United Imaging Healthcare in France: Strategy, Service and Measurable Impact Advances in Imaging

United Imaging Healthcare entered France in April 2023 and established a French entity in 2024 to reinforce long-term commitment. The portfolio is positioned around high quality results, consistent usability across modalities and AI-enabled performance including, for example, the reconstruction algorithm DELTA for CT, leading to reduction in iodine contrast use.

Key Points

• United Imaging Healthcare entered France in April 2023.
• A dedicated French entity was established in 2024 to reinforce long-term commitment.
• Early installations became reference sites, with execution and service quality under close scrutiny.
• Unicancer listed United Imaging systems after a tender process that included physicist measurements.
• AI-enabled CT reconstruction was associated with image quality increase and a reduction in iodine contrast use.

United Imaging Healthcare (UIH) has been scaling its European presence while positioning innovation and delivery as the foundations of long-term customer confidence. Founded in 2011 and bringing its first-generation full-modality products to market in 2014, the group has since expanded through subsidiaries focused on digital health, medical AI, microelectronics and surgical technology. International brand debuts at RSNA in 2018 and ECR in 2023 marked an outward shift, followed by the establishment of a European headquarters and showroom in Rotterdam in 2024.

In France, the practical test for a new imaging vendor is rarely limited to specifications. Visibility, reference sites, service depth and day-to-day workflow impact tend to shape adoption decisions just as strongly. In an interview, Alexandre Ripert, General Manager France, Belgium and Luxemburg at United Imaging Healthcare Europe, described how UIH structured its entry into France, the barriers it faced and the steps taken to build trust with hospital stakeholders and clinical, technical and biomedical engineering teams.

From First Installations to Market Validation

Early installations in 2023 and 2024 functioned as high-visibility reference points. In a market where hospital leaders frequently ask to see systems in operation before committing, the installed base became central to credibility.

“More important than selling, we had to be able to install the system perfectly.”

With only a limited number of systems initially deployed, execution carried particular weight. Installation quality, application support and service responsiveness were closely observed. As deployment volume increased in summer 2025, the company was able to demonstrate consistent performance across private clinics, university hospitals and general hospitals, and across multiple modalities.

A decisive moment came with listing by an important group purchasing organisation following a formal tender process that included measurements conducted by medical physicists. In a structured procurement environment, such validation provided external confirmation of performance and reliability.

Private sector partners also played a formative role. Several groups adopted systems at an early stage, providing operational references. Oncology centre deployments, including installation of a PET-CT uMI Panorama 35, further strengthened the portfolio’s visibility in specialised care settings.

“Creating a national entity was really an important step to show to the French market that we are here to stay.”

Innovation and Usability as Differentiators

United Imaging’s positioning is consistently framed around two pillars: quality and innovation. Developed within a highly competitive Chinese market, the portfolio evolved with a strong emphasis on research and development, which remains central to the group’s identity.

The proposition presented to French hospital leaders focuses on access to high-performing systems designed for speed, safety and image quality. Artificial intelligence is integrated into system design rather than added retrospectively, reflecting the company’s development trajectory as a newer entrant.

“All our systems were designed with AI in mind.”

Operational detail underpins this positioning. A consistent user interface across CT, MR and PET/ CT systems reduces training complexity and supports workflow continuity for technologists working across modalities.

At the high-performance end of the portfolio, systems such as the uMR Jupiter 5T and the uMI Panorama GS illustrate hardware innovation, while the recently launched uCT Siriux dual-source CT underscores continued development in acquisition speed and configuration.

Service Delivery and Responsiveness

Beyond product capabilities, trust has been built through responsiveness. The strategy is framed in operational rather than conceptual terms: careful listening and rapid action.

“We should listen very carefully to our customers and we should react very quickly.”

This applies both before and after contract signature. Application support, specific training hours and rapid intervention in case of technical issues are presented as practical demonstrations of commitment. In a market where new entrants are closely scrutinised, visible reactivity contributes directly to confidence among clinical, technical and biomedical engineering teams.  

AI in Practice: Measurable Impact

Translating innovation into measurable value is particularly relevant in hospitals operating under financial and operational pressure. In CT, the AI based reconstruction algorithm DELTA integrated into UIH’s CT systems provided an illustrative example.

According to users’ estimations, the site observed a reduction in iodine contrast usage following implementation. While pending further studies, the observation was presented as an example of AI delivering tangible operational impact.

To move towards structured validation, medical physicists were engaged to conduct formal measurements, and early publications referenced in the discussion indicate strong detectability at low dose levels.

Looking ahead, attention is expected to extend beyond acquisition systems to post-processing and data management, supporting hospitals in handling increasing data volumes across modalities through AI-based tools.

European Infrastructure and Long-Term Collaboration

The European headquarters in Rotterdam represents the next structural layer in this strategy. The site includes a showroom, training facilities, warehouse capacity and a regional R&D centre, all easily accessible by train and the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The objective is to support European customers through proximity, logistics and collaborative development.

Research and development remains central to this positioning, with a significant proportion of global employees working in R&D and a structured innovation framework guiding product evolution. With installations established and service infrastructure expanding, the next phase in France and across Europe is framed around co-creation.

In just over two years, United Imaging’s trajectory in France has moved from brand introduction to referenced installations and structured partnerships. The emphasis now shifts from entry to integration, positioning innovation, execution and collaboration as the basis for sustained growth in a demanding healthcare environment.

Conflict of interest

Spotlight articles are the sole opinion of the author(s), and they are part of the HealthManagement.org Corporate Engagement or Educational Community Programme.