How Hakuhokai Group is advancing circular medtech in Japan

Today, with Ako Central Hospital serving as its flagship facility, Hakuhokai Group is exploring how existing resources, advanced technology, and long-term thinking can work together to support high-quality care while reducing environmental impact. This mindset is also reflected in the organization's healthcare strategy, as Chairman Motohisa Kojo explains: "Our essential mission and philosophy are to provide timely, appropriate, and optimal care while protecting the health of the communities we serve. That is why sustainability is not separate from healthcare, but part of it."

This philosophy also shapes how Hakuhokai Group evaluates and invests in medical technology: sustainability has become an important procurement criterion alongside output, speed, and imaging performance. Medical technology is therefore evaluated based on both clinical needs and environmental impact. One recent example is the adoption of a refurbished Artis zee floor angiography system from Siemens Healthineers. In addition to clinical performance, Hakuhokai Group considered lifecycle factors such as material reuse, energy consumption, and resource efficiency, which contributed to its decision to select the refurbished version.

While sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for healthcare providers, healthcare systems today continue to lack widely accepted standards for evaluating environmental impact when purchasing medical technology. For Hakuhokai Group, environmental performance data helps translate sustainability ambitions into measurable procurement criteria and more informed purchasing decisions. For example, Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) show that refurbishing an Artis zee floor system can reduce materials-related CO₂e emissions by up to 36 percent compared with manufacturing a new system.[1]

“If we also receive data showing, for example, the amount of work or emissions reduced by introducing such a system, we can present the decision not as buying a cheaper machine, but as selecting equipment that considers the environment and is appropriate for the medical level needed in the region,” explains Sakurai.

Through its collaboration with Siemens Healthineers, Hakuhokai Group uses advanced medical technology designed with circularity in mind to meet clinical needs and sustainability goals. Siemens Healthineers also helps identify ways to use systems for longer and make more sustainable decisions.

“Siemens Healthineers allows us to supply every department with equipment that meets a certain standard, including world-class imaging equipment. It’s important for us to maintain a high standard of medical care while keeping procurement costs within reasonable limits,” points out Kojo.

For Hakuhokai Group, sustainability has become part of everyday operational decision-making. From medical technology procurement to facility operations, the organization is demonstrating how circularity can support a more sustainable healthcare system. For Hakuhokai Group, circularity is therefore not an isolated objective, but one way of supporting high-quality healthcare over the long term.