tsinghua Medicine. Experts and renowned scholars delivered keynote speeches on a range of topics including medical artificial intelligence, chronic disease management, imaging AI, radiology AI, intelligent surgical equipment, and intelligent medical agents.
Panelist of the frontier dialogue segment.
Panelists of the roundtable discussion segment.
The forum also featured a frontier dialogue on the role of China’s digital technology in health governance across the Belt and Road Initiative and a roundtable discussion on the prospects of healthcare transformation in the era of general AI.
Release of the "Tsinghua Urban Health Index."
Release of the “Blue Book on Digital Intelligence Healthcare Technology Innovation and Industrial Development of China.”
During the forum, Tsinghua University released the "Tsinghua Urban Health Index," establishing a nationwide health assessment system that is in alignment with international standards. Additionally, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Tsinghua University jointly released the "Blue Book on Digital Intelligence Healthcare Technology Innovation and Industrial Development of China," which systematically outlines key technological breakthroughs and pathways for industrial transformation. The "Beijing Medical and Health Trusted Data Space" was also officially inaugurated, aiming to unlock the value of medical data, driving pharmaceutical research and development, and fostering innovation in AI applications. Meanwhile, the successful launch of the "BAAI OpenComplex-2" will further enhance AI-driven drug discovery and support the innovative development of Beijing’s biopharmaceutical industry.
Forum participants assemble for a group photo.
Editor: Li Han
