Ningbo Huake Run Partners with European INS to Develop China’s Orthopedic Minimally Invasive Robotics Market

Recently, Ningbo Huake Run Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and the European innovative surgical robotics company Interventional Systems (INS) reached an agreement on technological and commercial collaboration, under which the two companies will jointly enter the Chinese orthopedic microsurgical robotics market. A new joint venture—Sino-European Zhiwei (Shanghai) Robotics Co., Ltd.—is set to be established in Shanghai. Leveraging the R&D expertise of both partners, Shanghai’s strategic location, and the research strengths of China’s “Double First-Class” universities, the joint venture will rapidly develop, bring to market, and continuously innovate and upgrade a next-generation microsurgical orthopedic robot based on the high-quality intraoperative positioning platform Micromate™.

Surgical robots, as the core enablers of full automation and AI integration in healthcare, are currently experiencing rapid growth in both the Chinese and global markets. Orthopedic surgical robots, in particular, are increasingly recognized by clinicians, trusted by patients, and favored by medical institutions due to their ability to deliver precise, minimally invasive procedures while reducing X-ray exposure. Robot-assisted orthopedic surgery has already been included in the fee schedules of multiple provinces and cities in China or covered under national health insurance. However, existing orthopedic surgical robots still suffer from significant drawbacks—large footprint, complex operation, lengthy procedure times, and high costs—which to some extent hinder market expansion and technological adoption. There is an urgent clinical and market need for a differentiated miniature robot that is compact, easy to operate, fast-performing, cost-effective, and readily scalable.

Micromate™, hailed as the world’s most compact percutaneous minimally invasive surgical positioning platform to date, weighs only 2 kilograms. Leveraging precision manufacturing and fine control, it delivers sub-millimeter accuracy in target localization and seamlessly integrates with a wide range of imaging modalities, including O-arm/G-arm systems, CBCT, and C-arms, thereby offering exceptional versatility and scalability. The platform has received FDA approval and enjoys high clinical acceptance and widespread use in orthopedics. Building on this foundation, Zhongou Zhiwei is introducing a next-generation orthopedic surgical robot equipped with a highly tailored surgical planning and navigation system. Compared with existing market offerings, this new system features significantly optimized operational modules and workflow processes, enabling full intraoperative visualization, a comprehensive suite of clinically relevant surgical accessories, and competitive pricing designed to appeal to a broad market. By addressing the limitations of current products while delivering differentiated technological capabilities and user-centric design, the solution effectively meets the practical needs of clinical users. The next-generation surgical robot will be applicable across multiple specialties, including spinal internal fixation, spinal intervention, percutaneous endoscopic spine surgery, and sports medicine procedures, providing a comprehensive, miniaturized, precision robotic-assisted surgical solution for both clinical practice and the marketplace.

The controlling parent company of Sino-Europe Zhiwei (Shanghai) Robotics Co., Ltd., Ningbo Huake Run Biotechnology Co., Ltd., is a national high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of minimally invasive orthopedic products, and is a global leader in angled vertebral augmentation technology. To date, the company has filed 114 patent applications, of which 64 have been granted, and it offers a comprehensive portfolio of vertebral augmentation devices, as well as innovative products in interbody fusion and non-fusion, bone repair materials, sports medicine, spinal implants, endoscopic systems, artificial intelligence, and other fields. Guided by the core values of “innovation, passion, efficiency, meticulousness, joy, transparency, collaboration, and empathy,” Huake Run has assembled a team of senior executives from Fortune Global 500 companies and domestic and international publicly listed firms, along with outstanding medical-device R&D professionals. Through continuous innovation and integration, the company is committed to establishing itself as an innovative, robot-enabled platform enterprise in the field of minimally invasive orthopedics.

Interventional Systems (INS), headquartered in Austria, is the designer and manufacturer of the next-generation navigation robot platform Micromate™, boasting robust R&D capabilities and a deep technological foundation in miniaturized surgical navigation and positioning devices. Its products have already obtained CE marking and U.S. FDA approval. INS continues to collaborate with its strategic partners to develop specialized surgical robotic systems tailored for various clinical specialties. In cranial and neurosurgery, INS serves as a co-development partner for Medtronic’s micro-robot Stealth Autoguide™; the advanced nature of its robotic-arm technology has been widely recognized and extensively deployed in global markets. In the field of minimally invasive spine surgery, INS partnered with a leading team of spinal surgeons in the United States to develop the spine robot Fusion Robotics, which received FDA approval in March 2021. Subsequently, INS strategically merged with the minimally invasive spine company Integrity Implants to form Accelus—a company that provides comprehensive, minimally invasive spinal solutions centered on surgical robotics. In the Chinese market, INS will provide strong technical input for the joint development of the next-generation robots by Zhongou Zhiwei. The R&D teams from China and Austria will work closely together to further expand the application scenarios and functional capabilities of the existing navigation platform, thereby creating an internationally leading, China-made surgical-assist system.

Ma Yan, CEO of Ningbo Huake Run, expressed high expectations and strong confidence in this strategic partnership: “Huake Run is a Chinese medical technology company dedicated to delivering innovative, minimally invasive solutions for spinal and sports medicine. The Micromate™ boasts an exceptionally precise design, highly efficient workflows, and an outstanding user experience—key attributes that form the foundation for our next-generation robotic product. Together with the Interventional Systems (INS) team, we will collaborate closely with China’s leading experts in spinal and sports medicine, leveraging the strengths of both companies’ products and technologies to bring highly innovative and cost-effective robot-assisted surgical solutions to the Chinese market.”

Michael Vogele, CEO of Interventional Systems (INS), and Pedro Costa, Chief Product Officer, stated: “The core value of our team’s mission is to provide clinicians with a cost-effective, easy-to-use, and fully featured robotic platform. Over the past decade, our team has been dedicated to developing miniaturized, minimally invasive robotic solutions. We are thrilled to partner with companies like Huake Run, which boast extensive experience and a proven track record in product portfolio development and market promotion. China is a market we are deeply committed to growing in, and we look forward to realizing our vision here—delivering superior clinical outcomes through minimally invasive robotic procedures.”

China’s orthopedic minimally invasive field is currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of rapid technological and product innovation. The strategic partnership between Ningbo Huake Run and Interventional Systems (INS) will fully leverage the respective resources and technological strengths of both companies, fostering mutual reinforcement and synergy to jointly pioneer new frontiers in minimally invasive orthopedic devices and microsurgical robotics. “Intelligence” leads technology, and “Wei” shapes the future—Zhongou Zhiwei (Shanghai) Robotics Co., Ltd. will adhere to a pragmatic approach to development, explore successful business models, continuously infuse innovative elements, and deliver more diversified concepts and sustained momentum to the fields of orthopedic minimally invasive care and surgical robotics. Together, we look forward to and will witness this exciting journey.