Zhuhai Jinwan District Accelerates High-Quality Development of Biopharmaceutical Industry with Comprehensive Upstream-Downstream Chain Integration

In the public perception, Zhuhai is a livable city born of the sea. With its extensive coastline and 146 islands of varying sizes, it enjoys the reputation of being the “City of a Hundred Islands.”

In fact, Zhuhai is a city of industrial innovation and development.As early as 2006, Zhuhai incorporated “Strengthening the City through Industry” into its strategic planning. In 2021, at the Ninth Congress of the Communist Party of China in Zhuhai Municipality, “Industry First” was repeatedly highlighted as a key buzzword.

The biomedical industry is one of the key sectors that Zhuhai has strategically prioritized in recent years, achieving steady growth. In 2022, the cumulative industrial value added of Zhuhai’s biomedical industry reached RMB 11.229 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.8%, which was 16.9 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the industrial value added of enterprises above designated size in the city.

Currently, Zhuhai has basically established a biomedical industry system with pharmaceutical manufacturing as the mainstay, medical devices as support, and health supplements and cosmetics as distinctive features. Leading enterprises such as Livzon, United Laboratories, Hejia Medical, Biolight, and By-Health have demonstrated significant driving effects, while emerging companies like Rundu Pharmaceutical and Jafron Biomedical are experiencing rapid growth.

However, despite the strong performance of leading enterprises and the accelerating growth of the industry, structural weaknesses in the industrial chain persist.How to revitalize existing advantageous resources and build an industrial chain ecosystem cluster has become the top priority for driving sustained innovation.

Since 2020, Zhuhai City has intensively rolled out a series of biopharmaceutical policies, including the Several Measures of Zhuhai City to Promote the Development of the Biopharmaceutical Industry and the Detailed Implementation Rules for the Administration of Special Funds for High-Quality Development of the Real Economy (for Promoting the Development of the Biopharmaceutical Industry) of Zhuhai City. These initiatives have further facilitated the construction and improvement of the upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain, thereby accelerating the development of the biopharmaceutical industry.

VCBeat observed that,Jinwan DistrictAs the largest, highest-output, and most maturely supported biopharmaceutical industry cluster in Zhuhai, attracting Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, The United Laboratories, Rundu Pharmaceutical, Yibang Pharmaceutical, Kindly Medical, and By-Health, among othersMore than 120 renowned companies in the biopharmaceutical industry,A comprehensive, integrated industrial chain encompassing biopharmaceuticals, chemical drugs, medical devices, and health supplements is taking shape.

Jinwan Biopharmaceutical Base

So, what exactly is the appeal of Jinwan as a hotbed for industrial development? Against the backdrop of Zhuhai’s intensified campaign to strengthen its industries, how is Jinwan District leveraging its own advantages to drive a new pattern of high-quality development?

Jinwan is one of the earliest regions in China to develop the pharmaceutical industry, with a history dating back 20 years.

At that time, the Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University was successfully established in Jinwan District, Zhuhai City. In the same year, Sanzao Town in Zhuhai introduced its first biopharmaceutical enterprise. The integration of talent and platforms unlocked the tremendous potential for developing the biopharmaceutical industry in Jinwan District, Zhuhai City.

In 1992, Zhuhai pioneered the practice of awarding substantial prizes for scientific and technological achievements. Among the three grand prizes awarded in the inaugural ceremony, two were granted to pharmaceutical projects, both originating from enterprises located in Jinwan. Jinwan’s biomedical industry developed early, securing first-mover advantages and robust industrial strengths. It has since formed a comprehensive industrial ecosystem integrating research and development, manufacturing, and logistics, represented by listed companies such as Livzon, United Laboratories, Rundu, and By-Health.

None of this would have been possible without the multifaceted support Jinwan has provided over the years in areas such as policy, funding, talent, and services.Policy level,JinwanThe district has introduced multiple financial policies, including the “Interim Measures for the Administration of Special Support Funds for Loan Refinancing in Jinwan District,” to alleviate difficulties faced by biopharmaceutical enterprises within the district in areas such as short-term working capital turnover, bank loan refinancing, and listing on stock exchanges. These measures aim to encourage and support listed companies in leveraging multi-tiered capital markets to enhance their competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth.

From a funding perspective,Jinwan District Continuously Improves Its Investment and Financing Environment, by connecting with financial institutions both within and outside the region, to enhance the capacity of financial services to support the real economy,and explore the launch of Completed Operations Liability Insurance for life science products (Clinical Trial Liability Insurance) to address key challenges and pain points in corporate development, thereby guiding the biopharmaceutical industry in Jinwan District, Zhuhai City, into a new stage of high-quality development.

In terms of talent, Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, Zunyi Medical University, United International College, etc.Ten universities are located here,A reserve talent pool of over 140,000 professionals in biology, chemical engineering, clinical medicine, and biopharmaceuticals, capable of meeting the demand for supporting talent in the biopharmaceutical industry.

In terms of platforms, the Zhuhai International Health Port hosts the Biopharmaceutical Testing and Inspection Center, the Medical Animal Experiment Center, the Guangdong Provincial Food and Drug Evaluation and Certification Sub-Center, the Clinical Trial Center, and the GMP Training and Education Center.The five major public service platforms, along with the Zhuhai Institute of Molecular Imaging Innovation and the Public Pharmaceutical Experimental Platform, will also drive innovation and leapfrog development in Jinwan District’s biopharmaceutical industry.

