"Building industrial ecosystems and strengthening key industrial chains to promote innovation." Recently, a report titled "Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center: Shaping the Future of Biomedicine Industry with Industrial Chains" was published on the Sichuan Economic Network, highlighting multiple innovation platforms and enterprises in the park.

       In mid-June, the Peking University Chengdu Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Biotechnologies (hereinafter referred to as "Peking University Chengdu Academy") is making various preparations for its settlement in Building A2 of Phase II of Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center as a representative "chain leader". The official settlement is expected in the near future.

     Peking University Chengdu Academy, rooted in Chengdu, is Peking University's sole academy for advanced interdisciplinary biotechnologies in China. It acts as a node in the 100 billion-level biomedical industry chain of the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (CDHT). The academy is committed to building a highland of transformation under industrial guidance from science to technology and from project to enterprise, aiming to promote the innovative and benign development of regional industrial clusters as the "chain leader".

       In 2023, the total value of CDHT's pharmaceutical and healthcare industry surpassed RMB 140 billion, with its biomedical industry maintaining a leading position in China. How can we seize the momentum and accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces to create new advantages for high-quality development?

     The answer of Chengdu Hi-tech Investment Biopharmaceutical Park Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CDHT Investment Biopark") is to introduce representative "chain leaders". A "chain leader" refers to a representative capable of leveraging external resources, capitalizing on its own comparative advantages and fostering core cohesion across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the biomedical industry over time. When these representatives come together, they can collaborate to drive cost reduction, benefit increase, industrial agglomeration and capability strengthening.

     In recent years, while operating and managing "Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center", CDHT Investment Biopark has continuously promoted the deep integration of biomedical innovation chains with industrial chains. This has been achieved by introducing "chain leaders" such as Peking University Chengdu Academy, National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine, Chengdu Brilliant Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Brilliant Pharmaceutical") and AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. into the park. Through these efforts, the park not only empowers Chengdu but also extends its influence on southwest China and even the entire country, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of the biomedical industry with industrial chains.

      Seizing the momentum in "industrial chains" and improving efficiency through innovation platforms

At the Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center, an eye-catching logo wall showcases the "witnesses" and "recorders" of its development. Five years ago, the wall displayed logos of only one or two settled enterprises. But today, it is so densely packed that there is scarcely any room left.

    "CDHT is a new highland for the development of biomedical industry in China. Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center, a high-level platform for the development of biomedical industry in CDHT, boasts industrial, resource and policy advantages, making it an attractive destination for enterprises," said Wu Yifeng, Party Branch Secretary of West China Precision Medicine Industry Innovation Center Co., Ltd., in an interview.

     A "quantitative change" in industrial chains signals a "qualitative change" toward the high-quality development of the industry. Within this context, "chain leaders" play a crucial role.

The National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine is a representative "chain leader" who settled in Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center from its inception. It is the first and only national industrial innovation center in China dedicated to biomedicine and precision medicine fields, respectively. The center has been regarded as “national” since its establishment, highlighting the significant prospects for developing the biomedical industry in this region.

     Since its establishment in 2022, the National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine has focused on innovative R&D, achievement transformation and industrialization, aiming to build a full life cycle achievement transformation system from proof of concept, pilot testing to business incubation. Currently, the Proof of Concept Center for Scientific and Technological Achievements and the High-tech Business Incubator have been completed and settled in Phase I and Phase II of Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center, respectively. 

     In the next five years, the National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine will execute the "14th Five-Year Plan" for Bioeconomy and further enhance its role as a leading national industrial innovation center. The center plans to build an enterprise-led innovation consortium and an enterprise-oriented innovation system. This initiative involves creating more specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprises and fostering over 10 secondary companies. These efforts are intended to promote the clinical transformation and application of advanced precision medicine technologies, products and services.

