The inauguration of Changchun Aikang’s new plant and its listing on the New Third Board were held in Jiutai District, where a strategic cooperation framework agreement was also signed with Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

On September 16, Changchun Aikang Medical Device Co., Ltd. held a ceremony in Jiutai District, Changchun, marking the completion and commissioning of its new plant as well as its listing on the New Third Board. Representatives from industry regulators, universities and research institutes, financial investment institutions, overseas distributors, and supply-chain partners gathered to witness this company—having devoted 18 years to the acupuncture needle sector—enter a new phase of growth.

At the event, participating guests engaged in discussions and shared their insights. Li Xinghua, a director at Changchun Aikang Medical Device Co., Ltd., presented the company’s three strategic new products: a prostate phototherapy device, an integrated medium-frequency therapeutic device, and an AI‑powered high‑frequency electric‑field dry‑eye treatment device. Looking ahead, the company will center on physical therapy technologies to develop rehabilitation solutions that span the entire life cycle, aligning with national strategies to bring specialized care into millions of households. By leveraging IoT and artificial intelligence, it aims to establish a closed-loop ecosystem integrating hardware, software, and services.

Subsequently, the company and the School of Acupuncture and Tuina at Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine formally signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement, drawing widespread attention. In the presence of all attendees, representatives from both sides took to the stage to sign the agreement, committing to jointly build a collaborative innovation platform integrating industry, academia, and research. Leveraging Changchun Aikang’s industrialization capabilities in the R&D and manufacturing of acupuncture needles and TCM medical devices, and combining these with the School of Acupuncture and Tuina’s strengths in academic expertise, clinical research, and talent development, the two parties will establish a long-term, stable cooperative mechanism across key technological breakthroughs, the commercialization of research outcomes, and joint training of specialized professionals, thereby fostering seamless integration along the “clinical needs–technological R&D–industrial application” value chain.

Following the signing ceremony, the guests on site jointly visited the new facility of Aikang Medical Devices, located in the Jiutai Economic Development Zone of Changchun, gaining an up-close look at the entire production process of acupuncture needles—from wire winding and cutting to cleaning, laser welding, precision grinding, quality inspection, and packaging. More than a dozen manufacturing steps unfold in a 100,000‑class standardized cleanroom, each stage meticulously controlled and seamlessly integrated. The company’s self‑developed fully automated laser welding machine, its fully automatic needle‑cleaning equipment, and its intelligent packaging system have all been put into full‑scale operation, giving the visiting guests a tangible sense of the robust manufacturing capabilities behind “a single needle.”

A single needle, honed over 18 years. In 2008, Li Xingwang, Chairman of Changchun Aikang Medical Device Co., Ltd., led a seven‑person founding team to establish roots in Jiutai. By 2010, the company had assembled a dedicated R&D team, focusing on critical processes such as laser welding, precision tip grinding, and CNC handle winding, relentlessly tackling technical challenges. After tens of thousands of trials and refinements, in 2015 it successfully developed China’s first fully automated laser welding machine specifically for acupuncture needles, securing a national patent and boosting product yield by nearly 30%. Since then, technological innovation and capacity expansion have advanced in tandem; by 2024, annual sales of acupuncture needles exceeded 1.8 billion units. Today, the company holds four invention patents and 42 utility‑model patents, having built an end‑to‑end, self‑reliant technology system that spans raw‑material selection, process R&D, manufacturing, quality inspection, and finished‑product packaging. In July this year, the company was listed on the New Third Board, officially opening the door to the capital markets and attracting financial resources to fuel further R&D and capacity upgrades.

The robust growth of enterprises is inseparable from the targeted support provided by a favorable regional business environment. In recent years, Jiutai District has empowered high‑quality enterprise development through a superior business climate, fully implemented the district‑level cadre responsibility‑assumption system, conducted regular on‑site visits to businesses, accurately assessed their production and operational conditions, strengthened safety‑production oversight, and addressed key challenges hindering enterprise growth in a targeted manner.

Li Xingwang stated that, over the years, Jiutai District has vigorously developed the real economy, continuously optimized the business environment, and implemented a range of policies designed to benefit enterprises. At critical junctures—such as production and operations, project construction, plant upgrades, shareholding reform, and listing initiatives—the district has worked to alleviate enterprises’ difficulties and provide comprehensive support. The successful completion and relocation to the new plant site is a vivid demonstration of the collaborative efforts between government and enterprises in empowering high-quality development. Jiutai, with its vibrant dynamism, serves as a solid backing for businesses seeking steady progress and long-term growth.

Guided by the long-term development needs of enterprises, the Changchun Jiutai Economic Development Zone has proactively established a platform for connecting the pharmaceutical industry, integrating upstream and downstream resources to help companies expand market channels and deepen industrial collaboration. The zone has also actively collaborated with local universities to build bridges for industry–university–research cooperation, fostering deep integration among technology R&D, commercialization of research outcomes, and talent development, thereby addressing bottlenecks in corporate technological innovation and enhancing core R&D capabilities and market competitiveness. To date, the Pharmaceutical and Health Industry Park within the Changchun Jiutai Economic Development Zone has signed agreements with 27 resident enterprises, with total project investments amounting to RMB 10 billion and a combined site area of 1.5 million square meters. Among these, 14 are pharmaceutical firms and 13 are medical device companies. By 2025, the park is expected to achieve an output value of RMB 3.311 billion, with an anticipated output value of RMB 1.475 billion in the first half of 2026.

(Editor: Wang Haiyue, Xie Long)