Using exhibitions as a medium to connect with the world. The 2025 China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference, hosted by the Ziyang Municipal People's Government, will be held in Chengdu on April 24. This marks the eighth China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference hosted by Ziyang since the inaugural China Dental Valley International Summit in April 2017.

Starting with a blank canvas, the China Dental Valley has evolved from having almost no industrial foundation to becoming the largest aggregation of dental equipment and material industries in the country. In eight years, it has grown from the arrival of the first dental equipment company to hosting 143 well-known domestic and international oral enterprises, with a production value nearing four billion yuan in 2024. During these eight years, the area has transformed from a barren slope to a fully equipped industrial park with comprehensive supporting facilities. With trailblazing ambition, China Dental Valley is racing to establish itself as the dental world's "fourth pole", turning bold vision into concrete reality.

From Barren Slopes to Industry Peaks: How a Dental Industrial Hub Took Root

On April 20, within the general warehouse of Sichuan Dentalshop Online Network Technology Co., Ltd., workers were diligently and methodically packing boxes. These packages, branded with the "China Dental Valley" logo, were set to be dispatched nationwide.

As one of the first companies to settle in the China Dental Valley, Sichuan Dentalshop Online Network Technology Co., Ltd. has undergone a journey of growth and transformation, evolving from a small enterprise to a robust and formidable player in the industry. Now, the company has become a leading player in China's dental e-commerce sector, offering over 20,000 types of dental products and achieving an annual sales turnover of nearly 800 million yuan in 2024.

"At that time, the China Dental Valley was merely a blueprint, and this area was just a red soil slope. However, Ziyang's unique geographical advantages, convenient transportation, and favorable business environment were compelling factors that solidified our resolve to pursue development in this region." Recently, Li Qiang, the Chairman of Xin Hua Guang Medical Technology Group Co., Ltd., recalled the company's settlement in the Dental Valley in 2017, and his emotions remain profoundly stirred by the memory. The group constructed a research and development (R&D) and production base in the Dental Valley, with ten of its factories settling in there. Simultaneously, they collaborated with Alibaba to launch the "yae online" platform, pioneering a new model of "e-commerce plus service" in the oral healthcare vertical, providing services to the majority of dental institutions nationwide.

The enterprises' expansion has also paralleled the growing prosperity of the China Dental Valley. In August 2016, after extensive research and discussion, the provincial Party committee and the provincial government decided to establish the China Dental Valley in the Ziyang High-Tech Industrial Zone, situated 18 kilometers in a straight line from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. This initiative was designated as a demonstration project for the province to promote its supply-side structural reform.

At that time, the primary industries in Ziyang were automotive and locomotive manufacturing, with a near absence of activity in the dental instruments sector. To this end, the Ziyang Municipal People's Government has established a dedicated leading group for the construction of the China Dental Valley, elevating its development to the city's "number one industrial project".

In the absence of established precedents, Ziyang leveraged expert knowledge and cutting-edge technology to advance the Valley's development. In terms of industrial planning, Ziyang engaged McKinsey &Company to compile the Ziyang "China Dental Valley" Development Plan, focusing on creating a full oral healthcare industry chain ecosystem that integrates "industry, academia, research, marketing, and medical care". In terms of spatial layout, Ziyang engaged the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design to compile the Ziyang "China Dental Valley" Regulatory Detailed Plan and Urban Design, aiming to create a functional layout featuring "one core and four zones". This involves constructing "one park, one school, one museum, and one town", to establish a cityscape that blends industry and urban living, balances work and residence, and fosters an ecological and livable environment.

Now, eight years since its inception, the once barren red soil slope has evolved into the largest hub for dental equipment and materials in China. The China Dental Valley hosts 15 of the world's top 100 oral medical device companies and 143 renowned domestic and international oral healthcare businesses. To date, 335 "Dental Valley-made" oral products have been released into the market, backed by 335 medical device registration (filing) certificates.

From Manufacturing to Intelligent Manufacturing: A Dual Drive by Hard Core Support and Soft Power

On April 22, the 2025 China Dental Valley · the First Oral Innovation and E-commerce Development Conference kicked off at the China Dental Valley Academic Exchange and Exhibition Center in Ziyang. During the China Dental Valley's intelligent oral manufacturing innovation showcase, the world's first new integrated modular dental chair made its debut, alongside the official launch of the "Kou Xiao Bai" e-commerce ecosystem platform.

These two innovations emerged from China Dental Valley's innovation-driven development model, the cornerstone of the Valley's growth strategy. A relevant leading official from the Administrative Committee of Ziyang High-Tech Industrial Zone noted that in recent years, China Dental Valley has joined hands with West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, to build an innovation consortium. Key collaborative initiatives include establishing joint sci-tech innovation transformation funds and co-hosting "Calling for Best Candidates" competitions to drive technological breakthroughs, as well as jointly organizing innovation commercialization contests—all designed to stimulate innovation vitality. With an investment of 300 million yuan, the Science and Technology Innovation Center in the Valley provides fully-equipped R&D incubation facilities, enabling enterprises to immediately establish operations and begin research activities.