     Moreover, AstraZeneca, an industry leader, has also decided to set up AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical (Chengdu) Co., Ltd.—its first fully functional headquarter in western China—within the park. The company has achieved license-in of multiple innovative products, such as Lokelma, and has been granted exclusive rights for their sales in China. With the establishment of the Chengdu International Life Science Innovation Park and the Modern Innovation Center for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, an open, innovative and global life science innovation ecosystem has been built in western China. At present, AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. has introduced 22 companies around the innovation ecosystem.

     According to the head of CDHT Investment Biopark, up to now, "Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center" has attracted numerous representative R&D platforms and enterprises within the biomedicine industry, such as West China Hospital, the headquarter of AstraZeneca in western China, R&D Center of Brilliant Pharmaceutical, Zenitar Biomedical, ChemPartner, Porton Pharma Solutions, Hyperway, Xiling Lab and Geneus Technology.

     To date, the park has fostered a number of listed or to-be-listed enterprises, including HitGen, Hinova, Keymed Biosciences and parent company of ShengNuo Biotec. Additionally, it has nurtured 4 unicorn (potential) enterprises, 17 gazelle enterprises, 13 eyas enterprises, 18 "specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative" enterprises and 53 high-tech enterprises.

    "The Phase I of Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center has been 'fully staffed' in 2021. To further support and expand the innovation ecosystem of the biomedical industry, we will enhance talent and technical support for 'major institutes' during phase II construction. This effort aims to boost the R&D capabilities and innovation potential of enterprises within the park."

    The head of CDHT Investment Biopark mentioned that they are actively communicating with well-known domestic universities and plan to introduce more high-level platforms into Phase II of the Advanced Medical Science Center, as they want to further activate the "potential" and "capability" of the biomedicine industry in the park.

   Driving innovations in "industrial chains" and strengthening capabilities through technological breakthroughs

     Brilliant Pharmaceutical has been ranked among the “Top 100 Pharmaceutical Companies in China” for ten consecutive years. The company has steadily climbed the rankings and ascended to 48th place in 2022. How was this achieved?

      The answer of Brilliant Pharmaceutical is to foster innovation-driven development.

    In June 2022, Brilliant Pharmaceutical officially inaugurated its new headquarter in the Singapore-Sichuan High-Tech Innovation Park; meanwhile, its neighboring Drug Research Institute settled in the Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center. Huang Haoxi (President of Drug Research Institute, Brilliant Pharmaceutical) told the reporter, "As an important innovative R&D arm of Brilliant Pharmaceutical, we undertake most of the company's R&D tasks. We specialize in the development of high-tech APIs, blockbuster generic drugs, modified new drugs, new microecologics, siRNA innovative drugs and innovative molecular imaging drugs, covering chemical drugs, biologics, gene therapy, etc."

    In 2023, more than 20 varieties from Brilliant Pharmaceutical and its subsidiaries were approved for marketing, including 3 first generic drugs.

"Since the beginning of this year, our company has successively obtained several product approvals. These achievements are a testament to our ongoing investment in R&D and innovation. This success will, in turn, enhance our overall R&D system, creating a virtuous circle," said Huang Haoxi in an interview. He also noted that Brilliant Pharmaceutical's innovative drug pipelines are advancing as planned.

    Promoting the deep integration of innovation chains with industrial chains requires collaborative efforts and cannot be achieved in isolation.

    "In terms of R&D, we are developing APIs in cooperation with Xiling Lab and Chengdu D-innovation Pharmaceutical within 'Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center'. Additionally, we have extensive partnerships with Chengdu Haiqi Biotechnology and Chengdu Acer Biosciences, Ltd. in new drug screening and drug evaluation." Speaking of the cooperation with other enterprises, Huang was delighted and admitted that these cooperations have significantly advanced Brilliant Pharmaceutical's R&D efforts.

     He told reporters that as an open company, Brilliant Pharmaceutical maximizes the value of innovation through synergies in cooperation with upstream and downstream companies, driving scientific and technological innovation in the pharmaceutical industry from the source.

    Brilliant Pharmaceutical is a vivid epitome of innovation-driven high-quality development represented by the "chain leaders" in Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center.

