- Partnership targets cancer screening, pathology and medical imaging
- Collaboration reflects growing adoption of AI models in Chinese healthcare
A top public hospital in Hangzhou has signed a strategic partnership with Alibaba’s research arm DAMO Academy to jointly develop AI tools for disease screening, diagnostics and clinical healthcare applications.
Signed by the corporate institute and Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, commonly known as Zheda Second Hospital, on May 26, the agreement will focus on cardiovascular disease screening, cancer diagnosis, pathology agents, medical imaging analysis and dynamic health management systems.
The partnership is aimed at developing new medical AI algorithms and software products that could improve early detection and treatment of major diseases while accelerating the transition of research into clinical deployment.
The collaboration adds to Alibaba DAMO Academy’s growing portfolio of healthcare AI projects.
The institute has increasingly applied large AI models in clinical medicine and early cancer screening, including an AI-based colorectal cancer screening system that uses routine CT scans without requiring bowel preparation or additional procedures for patients, The Yangtzeer reported earlier.
The two sides said they will combine DAMO’s AI capabilities with the hospital’s clinical resources and medical expertise to tackle major medical challenges and expand the use of AI across healthcare workflows.
‘Panoramic intelligent hospital’
Wang Jianan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Zheda Second Hospital, described the partnership as part of the hospital’s broader efforts to build what he called a “panoramic intelligent hospital” in the AI era.
“In the future, both sides will work closely together to move medical AI from the laboratory into frontline clinical practice,” Wang said. “We hope digital technology can become a stronger driving force for medical breakthroughs and provide patients with more precise, efficient and accessible healthcare services.”
The partners also said they plan to conduct joint clinical validation programs to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new AI technologies before wider deployment.
For his part, Zhang Jianfeng, president of Alibaba DAMO Academy, said healthcare remains one of AI’s most socially valuable application areas.
“Since DAMO Academy was founded in 2017, we have invested in medical AI and used AI to tackle major clinical challenges including pancreatic cancer screening and aortic dissection risk detection,” Zhang said.
“This collaboration will focus on real clinical needs and further explore AI’s potential across the entire healthcare chain so that innovation can benefit more people faster,” he added.
