AI used to enhance bespoke TCM treatments

Wang Lei, chairwoman of Tianjin Pharmaceutical Da Ren Tang Group, said the wisdom of TCM lies in its personalized approach. Even for the most common cold, TCM recognizes that some people catch it due to "heat" while others due to "cold". When TCM spreads to different countries, it must also adapt to the local climate and physical characteristics for effective diagnosis and treatment, Wang said.

That tension between age-old customization and the demands of global scale is driving a massive technological overhaul within China's TCM sector. At the Tianjin summit, which drew nearly 300 political, business and academic delegates, the modernization of TCM emerged as a highly anticipated focal point.

"The core of TCM modernization lies in the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation. We are actively participating in new projects to achieve this goal," Wang said.

The flagship initiative driving this shift is the Tianjin Modern TCM New Quality Productive Forces Innovation Project. Proposed and implemented by a team under Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a renowned TCM specialist, the project involves a total investment of 180 million yuan ($24.8 million) aimed at digitizing production.