Pioneering the Future of Biomedicine and Leading Scientific Innovation: Grand Opening of Shanghai Frontier and Inauguration of Shanghai Kangjiansheng

Biomedicine is one of the three priority leading industries in Shanghai. The recently released “Several Opinions on Supporting Full-Chain Innovative Development of the Biomedical Industry” comprises 37 policy measures across eight areas, including “significantly enhancing innovation origination capabilities,” “accelerating the application and promotion of innovative products,” and “strengthening investment and financing support.” These measures have injected strong momentum into the city’s accelerated innovative development of the biomedical sector.

On September 10, the grand opening ceremony of the Shanghai Frontier Biomedical Industry Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as “Shanghai Frontier”) and the unveiling ceremony of Shanghai Kangjiansheng Cell Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Shanghai Kangjiansheng”) were held with great fanfare at the Shanghai Frontier Park, No. 88 Zhangjiang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Chen Zhu, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress, President of the Red Cross Society of China, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wu Jincheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and District Mayor of Pudong New Area, attended the celebration and delivered speeches. Leng Weiqing, Chairman of Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd. (SIIC Group) and Secretary of the Party Committee of SIIC Group, delivered a welcome address.

Fan Xianqun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; Chen Saijuan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of the National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai), and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Genomics and Diseases; Liu Xiaolong, Director of the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other experts and scholars; Sun Yu, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission; Hou Jin, Director of the Zhangjiang Science City Construction and Management Office; Zhang Qing, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Medical Products Administration, and other officials from relevant departments; Hang Yingwei, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Construction Group; Li Dong, President of Donghao Lansheng Group; Yang Qiuhua, Vice President of Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co., Ltd.; Shen Bo, Executive Director and President of Shanghai Pharmaceuticals; and other senior executives from relevant enterprises, along with nearly 300 industry professionals, enterprise founders, and technical experts, attended the celebration ceremony.

Chen Zhu extended warm congratulations on the opening of Shanghai Frontier and the unveiling ceremony of Shanghai Kangjian Sheng. He pointed out that the biopharmaceutical industry serves as a material foundation for advancing Chinese-style modernization and stands at the forefront of achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength. It is essential to thoroughly study and comprehend the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, implement the strategy of prioritizing health, adhere to the principles of putting people and health first, remain patient-centric, focus on unmet clinical needs, and continuously advance research and development innovation in biopharmaceuticals. As responsible state-owned enterprises, Shanghai Industrial Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals should leverage Shanghai Frontier to establish an innovation consortium characterized by “leadership from leading enterprises, support from universities and research institutes, and mutual collaboration among various innovation entities.” By working together to build an “open-wall” innovation system, they will significantly accelerate the incubation, translation, and industrialization of biopharmaceutical innovations, which holds substantial importance. Efforts must be focused on the frontier, targeting cutting-edge and disruptive technological fields to continuously enhance original innovation capabilities. Furthermore, it is crucial to cultivate a robust ecosystem by integrating resources and innovation elements from government, industry, academia, research, healthcare, and capital sectors, emphasizing the unique role of leading talents to accelerate the translation and implementation of source innovation achievements.

Chen Zhu also pointed out that cell therapy represents a strategic new frontier for the future of the biopharmaceutical industry, possessing pioneering advantages in accelerating the development of new-quality productive forces. He expressed hope that Shanghai Kangjiansheng would become a model for technological innovation, product innovation, and business model innovation. By leveraging resource sharing, complementary strengths, and collaborative innovation, the company should jointly explore new models of cooperation, accelerate the establishment of an R&D and industrialization system for cell therapy, and continuously achieve new breakthroughs and outcomes in this strategic new field.

At the opening ceremony, Shen Bo signed cooperation agreements with more than 20 inaugural tenant enterprises and ecosystem partners of Shanghai Frontier. This not only underscores Shanghai Frontier’s steadfast commitment to supporting high-potential, highly innovative enterprises and projects, but also demonstrates its concrete actions in providing “full-lifecycle companion-style services” to its tenant enterprises.

The unveiling ceremony of Shanghai Kangjiansheng was held concurrently with the grand opening celebration of Shanghai Qianyan. Witnessed by Chen Zhu, Fan Xianqun, Chen Saijuan, Liu Xiaolong, Yang Qiuhua, and other distinguished guests, Shanghai Pharmaceuticals signed a four-party strategic cooperation agreement on cell therapy with Ruijin Hospital, the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, and China Stem Cell Group. Through this strategic partnership, Shanghai Kangjiansheng will collaboratively advance the R&D innovation and industrial application of key core technologies in the field of cell therapy, embarking on a new journey in the strategic emerging sector of the biopharmaceutical industry. Following the unveiling ceremony, the Scientific Committee on Cell Therapy of Kangjiansheng was officially established and convened its inaugural meeting. As the scientific advisory body of Shanghai Kangjiansheng, the committee comprises senior experts with extensive clinical experience, a strong track record in innovative R&D, and significant influence. It will pool wisdom and resources to provide robust intellectual support and strategic guidance for the company’s innovative development.

