Taiwan Healthcare Expo Opens With €200 Million Czech Deal as Global Buyers Flock to Taipei

On Dec. 4, Taiwan’s largest healthcare and medtech showcase opened on Wednesday with a major international deal: the Czech Health Technology Institute (CHTI) signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase up to €200 million (around NT$7.4 billion) worth of Taiwanese medical devices, immediately setting a record for the event’s matchmaking volume on day one.

The agreement was signed at the opening of the 9th Taiwan Healthcare Expo at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, with CHTI President Petr Foit in attendance and the Taiwan Bio-Industry Organization (commonly known as the Development Center for Biotechnology, DCB/Biotech industry promotion council) represented by Vice Chair Yang Pan-chyr.

This year’s expo brings together around 2,100 booths, spanning Taiwan’s major hospital systems, research institutes and leading technology manufacturers. Organizers say 45 overseas delegations, 31 international industry associations and nine hospital alliances from regions including North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East have sent some 320 corporate representatives and 130 hospital leaders to Taipei, reinforcing Taiwan’s position as one of Asia’s key procurement hubs for medical technology.

President Lai Ching-te, speaking at the opening ceremony, framed the event as a showcase of Taiwan’s broader strategic strengths. Taiwan’s world-class semiconductor and ICT industries, he said, together with expanding biotech capabilities, are now becoming “the foundational engine” for next-generation healthcare. The government has already made medical services, precision medicine and biopharmaceuticals core pillars of its industrial innovation agenda, he added, stressing that the goal is to “put Taiwan’s medical technology on the world stage so that, when people talk about healthcare innovation, they naturally think of Taiwan.”

Czech €200 Million Order Marks New Milestone in Cross-Continental Cooperation

The headline-grabbing Czech procurement deal is led by CHTI, a non-profit established in 2021. Its founding members include major Czech medical device manufacturers and suppliers as well as the biomedical engineering faculty of the Czech Technical University. The institute works closely with government to promote innovative, smart healthcare solutions within the European Union and beyond.

Under the MoU, CHTI plans to source around 20 categories of Taiwanese medical devices with a total contract value of up to €200 million. The products range from intensive care ventilators and patient monitoring systems to fetal ECG monitors and other critical-care devices. Many of these will be deployed not only in Central Europe but also in hospitals and clinics in Sub-Saharan Africa, to strengthen basic healthcare, maternal and child health services, and the resilience of district and central hospitals.

Taiwan’s biotech industry promotion council will act as a key bridge, consolidating offerings from Taiwanese manufacturers and screening products that comply with EU and Czech regulations before detailed procurement negotiations with CHTI.

Council Chair Wong Chi-huey said the deal marks both a commercial and symbolic breakthrough: “This large-scale, cross-continental procurement project doesn’t just expand Taiwan’s footprint in the global medical device market. By installing Taiwanese technologies in African health systems, we’re directly contributing to better care in regions that need it most.”

Now entering its ninth year, the expo has become “a critical purchasing platform for the global healthcare community,” Wong said. The Czech–Taiwan collaboration, he added, “further elevates the attractiveness of Taiwan’s medical technologies to international partners and helps our companies truly go global while improving human health in a very concrete way.”

The Czech side is not starting from zero. Over the past two years, CHTI has already introduced a range of Taiwanese products into Eastern European hospitals via the expo, including handheld ultrasound devices, immunoassay analyzers, medical tablets and operating tables. The resulting track record and confidence in product quality are widely seen as key factors behind the rapid conclusion of this much larger order. Taiwanese industry insiders expect the project to significantly boost visibility in the EU and pave the way for similar long-term programs in emerging markets, moving Taiwan’s role from OEM manufacturing toward full-solution providers in global healthcare.

AI Drug Discovery and Medical Robots Move From Lab to Clinical Reality

Beyond the Czech deal, this year’s opening program placed a strong spotlight on emerging technologies. The expo’s main themes include AI-driven drug discovery platforms and medical AI robots, signaling Taiwan’s ambition to move from traditional device manufacturing into digital health and precision medicine.

Wong noted that while Taiwan is still at an early stage in AI drug development, its potential is “very strong.” New platforms showcased at the expo promise to dramatically shorten the drug discovery cycle, while research into micro-scale robots operating in the bloodstream is advancing toward possible clinical applications in the coming years.

President Lai echoed the importance of aligning cutting-edge technology with human needs. As he spoke about AI and digital health, he emphasized that the more powerful the technology becomes, the more it must be anchored in empathy and ethics. AI in healthcare, he said, should not be developed “for the sake of showing off technology,” but to provide more timely and accurate support for patients “at their most vulnerable moments.”

Lai also revealed that the government has approved a five-year budget dedicated to biomedical and precision medicine technologies. Administered through the National Science and Technology Council, the program aims to accelerate commercialization and clinical adoption via targeted R&D subsidies and pilot projects. The plan includes simplifying approval processes for new medical technology applications, strengthening collaboration mechanisms between government and industry, and linking science parks and biotech clusters in Hsinchu, Taichung and southern Taiwan to create a “cross-regional medical technology corridor.”

“We want hospitals to operate more efficiently, patients to receive better care, and startups to have a complete space to test and grow innovative solutions,” Lai said, adding that Taiwan’s collaboration with partners such as Thailand, the Philippines and the Czech Republic is gradually exporting local healthcare know-how abroad. The long-term vision, he stressed, is for Taiwan to be “not only a user of medical technology, but a contributor to global health.”

