Smiths Medical strengthens foothold in Chinese healthcare market

SMITHS Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announced that it has established a new headquarters for Greater China in Beijing. The new office will consolidate the company’s operations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, and signals a major new investment in and commitment to the region.

Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, opened the office in a ceremony also attended by British Ambassador to China Sir William Ehrman, and Chinese officials from the State Food and Drug Administration. The ceremony took place today in Beijing.

Lord Digby Jones, Minister for Trade and Investment, said: "Smiths Medical's decision to enter one of the fastest growing economies in the world is a perfect example of how British companies, though innovation, can exploit globalisation. I applaud their strong commitment to enter this vibrant and exciting market. China is too important to be ignored and having operations in China will greatly enhance their global presence. I wish them the best of luck with their venture and look forward to hearing of their future success."

Chi Wai Ma, a Chinese national with comprehensive experience of global and Chinese medical devices companies, has been appointed Managing Director of Smiths Medical China, and has responsibility for growing the company’s market share and looking for opportunities to invest in the highly skilled Chinese manufacturing industry.

There are already strong links between Chinese and UK healthcare industries, with Chi Wai Ma representing Smiths Medical on the Board of the UK-China Joint Economic & Trade Commission Healthcare Trade & Investment Working Group, which held its first meeting in Beijing in August.

Srini Seshadri, Group Managing Director of Smiths Medical, said: “Smiths Medical is making this investment in order to extend our presence in China.  We see excellent opportunities within the Chinese market for providing hospitals and other healthcare providers with high quality medical devices which keep people safe, deliver medication and provide vital care.”

Smiths Medical will continue to focus on selling products from its Portex (airway), Medex (pressure monitoring), Level 1 (temperature management) and Cozmore (insulin delivery) ranges, with plans in place to introduce products from the Deltec (vascular access), BCI (patient monitoring), CADD (ambulatory pumps) and Medfusion (hospital infusion) brands in the near future.  The company has strong links with local distributors and is looking to strengthen its customer reach in the months ahead.

Smiths Group has been operating in China since 1987 and has several businesses located in the country.
 

ENDS