CGT Park Tour 2024 Annual Review and New Year Launch: Building an Ecosystem for China’s Cell and Gene Therapy Industry
Volume, is an attitude, it is about seeking motivation from within, pursuing growth through innovation, and daring to be different in a homogenized competitive landscape;
OK, is a form of courage; it is lifting one’s head to confront destiny, aspiring to lofty ideals and noble conduct, and having the bravery to set sail amidst the turbulent waves of the era.
In 2024, together with like-minded industry partners, we dedicated our daily efforts to “internal cultivation”—honing our technical expertise, refining our products, and enhancing our services—while actively engaging in external outreach by visiting industrial parks, connecting with enterprises, and seeking investment opportunities. Guided by our original aspiration to “build an ecosystem for the industry and create business opportunities for individuals,” this year weTraversing eight cities and eleven industrial parks, engaging with 109 distinguished guests, and journeying across China, we aim to build a platform for patient dialogue to support the Chinese CGT industry during its downturn.
The event was first initiated byInitiated by the Healthcare Innovative Ecosystem Alliance (HIEA), and jointly promoted by industry and capital partners including Xingcheng Biology, Legend Capital, and VCBeat,Each session lasts half a day, with fewer than 100 participants, facilitating face-to-face interactions to identify mutually connectable nodes.
"My path is not lonely; the flower blooms alone, and those who seek its fragrance will come."
From the initial two parties to R&D, development, major pharmaceutical companies, MNCs, clinical practice, and scientific translation, the ecosystem has become increasingly rich and the system more powerful. More experts are beginning to pay attention to our “fledgling” “small event.”
Until the final stop, like a Möbius strip, we embarked from our first station in Shanghai and concluded at the Shanghai Bayer Co.Lab. In the audience, there were even three regulatory experts who attended voluntarily as “organic fans” to listen to the stories shared by various enterprises. In fact, from November 2023 to November 2024, we completed exactly 11 stops.
Why Choose the Industrial Park? The park is home to innovative entities and development demands; it serves as a testing ground and a battlefield, but even more so, it is a nursery and a garden.
Over the past year, we have visited cities and industrial parks where CGT companies are located, enabling R&D enterprises to engage in exchanges right on their doorstep with lower travel and energy costs. We could have simply followed the same “script,” moving from one city to another and rotating guests for discussions. However, the diversity of needs and individual differences meant that even we, as “veteran performers,” could not stick rigidly to the script. Instead, we often had to deliver numerous “improvised performances” to satisfy the audience’s expectations. As the industry evolves, so too do the strategic considerations of enterprises. These fluid and subtle shifts in demand resemble the “capillaries” of the CGT industry—subtle yet critical—driving us to continuously iterate and refine our event planning.
Therefore, the event plan underwent three iterations.From the initial “Two-Way Engagement” (Party B presenting to Party A) Version 1.0, to the “Joint Presentation” (limited presentations by Party B + joint panel discussions with both Party A and Party B) Version 2.0, and further to the “Ecosystem Co-Prosperity” (minimal presentations by Party B + roadshows by Party A + networking with investors and business development representatives from large enterprises + multi-stakeholder industry panels) Version 3.0, the content has consistently prioritized the exchange of practical, high-value insights, avoiding superficial, vague, or purely promotional科普-style communications.
Our ability to iterate in this manner is fundamentally rooted in the understanding and support of our co-organizers. First, we are grateful that they did not evaluate this event solely based on conventional marketing metrics such as “number of leads” or “exposure duration.” Instead, they prioritized resonant communication with clients, addressing their needs and fostering their growth, which in turn yielded mutual benefits and aligned both supply and demand sides on the same level. Second,Emphasizing the Context of Industry Cycles: When the Entire Sector Faces Stagnation, Business Logic Must Evolve from Supply-Demand Interactions to Sustained Ecosystem OperationsTherefore, we extend our gratitude to the co-organizers of this initiative for their support of such a novel endeavor, striking a balance between the “small family” and the “greater community.”
If we view each event as a scene in a play, we, as the “screenwriters,” hope that thoughtful planning will facilitate closer interaction and deeper exchange on core thematic content. Yet, with each successive performance, the protagonists in our script have developed their own “souls,” growing in an unconstrained and vigorous manner. The invited guests are the actors, interpreting questions and insights to inspire both themselves and others, thereby showcasing the future and vitality of the industry.