As a new landmark of Zhangjiang Science City, Shanghai Frontier Park has received strong support from relevant departments and stakeholders since its planning and construction began. Wu Jincheng stated that Zhangjiang Science City is the core cluster for the development of Shanghai’s biopharmaceutical industry. Under the coordinated promotion of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, Pudong New Area has continuously optimized its business environment to support the agglomeration and development of leading industry enterprises in Zhangjiang Science City. Relying on Shanghai Frontier, Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd. (SIIC) and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals are building an open-source innovation ecosystem, actively playing the role of “chain leaders.” By integrating various innovation elements from industry, academia, research, medicine, and capital, they are streamlining all links from R&D innovation to product manufacturing and market promotion. This will serve as a demonstration and guide in advancing the transformation and industrialization of innovative achievements. Pudong New Area will further support various industry-related entities in carrying out innovative research and achieving outcome transformation. It is hoped that Shanghai Frontier and Kangjian Sheng will become the most important and core base, as well as the most prominent and innovative brand, of Zhangjiang Pharma Valley. We also sincerely welcome innovative global industry teams to join hands with Pudong and Zhangjiang to usher in a new chapter in the development of the biopharmaceutical industry.

In his welcome address, Leng Weiqing stated that Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd. (SIIC Group) has always adhered to serving national strategies and Shanghai’s development, firmly pursuing a path of high-tech and high-quality growth. With Shanghai Pharmaceuticals as its core platform, the group focuses on developing the life and health industry. On the fertile ground of Zhangjiang for biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship, we aim to leverage Shanghai Frontier as a vehicle, benchmark against international best practices, and employ market-oriented operations to build a world-class service platform for biomedical innovation incubation, translation, and industrialization. By establishing the “One Table” mechanism, we seek to promote the synergistic aggregation of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain, jointly constructing a vibrant biomedical innovation ecosystem. Guided by clinical needs, we will strengthen empowerment through key elements to accelerate the translation of scientific achievements from laboratories to practical applications, truly benefiting public health. Meanwhile, leveraging the collaborative advantages between Shanghai and Hong Kong, we are actively laying out new tracks in cell therapy and accelerating technological innovation and industrial application. SIIC Group and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals are committed to working hand in hand with all sectors of the industry to excel in developing new quality productive forces, outline a blueprint for the high-quality development of the biomedical industry, and jointly create infinite possibilities for the future.

The opening of Shanghai Frontier and the unveiling of Shanghai Kangjiansheng mark a new journey for Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd. (SIIC Group) and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals in the field of biomedicine. Aligned with national strategies and market demands, Shanghai Frontier will provide robust resource support and professional services to resident enterprises, accelerating the translation of technological innovation achievements. Meanwhile, Shanghai Kangjiansheng will focus on the field of cell therapy, expediting technological innovation and industrial application to contribute to the cause of human health.

Shanghai Frontier, a biomedical innovation incubation and commercialization engine jointly established by Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, top-tier universities, and leading research institutions, has completed and commenced operations of its Phase I facility, featuring 120,000 square meters of space for scientific and technological innovation. Shanghai Frontier aggregates innovative elements from government, industry, academia, research, and capital. Adhering to the principles of leadership, synergy, support, integration, and co-creation, it is committed to building a practical and efficient innovation service ecosystem to help companies achieve rapid growth in a highly competitive market.

Shanghai Qianyan aggregates high-quality capital from industry leaders such as Shanghai International Group and the Shanghai Biopharmaceutical Fund, establishing an “Investor Center” for resident enterprises to provide multifaceted investment and financing opportunities through targeted referrals and face-to-face communications. By pooling resources including government guidance funds, venture capital, angel investors, institutional investors, translation funds, and high-net-worth individuals, Shanghai Qianyan builds a full-chain collaborative network encompassing incubation, investment, mergers, and acquisitions.

Shanghai Frontier has established the “Brand Hub” to build a platform dedicated to constructing professional resource networks and deepening industry influence for tenant companies. The park regularly hosts activities such as scientific seminars, academic forums, policy interpretations, project roadshows, and investor meet-and-greets, helping companies gain professional guidance, broaden their horizons, and strengthen collaborative ties in the biopharmaceutical sector.

“Resource Center” is a one-stop industrial chain support platform provided by Shanghai Frontier for resident enterprises. From toxicological analysis to marketing, Shanghai Frontier offers comprehensive services to help businesses optimize their cost structures, access high-quality services, and facilitate sustainable and efficient growth.

Innovative enterprises can submit their occupancy applications with a single click via the “Shanghai Frontier Mini Program,” enjoying comprehensive mobile platform support that includes information dissemination, application processing, and park services. The park is also equipped with a Smart Management and Operations Platform (SMOP) to provide efficient and flexible digital management. Currently, several innovative biopharmaceutical companies have successfully settled in the park. In the future, Shanghai Frontier will continue to attract more partners to jointly build a sustainable and vibrant innovation ecosystem for life sciences.

Shanghai Kangjiansheng Targets the New Frontier of Cell TherapyLed by Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, and in partnership with Ruijin Hospital, the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, and the Stem Cell Group, Shanghai Kangjiansheng leverages complementary strengths and shared resources to jointly advance the R&D innovation and industrialization of key core technologies in the field of cell therapy. Under the leadership of pioneering scientists and building on Shanghai Pharmaceuticals’ existing foundation, Shanghai Kangjiansheng will establish multiple specialized joint laboratories to actively explore new models of collaboration in cell therapy.