Shenzhen's "medicine vending machine & telemedicine machine" is too amazing China's IT evolution has penetrated traditional industries

Speaking of innovation in China, companies that develop IT services such as electronics manufacturers such as HUAWEI and Tencent and online shopping companies such as Alibaba will often come to mind.

However, the actual “Chinese innovation” has penetrated not only the IT industry but also traditional industries.

In particular, the speed of innovation in Shenzhen is tremendously fast. Five months ago during Golden Week, I went to Shenzhen again at the end of September this year, and there is a sense that many new services have appeared and the old ones have left. Among them, I felt the most progress was the "encounter" with the combined version of the medicine vending machine and the telemedicine machine.

In my previous column, I pointed out leapfrogging development and design thinking from the customer's perspective as the main reasons why innovation is flourishing in China, such as the rapid progress of a cashless society.

This time, I would like to explain “Internet Plus” and “Vertical Integration Orientation” as another factor behind the thriving innovation in China, using the traditional industry of traditional Chinese medicine manufacturers as an example.

What is a medicine gourd?

A large "vending machine" that I saw in a certain residential area in Shenzhen caught my eye.

The Konbi Smart Yakubo on the left is a vending machine that sells over-the-counter Chinese herbal medicines, teas that are effective in curing the body, cold medicines, and throat lozenges. It's something you see everywhere.

However, when you look at the touch panel on the right side of the "medicine gourd (drugs were often stored in gourds in ancient China, so gourds are easy to associate with medicine)", various functions are written.

They include "speedy drug purchase", "herbal medicine decoction service", "prescription purchase reservation", "online medical treatment", and "medicine receipt".

This "vending machine" was created by "Kanmei Pharmaceutical". Few Japanese may know this name, but it is a major player in the Chinese herbal medicine industry.

Founded in 1997 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2001. Initially, the company also worked on the manufacture of Western medicines, but recently it has focused on Chinese herbal medicines in anticipation of the future potential of Chinese herbal medicines.