The official from the Administrative Committee of Ziyang High-tech Industrial Zone stated that China Dental Valley operates on a model promoting the close integration of intellectual property rights, scientific and technological innovation, and industrial development, accelerates the construction of a comprehensive, specialized, and precise intellectual property service system, and fuels strong innovation momentum across enterprises. As of now, a total of 155 high-value invention patents have been generated.

Building China Dental Valley's core competitiveness starts with strengthening its industrial support infrastructure. The local development features 500,000 square meters of standardized industrial facilities, supporting infrastructure, including specialty hospitals and academic exhibition centers, and the founding of Ziyang College of Dental Technology. This creates a closed loop for talent training, encompassing classroom education, hands-on training, and career placement.

Second, efforts should be made to improve the service system. Through partnerships with key testing platforms, including the Ziyang Branch of the Medical Device Innovation Sichuan Service Station of the Center for Medical Device Evaluation under NMPA and the China Dental Valley Service Station of the Dental Medical Devices Testing Center of Peking University School of Stomatology, the Valley now offers: same-day processing for Class I certificates, queue-free handling for Class II certificates, and expedited processing for Class III certificates, resulting in 60 percent reduction in product registration timelines and significantly improved approval efficiency. A dedicated service team has been established to provide comprehensive support for enterprises throughout the entire process, ensuring smooth progress from contract signing to project launch and from land acquisition to construction, reducing the project landing and production cycle by three to six months.

The Valley's strengths are also rooted in exceptional talent pools and industrial support facilities. Under the guidance of 14 academicians and experts, the China Dental Valley Think Tank has become a magnet for elite professionals from academic institutions across the country. China Dental Valley offers complete industrial infrastructure, from factory buildings and land, customs clearance and logistics, to academic platforms and residential amenities, fully supporting enterprise and talent needs.

The continuously enhanced competitiveness has also provided China Dental Valley with the foundation to build itself into the "fourth pole" in the global oral industry, on par with Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea.

From National Base to Global Hub: Think Tank Charts Path to "Fourth Pole" of the Global Oral Industry

At this year's International Dental Show in Cologne from March 25 to 29, China Dental Valley led a delegation of more than 20 resident companies. Their collective presence not only highlighted the innovative capabilities and technological breakthroughs of China Dental Valley but also enhanced these firms' global industry engagement.

China Dental Valley is forging international dental industry partnerships to expand its footprint in the worldwide dental market. Ziyang has consistently leveraged international dental expos, facilitating participation for its resident companies in over 1,000 exhibitions under the unified "China Dental Valley" brand. Simultaneously, it hosted events such as the China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference and the China Dental Valley Investment Promotion Conference, actively engaging with a batch of target companies in the oral industry supply chain to convert business leads into signed cooperation agreements.

China Dental Valley has expanded its reach from Ziyang across Sichuan, throughout the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, and onto the global stage through active participation in investment forums and dental exhibitions. After eight years of development, China Dental Valley has grown to become the nation's largest dental equipment and materials manufacturing cluster. China Dental Valley's next phase—evolving from the nation's largest scale to a domestically leading and globally top-notch position—will demand strategic utilization of external knowledge and partnerships.

The inaugural China Dental Valley International Summit took place in April 2017, marking a major milestone as industry leaders like Bondent and Align Technology established operations in the Valley. The leading official from the Administrative Committee of Ziyang High-Tech Industrial Zone stated that the summit provided a platform for domestic and foreign guests and companies in the dental equipment and materials industry supply chain to explore investment opportunities in Ziyang, thus propelling the sector onto a fast track of development within the city.

Through successive industry development conferences, China Dental Valley is steadily expanding its influence. Since 2017, local authorities have successively invited more than 400 experts and professors, including academicians Wang Songling, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Zhao Yimin, and renowned specialists Yu Guangyan, Zhou Xuedong, and Zhao Zhihe, and also convened over 2,500 executives from domestic and foreign dental enterprises, hospitals, and financial institutions. They have gathered at summits and industry development conferences to discuss the grand plan for the development of the dental industry, resulting in the signing of more than 60 projects. The China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference has gradually evolved into a significant event, serving to enhance the influence and international image of China Dental Valley, broaden its reach in domestic and international markets, and foster cultural exchanges within the realm of dental medicine.

In May 2023, the China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference appointed six academicians, including Zhang Zhiyuan and Wang Songling, as strategic development consultants for China Dental Valley. Furthermore, ten professors, among them Wang Lin, the Vice President of the Chinese Stomatological Association, were honored with expert committee member certificates. These appointments provide stronger talent support for the development of China Dental Valley.

The official from the Administrative Committee of Ziyang High-Tech Industrial Zone expressed the hope that the upcoming 2025 China Dental Valley Industry Development Conference will further promote China Dental Valley, attract more high-quality enterprises to settle in the area, and drive the high-quality development of the "dental + " industry ecosystem.