The China headquarters project of the ZAP-X photon surgery robot, led by ZAP, a global leader in the next-generation robotic surgical systems and a leading player in non-invasive brain surgery robots, has officially signed an agreement to settle in Suzhou.
The headquarters base will be established as a comprehensive facility for production, research and development, and sales, injecting a strong driving force into the creation of a first-class innovative cluster in the medical device industry.
ZAP, founded in 2014, is dedicated to designing and manufacturing the ZAP-X radiosurgery platform. The ZAP-X photon surgery robot developed by ZAP is the first dedicated treatment platform with self-shielding, real-time image guidance, and dose verification in nearly half a century.
The ZAP-X photon surgery robot focuses on clinical accessibility and ease of use, ensuring treatment accuracy at the sub-millimeter level. It empowers doctors with the ability to "precision targeting and precise treatment" of lesions, thus better protecting normal tissues around the target area. It provides a non-invasive, safe, and effective treatment approach.
Leaders of Suzhou New District stated that the China headquarters project would inject a new driving force into the development of the medical device industry in Suzhou New District. Suzhou New District will always uphold the "user-centric, customer-oriented" philosophy, rely on a sound industrial foundation and favorable innovation ecosystem, continuously optimize the business environment, consolidate comparative advantages, and support ZAP to deepen its advantages, grow stronger, and become a unicorn in the global field of robotic surgery.
John Adler, the inventor of ZAP-X, stated that establishing the China headquarters in Suzhou is an important strategic move for ZAP to explore the Chinese market. The company will rely on its leading global technological advantages to carry out research and development and production in Suzhou New District, benefiting human life and health, and creating a better future.
Surgical robots have made breakthrough progress in the past 40 years. In the 1980s, robots were first used in the field of human surgery by modifying industrial robots. In the 1990s, Probot and Robodoc were used for clinical surgery, and in 1999, Intuitive Surgical, a leading company in the world, launched the most representative medical robot, the da Vinci Surgical System, gradually establishing a global presence. After 2010, the world entered the era of surgical robots, and numerous domestic robot projects have gradually entered clinical practice.
The increasing aging population in China has driven the rapid growth of demand for surgical robots. The aging population in China has led to an increased incidence of various diseases among residents and a corresponding increase in the number of hospitalizations for surgery. In 2020, the proportion of people aged 60 and above in China reached 18.70%. According to forecasts by Guanyan Tianxia, the proportion is expected to increase further to 28.90% by 2030. At the same time, the number of inpatient surgeries in public hospitals has increased from 37 million in 2015 to 55 million in 2019. After the normalization of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of surgeries decreased but still reached 48 million. With the increasing demand for medical services, public hospitals are facing a shortage of talent reserves and medical resources, and the clinical application of surgical robots can not only alleviate the shortage of resources but also improve surgical accuracy, increase the efficiency of doctors' work, and enhance the overall operational efficiency of hospitals.