Shanghai opens first industrial park dedicated to cell and gene therapy
Editor's Note:
Shanghai, a well-established destination for investment from home and abroad, is keen to ride the waves of economic revitalization to attract more quality investment with better policies and services.
The city's first dedicated industrial park for cell and gene therapy will be unveiled later this year in the latest bid to implement Shanghai's three-year action plan for the booming sector.
The Shanghai International Medical Zone, a core part of the Zhangjiang Science City, is already home to over 1,200 medical institutions, industry giants, startups and service providers.
The new park will be located in the SIMZ in the proximity of the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, the Zhangjiang branch of the National Children's Medical Center, and the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center's Pudong branch to facilitate better exchange of academic research and clinical treatment.
Yuan Tao, chairman of the Shanghai Zhangjiang Group, said it will soon complete the construction of the cell and gene industrial park, and strives to become a world-class industry cluster.
According to the three-year action plan on gene and cell therapy jointly released by the Shanghai Science Commission, the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization, and the Shanghai Health Commission last year, the total industrial value is estimated to reach 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) by 2024.
The Zhangjiang Cell and Gene Industrial Park. The first phase of the project will be operational in the second quarter, and the second phase will open in the third quarter.
The city's cell therapy technology industry will attract more talent, scientific research institutions, clinical research and service platforms.
Shanghai will also introduce and foster 50 leading industry players and emerging companies to strengthen the sector.
Synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, brain science and other frontier sectors will also be the focus in the near future.
Among around 100 cell and gene therapy providers in the country, about 40 percent are located in Shanghai.
Zhangjiang Science City's total industrial output value went up 6.1 percent from a year ago in 2022, to 370.2 billion yuan. Actual use of foreign investment also jumped 12 percent to US$2.6 billion.
The integration of medical equipment, medicine, institutes, treatment and rehabilitation, and senior care has made it a unique area to host cutting edge research and medical treatment, Yuan noted.
Construction work also kicked off for the fourth phase of the medical equipment accelerator in Zhangjiang Science City. With a total construction area of 26,328 square meters, it's among a series of new investment projects announced last month to drive high-quality economic growth, and is expected to be operational in 2025.
The total industrial value of cell and gene therapy is estimated to reach 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) by 2024 in Shanghai.
