Siemens Healthineers expands presence in Shenzhen

Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. marked a significant milestone yesterday with a grand groundbreaking ceremony for its second R&D and production site in Shenzhen, reinforcing its leading position in a market which it believes has great potential.

Elisabeth Staudinger (C), member of Siemens Healthineers Managing Board, Jan Rudolph (4th R), consul general of Germany in Guangzhou, Jerry Wang (4th L), president of Siemens Healthineers' China division and member of Siemens Healthineers Leadership Committee, Ma Tianshi (R), general manager of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd., and other company officials and guests pose for a photo at the groundbreaking ceremony for Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.'s second R&D and production site in Shenzhen in the Xili area in Nanshan District on Jan. 16. Courtesy of the company

With an investment exceeding 1 billion yuan, the forthcoming state-of-the-art facility will span 63,000 square meters of land in Nanshan District and boast a floor space of 98,000 square meters. 

Set to begin operations by the close of 2027, this new site will be dedicated to the research, development, and manufacturing of angiography devices and critical components of magnetic resonance (MR) systems, including the DryCool superconducting magnet recently launched by Siemens Healthineers globally. 

A computer-generated image of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.'s forthcoming R&D and production site in the Xili area in Nanshan District. Courtesy of the company

Upon completion, this new establishment will complement the existing base, which was established in 2002 in the city's high-tech industrial park, expanding their joint presence threefold.

"China has always been a vital source of growth and innovation at Siemens Healthineers and we are excited that the new R&D site in Shenzhen will further expand our presence here," Elisabeth Staudinger, member of Siemens Healthineers Managing Board, said at the ceremony yesterday. 

A computer-generated image of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.'s forthcoming R&D and production site in the Xili area in Nanshan District. Courtesy of the company

Strategically located at the Xili Lake International Science and Education City, a key project of Nanshan District, the new site is positioned to harness the city's wealth of innovation resources and robust infrastructure, enabling Siemens Healthineers to strengthen industry-academia collaborations across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and cultivate a vibrant local innovation ecosystem, according to Ma Tianshi, general manager of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.

"Over the past three decades in China, our confidence in the market has never wavered. Today's groundbreaking underscores our commitment to deepening localization," said Jerry Wang, president of Siemens Healthineers' China division and member of Siemens Healthineers Leadership Committee.  

A view of the groundbreaking ceremony for Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.'s second R&D and production site in Shenzhen in the Xili area in Nanshan District on Jan. 16. Liu Minxia

Currently, Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. stands as the only global facility with a complete magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) value chain within Siemens Healthineers and the sole R&D and production site for angiography systems of the company outside Germany. It has shipped over 9,000 units medical devices, with a localization rate exceeding 80%. In September 2024, the Shenzhen company's R&D strengths were underscored by the approval of the first domestically produced 7T ultra-high-field MRI, MAGNETOM Terra.X, by China's National Medical Products Administration.

Over the years, by fostering close research partnerships with local universities and research institutions, the Shenzhen base has witnessed an increase in innovative talent, streamlined product development cycles, accelerated the application of research findings by enterprises, thus driving local advancements in high-end medical devices, according to Ma.

Andreas Schneck, executive vice president of Siemens Healthineers' MR division and board chairman of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd., gives a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony. Liu Minxia

"The new site marks a future-ready strategic step the company has made toward its long-term goals. Starting with this new facility, we will embrace a wave of new productivity of high-end medical device,” said Ma.

Hailed as an iconic case of foreign investment in Shenzhen and even the entire Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. was one of the two companies then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited during her brief stopover in Shenzhen in 2018. In 2019, Siemens Shenzhen won an award from Shenzhen’s commerce bureau for its contribution to the city’s development as a foreign-invested enterprise. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the 10 outstanding foreign enterprises in Shenzhen at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.