German bio-pharma state forges links with Chengdu

Delegations from the biomedical industry in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state have said they would like to promote further cooperation with similar enterprises in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Christoph Block, head of operations at Cluster Biotechnology NRW, said the cooperation with biomedical enterprises in Chengdu's Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone will help the two sides achieve complementary advantages and win-win development.

Block made the comments on Nov 4 at a seminar introducing the NRW bio-pharmaceutical industry. About 10 outstanding Chinese enterprises in the biomedical sector gathered at the meeting in Chengdu, part of the 11th EU-China Business and Technology Cooperation Fair.

Chengdu's high-tech zone has formed a key cluster of biopharma companies, with leading names such as Diao Group, Sichuan Dikang Sci&Tech Pharmaceutical Industry Co, Chengdu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, and Brilliant Pharmaceutical Group attracted to the region. High-tech enterprises such as Alltech Medical Systems and Ultimedical Inc, which focus on medical equipment research, also call the zone home.

Gu Kaifeng, head of the Bio-Pharmaceuticals Industry Department of EU Project Innovation Center in Chengdu, said at the meeting that the Chinese biomedical industry has developed quickly in recent years.

The improving environment in Chengdu and the biomedical business' favorable outlook in the region have appealed to overseas partners, including the NRW cluster from Germany.

"The seminar will form a platform to promote cooperation among biomedical enterprises from Europe and China," Gu said. "NRW is the center of Europe's biomedical innovation," said Fu Qiang, head of Service Center Greater China, NRW.INVEST, the investment promotion agency for the German state.

It has accumulated 443 companies in the life sciences industry, among which 95 are engaged in biotech innovation. In addition, NRW also has 59 higher education institutions and 65 technological centers, which provide incubation service to new startups and help them to form development networks.

"Bio-pharmaceuticals have become a driving force in Germany's innovative economy," said Block, adding that the NRW cluster promotes domestic and international cooperation among researchers, enterprisers, investors and governments.

Chengdu's high-tech zone is on its way to build its own biomedical industrial cluster. In cooperation with the city's Shuangliu district, the high-tech zone built up Tianfu International Biological City in March, which has planned 180 projects so far.

Tianfu also intends to cooperate with biomedical companies from Cuba, the United States and Europe to explore innovative development in the future.