Chinese medical imaging company United Imaging has begun the construction of an intelligent R&D and manufacturing complex with an investment of over US$490 million.

The site has a footprint of about 420,000 square metres which United Imaging plans to turn into a modern campus integrating functions such as technology research and development, intelligent manufacturing, international training and global branding. It can accommodate 8,000 to 10,000 employees.

The new site will be an integrated R&D and manufacturing centre, with the aim of accelerating products from initial design through engineering and test to final production across the company’s full line of medical imaging products, including PET/MRI, PET/CT, MRI, CT, DR and RT.

The new complex will include an intelligent super factory to promote automatic and intelligent manufacturing. It will incorporate industrial IoT, big data and AI and feature flexible scheduling, configuration, intelligent decision-making, automatic production and intelligent operation in the process of manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics.

United Imaging’s campus is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

The new campus has been designed by Gensler, the architects of the Shanghai Tower, the world’s third tallest building.

Dr Xue Min, Chairman of United Imaging Group, highlighted, “The new complex will forge United Imaging as a world-leading, modern, intelligent, medical equipment R&D and manufacturing leader. With this great headway, United Imaging will largely boost its R&D and production capabilities and research abilities as a future-oriented enterprise.”

Dr Al Zhang, Chairman and CEO of United Imaging Healthcare, said that the company has grown from dozens of employees to hundreds and then thousands of employees in the past 10 years. The new campus will further accelerate momentum for future-oriented innovation and development for the company.