What left the deepest impression were the Nanjing Bio-Medicine Valley stop, featuring Chen Yijun, CEO of Yuanmai Cell; Xu Shi, CEO of Chengshi Biotech; and Liu Xiao, Vice President of Business and Marketing at Xingcheng Biotech; as well as the Beijing New Nest stop, featuring Xie Xingwang, Founder of Kerui Biotech, and Zhao Xueqiang, Co-founder of Huaxia Yingtai. Their insights were truly thought-provoking.
On Raising and Spending Capital, Financing, and Business Development (BD):
@Chen Yijun, CEO of Yuanmai Cell“Actually, capital is our client; we need to align with certain demands from investors. However, we must remain steadfast in our own strategic direction, as expectations of us vary at different stages. We may speak with 100 investors and receive 20 different perspectives, but the ultimate decision on what to pursue rests with the founder. It is crucial to maintain this resolve. A quote that deeply resonates with me is: ‘What defines an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is someone who can generate profits not only in favorable conditions but also in adverse ones.’”
@Xu Shi, CEO of Chengshi Biotech: “In the next era of biologics, what should we focus on? Returning to sound business logic. We must adhere to the principle of accessibility and affordability. For human therapeutics, an annual cost of RMB 300,000 may represent the upper limit that the national medical insurance system is willing to cover. Similarly, for swine fever vaccines—excluding those for African swine fever—the price per dose should ideally be kept below RMB 10. It is essential to ensure manufacturability and achieve effective cost control. Only in this way can we establish a new business model on the ruins of the previous era and attract investment.”
@Liu Xiao, Vice President of Business and Marketing at Xingcheng Bio: “From a supply chain perspective, I once heard the President of Danaher China say, ‘If you can clearly understand where every penny of your customer’s money is spent and where every penny comes from, you will succeed.’ Therefore, I have always been trying to figure out how much money each type of customer typically needs at different stages and how they should allocate their spending. How can we fundamentally help our client enterprises secure resources and save costs? Companies that do this are certain to succeed in business.”
@Xie Xingwang, Founder of Kerui Bio“Many opportunities must be proactively and aggressively pursued, as there are currently few funds available for investment, yet a large number of projects are in need of capital. Therefore, even for projects of similar quality, the opportunity landscape differs significantly depending on whether one adopts a proactive or passive stance. Regarding business development (BD), we reached out to more than ten companies at this year’s JPM Conference, and including BIO, we engaged in discussions with over 20 companies in total. Many of these actual conversations revealed that the buyers’ preferences differed from what we had previously understood through market intelligence. Thus, only by engaging with them directly can we truly understand what they are looking for and what is on their minds.”
@Zhao Xueqiang, Co-founder of Huaxia Yingtai“Data is king. For us in drug development, this means concentrating limited resources on a select pipeline. In the case of CAR-T therapy, since solid tumors and universal (off-the-shelf) products will take time to mature, our initial strategy is to prioritize targets distinct from CD19 and BCMA. We need innovation, but only within manageable limits; we need differentiation, but with certainty. This makes it quite challenging. For biotech companies, uncertainty is the norm, so the key lies in finding certainty amidst uncertainty.”
Of course, what we most want to know is whether attendees have truly gained valuable insights from the conference.
From the data, we have gathered some feedback. Through questionnaire spot checks and on-site interviews at 11 stations, over 85% of attendees rated the quality of keynote speeches and panel discussions, as well as the overall organization and arrangement of the event, as excellent. (A total of 81 participants completed the event effectiveness feedback questionnaire, including 46 invited guests, 33 representatives from co-organizing enterprises, and 2 venue support providers.)
For such a small-scale open event,We are pleased to have provided assistance in connecting [New Collaboration Opportunities], enhancing [Brand Awareness], and facilitating the exchange of [Information and Inspirational Value]. Feedback from co-organizers and supporters indicates that the year-long park tours helped them secure several collaborations and opened up new avenues for industrial exchange."Due to confidentiality requirements, public disclosure is not permitted."
