Eastman Kodak Company's Health Imaging Group this week opened the doors to its technology and innovation center in Pudong, Shanghai, China, that will develop localized medical imaging and information systems for Asia-Pacific customers.

In addition to providing remote services and pre-staging of customer equipment prior to installation, Kodak said the new facility will be the headquarters for its Asia-Pacific Services and Research & Development organizations.

The center will act as a showcase for the company's medical imaging and information products and systems so that "customers can come to the center for product demonstrations in a 'real-life' setting that resembles the workflow of a typical healthcare environment," said Dan Kerpelman, president of Kodak's Health Imaging Group

Kodak also indicated that product, application and services specialists based at the center will serve as key resources for integrating medical imaging and information systems, such as PACS, RIS and archives.

Kodak opened a technology and innovation center in Italy and said a forthcoming one is in the works for the United States.