Located in Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as "Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Center of Frontier Medicine)"), consistently attracts leading talent teams and leverages technical strength to accelerate the building of a high-level scientific and technological innovation platform.

    "Among the 17 major functional platforms, five first-batch construction platforms, including the Cryoelectron Microscopy Platform, Nuclear Medicine Imaging Platform, Antibody Drug R&D Center, Biosynthetic Drug R&D Center, and Biomedical Materials Platform have made clear that the platforms plan to recruit teams consisting of 'platform preparation convener + Co-PI + full-time technical supervisor', and are accelerating the decoration," said the person in charge of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Center of Frontier Medicine).

    In addition, since last year, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Center of Frontier Medicine) has released the first batch of projects under "Rising Leaders" and "Team Race" of the Global Biomedical Young Talent Recruitment Program, attracting national talent teams to boost scientific and technological innovation in the subdivided fields of nucleic acid drugs, synthetic biology and radiopharmaceuticals.

    On the one hand, it is reported that in the next two to three years, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Center of Frontier Medicine) will invest RMB 150 million to support teams in five fields taking the position of "Rising Leaders" and promote the transformation of major scientific and technological achievements. The team awarded as "Rising Leaders" will receive a research fund of up to RMB 30 million.

    On the other hand, the National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine has established precision innovative R&D centers in 14 professional fields such as the "Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute" with the "Precision Medicine Research Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University" as the main entity to tackle key problems. At the same time, it has united nearly 400 upstream and downstream companies in the innovation chain, industrial chain and capital chain to form a cooperative alliance, innovates a unique system and mechanism of "entity for tackling key problems - entity for incubation - entity for cooperation", and focuses on creating a national cradle for precision medicine innovation, a demonstration highland for the transformation of medical innovation achievements, a hub for precision medicine industry, a gathering area of global top talents in precision medicine and a strategic core think tank in the field of national healthcare.

    The reporter learned from Chengdu Hi-tech Investment Biopharmaceutical Park Management Co., Ltd. that 10 projects have settled or are planned to settle in Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center (Phase II), including major innovation source and industrial support projects such as Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu Institute of Peking University, National Industrial Innovation Center of Precision Medicine, Clinical Resource Library for Human Genetic Diseases, and Biomedical Intelligent Computing Center. By 2025, a bio-digital ESM industry system integrating "Equipment + Service + Medicine" will be established. In addition, a model of bio-digital economy with global competitiveness and influence, a leading force for cutting-edge bio-digital technology, and an internationally competitive biological digital industry cluster will also take shape.

    With the rapid growth of demand for healthcare and the accelerated evolution of biotechnology, China's biomedical industry has entered an important stage of high-quality development. At present, Sichuan is actively implementing the plan to enhance the quality and output of six competitive industries including the pharmaceutical and health industry. The 2024 Work Report of Chengdu Municipal People's Government also explicitly mentions the goal of striving to increase the scale of the biomedical industry to RMB 75 billion this year.

     In recent years, to better serve the upstream and downstream enterprises of the industrial chain, Chengdu Hi-tech Investment Biopharmaceutical Park Management Co., Ltd. has created a one-stop science and technology service system. "The one-stop science and technology service center we have built in the Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center covers 14 professional services in 3 categories throughout the life cycle of biomedical products from R&D to production and sales, and includes 40 common services across 19 categories such as scientific & technological finance and entrepreneurship incubation." The person in charge of Chengdu Hi-tech Investment Biopharmaceutical Park Management Co., Ltd. further mentioned that in the next step, the company will continue to optimize the industrial service system according to the needs of enterprises.

    We are building industrial ecosystems and strengthening key industrial chains to promote innovation. In the future, "Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center" will continue to closely align with the strategic directions of national and regional development, give full play to the agglomeration effect of the park, unleash resource advantages and potential, optimize "Tianfu Life Science Park + Chengdu Advanced Medical Science Center", and strive to create a "new model" for biomedical industrial parks.