Meanwhile, many guests provided excellent suggestions, such as feedback from several stops in March:
@Nanjing Bio-Medicine Valley Station: A biotech founder stated, “Overall, it’s very good! However, there are currently too many activities, and those overly driven by commercialization may not yield favorable outcomes.”
@Suzhou BioBAY Station: A Biotech founder advised, “Invite investors to participate more frequently,” while a Biotech CTO remarked, “Engage in more communication both on and off stage; industry practitioners’ general understanding remains insufficient.”
@Guangzhou International Business Incubator Station: A Co-organizer’s CMO “Riding the Wave of Hot Topics”
Each suggestion serves as the next cornerstone driving our progress—one idea sparks reflection and propels action. In April, at the Shenzhen Weiguang Industrial Park & Bay Gravity Station event, we promptly added featured sessions and hot-topic discussions with the support of the venue provider and co-organizers. This led to the first major discussion on the integration of scientific research and industry, as well as a sharing session by the “Mr. 300 Million,” who had just secured financing.
Step by step, I have been negotiating with myself; the current state of the industrial park is the result of our collective efforts.Pursue high-quality activities, reject homogenization, and ensure each stop has its own unique memorable highlights:
@Shanghai ATLATL Innovation Center, Xingbei·Free Trade No.1, as the first two stops that led the charge, they laid the foundation and instilled confidence for our subsequent journey.
@The greatest emotional value isNanjing Bio-pharma Valley Station. The first venue to attract over 100 attendees was the Beijing Newborn Nest station.
@All audience members, what you basically heard from start to finish isGuangzhou International Business Incubator Station, the one with the shortest preparation time and most efficient response isShenzhen Weiguang Industrial Park & Bay Gravity Station, highlighting the openness and pragmatism of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen region.
@AlsoSuzhou BioBAY Station, Beijing Yichuang Gaoke Station, Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town Station, Hangzhou Beiao Building Station, thanks to their warm welcome and cooperation, which were made possible by exceptional collaboration and support behind the scenes.
@Final ArrivalShanghai Bayer Co.Lab Station, completing the MNC puzzle piece, with review experts from the drug regulatory authorities coming to observe, gradually fostering communication among all links of the ecosystem, reunion, and gratitude for the present.
When we questioned entrepreneurs about the competitiveness of their products and the clinical needs they address, they countered by asking whether we, as event organizers, have met the industry’s unmet need for professional exchange. Compared to drug development, organizing events is a short-cycle field that allows for low-cost trial and error; therefore, we should continually create higher-quality platforms for dialogue to foster industrial growth. However, this requires the support of multiple stakeholders. We extend our gratitude to the guests for their selfless sharing and candid insights, to the venue providers for their hospitality and coordination, and to our co-organizers for their concerted efforts.
Travel is more beneficial than debate. When two individuals are entrenched in their respective views and engaged in endless argument, what they need is not victory, but rather the broadening of horizons through travel, thereby achieving self-sufficiency in professional cognition and wisdom.
As one of the event initiators,Qi Fei, Legend CapitalAs stated: “Capital inevitably experiences its ebbs and flows, while innovation requires time to mature. The Chinese innovative drug industry is undergoing a cyclical shift, with the market separating the wheat from the chaff. In times of uncertainty, it becomes even more critical to engage in deep exchanges and discussions centered on the industry, products, and technologies. Innovation is challenging, and entrepreneurship is arduous; both demand persistence and faith grounded in the industry itself. Let us learn together, move forward together, and jointly witness the flourishing future that lies ahead.”
Therefore, in the new year, we will continue to move forward:
1) Benchmarking against ASGCT and ESGCT, we will launch the CSGCT Campus Tour (covering hospitals and universities) and the VBEF Special Edition Tour. We are also continuously recruiting “Co-organizers” for next year’s events. If you are a service provider in the industry chain, you are welcome to join us in discussing major initiatives and co-building the ecosystem!
2) The first stop of the 2025 [CSGCT] Campus Tour will be held at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in the United States.On January 15, at the Bidi China Global Pharmaceutical Cooperation Forum, initiated by the BD-CHINA Pharmaceutical Club and co-hosted by VCBeat, [CSGCT] will be presented as a panel session, shining on the global stage. You are welcome to attend!
For collaborations, please contact the assistant.
