Foreign experts explore AI, tech integration in Chengdu's TCM industry

A group of foreign experts explored how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is being integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies during a visit to Chengdu in Sichuan province on Oct. 13, gaining insights into the city's efforts to modernize the industry and foster innovation.

China has issued a series of policies over the years to support the development of TCM, including the Outline of the Strategic Plan for Developing Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016-2030). This year's government work report also calls for continued efforts to promote the preservation and innovative development of TCM.

In 2021, Sichuan was approved as the only national demonstration zone for comprehensive TCM reform in western China. The province is home to more than 300 varieties of commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs, the highest number among all provincial-level regions. It also has 350 TCM hospitals, 40 national-level platforms and 80 provincial-level platforms dedicated to TCM.

As a key stop on the foreign experts' itinerary, Tianfu TCM City — located in Pengzhou, a county-level city under Chengdu's administration — is one of Sichuan's earliest and most comprehensive TCM industrial hubs, bringing together more than 300 pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has developed an industrial chain spanning medicinal herb cultivation, research, manufacturing, trade, medical services and healthcare.

Francesco Faiola, researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, examines medicinal specimens at Tianfu TCM City in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 13, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

The scale and diversity of the industry surprised Francesco Faiola, an Italian researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"I was not expecting that the TCM industry was really big here," Faiola said, referring to Chengdu. "Before, I only thought of the panda, but I'm really surprised that they have so many different kinds of herbs here."

He added that he planned to learn more about Chengdu's strengths in the field after returning to Beijing.

Beyond industrial development, Tianfu TCM City is also working to connect TCM research with education and technological innovation. The hub is developing platforms such as the Tianfu TCM Innovation Harbor and a TCM museum to attract research talent, advance the development of new drugs and facilitate the application of scientific research results.

The Tianfu TCM Innovation Harbor, jointly established by the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pengzhou city government, aims to become a hub for modern TCM industrial technology innovation, new drug research and development, and professional training, with a focus on integrating industry, education and research.

Ryad Chellali, a French professor specializing in robotics and AI at Nanjing Tech University, saw great potential in combining modern technologies with centuries of medical practice.

"This is the result of thousands of years of experience," Chellali said. "With AI, maybe we can extract some new information, new treatments or medicine."

The integration of traditional medicine and emerging technologies was also a focus at Hours Digital Technology Co. Ltd., where the delegation learned how AI and laboratory automation can support pharmaceutical research.

The company uses data science and advanced AI technologies to provide intelligent decision-making platforms for the pharmaceutical industry, with applications in areas such as TCM research and analysis, extraction, separation and drug screening.

Erik Nilsson, a reporter at China Daily, takes photos of classic TCM texts at Tianfu TCM City in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 13, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

Erik Nilsson, an American reporter at China Daily, noted the potential for combining Chengdu's long-standing TCM traditions with emerging technologies such as AI and robotics. He said the application of robotics in medicine was also showing considerable promise.