On the show floor, more than ten types of medical robots that have already undergone clinical testing and are ready for commercialization are being demonstrated. Their applications span surgical navigation, intra-hospital logistics, rehabilitation training and smart long-term care. Autonomous delivery robots, companion robots for eldercare, and exoskeleton systems for rehabilitation have drawn particular interest from visiting hospital delegations.

In parallel, the MedTech Summit Asia 2025, held alongside the expo, has brought six international venture capital firms to Taipei to share global investment trends in medical AI, data platforms, regenerative medicine and digital therapeutics. Discussions include cross-border models such as jointly established ventures between international funds and Taiwanese startups and the setup of clinical validation hubs in Southeast Asia or Europe, aimed at accelerating market entry. Industry experts at the summit widely agree that the next wave of healthcare disruption will be driven by the combined power of manufacturing, compute and medical AI—and that Taiwan is uniquely well-positioned across all three dimensions.

Policy Tailwinds for Regenerative Medicine and Precision Health

From the policy side, Lai underscored that healthcare has become a core pillar of Taiwan’s global competitiveness, on par with its technology sector. “If semiconductors allowed the world to see Taiwan,” he said, “then healthcare and biotech will determine how far the world is willing to walk together with Taiwan.”

He noted that Taiwan already plays a central role in servers, chip manufacturing and high-performance computing infrastructure. The next step, he said, is to bring these strengths into the hospital environment and combine them with clinical and industrial expertise, positioning Taiwan as an essential partner in AI-era health solutions.

Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu also addressed the opening ceremony, outlining the regulatory and policy framework backing the medtech sector. He highlighted three strategic pillars—smart healthcare, biopharmaceuticals and precision health—and described the ethical vision for future healthcare using the traditional concepts of “Confucian mind, Taoist body and Buddhist compassion.” His message: even as AI and digital medicine advance rapidly, they must remain guided by ethics, holistic well-being and care for the vulnerable.

Han pointed out that the legislature has passed two key laws for regenerative medicine—the Regenerative Medicine Act and the Regenerative Medicine Product Act—which are scheduled to take effect next January. Together with cross-party cooperation to fine-tune regulations, these laws are expected to accelerate the clinical rollout of cutting-edge therapies, including cell and gene treatments.

He also highlighted the government’s efforts to build biotech clusters in northern, central and southern Taiwan, creating an integrated chain from clinical trials and manufacturing to international marketing. In addition, the “New Southbound Medical Policy” is expanding training programs for healthcare professionals in Southeast Asia, providing funding and bringing advanced technologies to partner countries, while establishing long-term links between those health systems and Taiwanese medical centers. The overarching goal, Han said, is to “root ourselves in Taiwan and deploy globally, so the international community sees Taiwan as a trustworthy health partner.”

Lai added that, alongside regulatory reforms, the government will keep leveraging its broader industrial innovation plan to boost the global visibility of Taiwan’s medical and biotech sectors. From regenerative medicine and precision diagnostics to new drug development, legal frameworks and budget allocations will be aligned to secure a strategic position for Taiwanese healthcare technologies in global supply chains.

Global Buyers Converge on Taipei for Smart Hospital and AI Solutions

International participation is another major highlight this year. Organizers report that more than 200 foreign buyers have registered, and the expo’s “International Linkage Pavilion” has scheduled over 600 one-on-one matchmaking sessions in the first two days alone, with participants from Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Southeast Asia.

These buyers are interested not only in standalone devices, but increasingly in integrated solutions—smart hospital systems, AI-enabled diagnostic platforms and telehealth services that can be adapted as national or regional models. Several overseas hospital executives noted that Taiwan has achieved a rare balance between high-quality clinical care and cost control, describing Taiwan as “a benchmark” for countries seeking to upgrade their health systems without runaway spending.

To help international buyers quickly grasp Taiwan’s capabilities, the expo unveiled its annual list of Top 10 Innovative Medical Technologies during the opening. The selected products span three major domains: precision medicine, imaging diagnostics and smart healthcare. They include:

• Advanced BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy) equipment for oncology
• Next-generation digital radiotherapy systems
• Quantum-level MEMS ultrasound probes
• AI-driven molecular imaging technologies
• Glasses-free 3D surgical imaging platforms
• Medical AI servers
• Central control platforms for fleets of medical service robots
• AI-powered nursing robots
• Non-contact sleep apnea detection systems

Together, they illustrate how Taiwan’s strengths in chips and hardware are being translated into real-world clinical applications.

In the smart hospital and remote care zones, leading medical centers and regional hospitals from across Taiwan are showcasing their digital transformation projects. Exhibits include AI-assisted imaging interpretation, cloud-based medical record exchange, automated internal logistics and home-care solutions integrating wearable devices. A “One-Day Smart Hospital Tour” has become a must-see program for foreign delegations, guiding visitors through emergency triage, ward management and discharge follow-up to demonstrate how data and AI are used to enhance efficiency and patient safety.

In his closing remarks at the ceremony, President Lai stressed that Taiwan already plays a crucial role in the global AI and ICT ecosystems, and that this capability will increasingly be directed into healthcare and wellness. By aligning smart hospitals, precision medicine, biopharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine and medical robotics, he said, Taiwan aims to become “a major force in the next global medical technology revolution.”

“We want the world to see,” Lai concluded, “that Taiwan doesn’t just make chips. We also deliver healthcare that truly protects lives.”

With the expo running from December 4 to 7, more international partnerships and procurement announcements are expected in the coming days. But even on opening day, the landmark Czech deal and strong interest in Taiwanese AI, precision health and hospital innovation have already sent a clear message: Taiwan is rapidly evolving from the world’s factory into the world’s healthcare innovation partner.

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Author

Oscar Wu

讓生醫資訊更加流通與透明化。