Covidien looks to China for R&D expertise; Medtronic continues eastern expansion
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Covidien is establishing a flagship R&D centre in Shanghai, China, which will become the company's nerve centre for new product development focused on the specific needs of patients in China and other emerging market countries. The 10,000-square foot facility, which will be based in Shanghai Caohejing Hi-Tech Park, is expected to be fully operational by July 2012. Its creation will also significantly boost the number of Covidien's employees in the country; currently the firm has a 25-strong R&D team in Shanghai and this is expected to increase to over 300 when the facility is completed. Covidien will be drawing on this enlarged pool of expertise in Asia to create and develop new medical device technologies for markets worldwide.