Health Port Spatial Layout

To date, Jinwan District has established a total of one national key laboratory, six public service and innovation platforms for the biopharmaceutical industry, 24 national, provincial, and municipal enterprise technology centers and engineering centers, two university-affiliated public biopharmaceutical laboratories, seven postdoctoral research workstations, and one national demonstration base for new-type industrialization.

It is worth mentioning that the Zhuhai Jinwan Biomedical Industry Research Institute, jointly established by the Jinwan District Government and Zunyi Medical University,Aiming to build a collaborative innovation center for the biopharmaceutical industry serving the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, breaking down resource barriers among universities, enterprises, and local governments., thereby generating “new vitality” to promote the development of the biopharmaceutical industry in Jinwan District, Zhuhai City.

Currently, the Phase I Analytical Testing Center of the Research Institute is fully operational, equipped with a total of 59 instruments for mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and other analytical techniques, with a total value of nearly RMB 30 million. The center provides four core services: testing and analysis, technical support, instrument sharing, and technology transfer, delivering rapid, objective, impartial, and authoritative analytical reports.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Exhibition Hall of Zhuhai Jinwan Biomedical Industry Research Institute

Policy guidance, financial support, and platform empowerment... the strategy of “building a nest to attract the phoenix” has been successfully implemented.A high-quality industrial ecosystem and service system will become the “gold-standard brand” of Jinwan District’s biomedical industry, facilitating its high-quality development.

In recent years, Jinwan District has accelerated the construction of“Dual-Drive Model of Modern Industrial System + Industry 5.0 New Spaces”, has engaged in comprehensive cooperation with enterprises such as Huafa Group, Gree Group, Hengqin Golden Investment Group, and Jinhang Group in the fields of industrial park development, supporting facilities, and operations, and has successively invested in and constructed Phase I of Zhuhai International Health Port, Phase II (South Expansion Area) of Health Port, and Jinqin Health Port.

The three parks have distinct functional and industrial positioning. Phase I of the Zhuhai International Health Port is positioned as a comprehensive platform, Phase II as a production-oriented park, and the Jinqin Health Port serves as an expanded GMP production area.Complementary advantages among industrial parks will unlock broad prospects for the development of the biopharmaceutical industry in Jinwan, by proactively engaging and attracting upstream and downstream enterprises to address gaps in the industrial chain.

Health Port Plant

In 2018, Phase I of Zhuhai International Health Port was successfully launched, and it has successively received honors and qualifications such as the Zhuhai Public Service Demonstration Platform for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the Guangdong Provincial Demonstration Base for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of Small and Micro Enterprises, and the Guangdong Provincial Postdoctoral Workstation.

This modern biomedical industrial park, built to high standards, quickly became a well-known industry platform, successively attracting renowned pharmaceutical companies such as TrinoMab and Kintor Pharmaceutical.

Health Port R&D Building

Meanwhile, to expand the industrial space of the International Health Port and bolster production capabilities, Phase II of the Health Port (Southern Expansion Area) is being planned and constructed as a manufacturing base for biologics, high-end formulations, medical devices, and health supplements. Reportedly, the project covers a planned land area of 44,900 square meters, with a total gross floor area of 96,200 square meters and a total investment of approximately RMB 442 million. It will comprise ten individual buildings, including seven GMP-compliant manufacturing facilities, one comprehensive building, and ancillary structures such as a reagent warehouse and a wastewater treatment plant.

Health Port Phase II Rendering

In May 2022, the JinQin Health Port project, jointly invested and constructed by Hengqin Financial Investment Group Co., Ltd. and Zhuhai Jinhang Industrial Investment Group Co., Ltd., broke ground. As a demonstration project for collaboration between municipal-level and district-level state-owned enterprises, JinQin Health Port is positioned as a high-end, international comprehensive platform integrating industry, academia, research, sales, and services for biopharmaceuticals and high-end medical devices, aiming to establish a new hub for the pharmaceutical industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Zhuhai Jinqin Health Port Park

Located on the north side of Zhuhai International Health Port, this industrial park is dedicated to the development of the biopharmaceutical and high-end medical device industries. The planned construction includes four high-rise factory buildings, 30 multi-story factory buildings, a government service platform, and supporting facilities for production and daily life. It will meet the demand for GMP-compliant factory spaces for biopharmaceutical projects settling in Zhuhai, providing spatial support for the subsequent introduction and incubation of emerging high-quality enterprises. The “pin”-shaped (triangular) layout of the factory buildings allows for flexible configurations that can be either separated or combined. High-standard production supporting facilities will facilitate high-quality enterprise development. To date, topping-out ceremonies have been completed for 12 factory buildings, with a total floor area of nearly 190,000 square meters.

Jinqin Health Port Master Plan

Furthermore, leveraging its strengths in equity investment and debt financing—spanning industrial investment, financial leasing, and commercial factoring—Hengqin Financial Investment Group will harness the synergistic advantages of “investment-loan linkage” to build an endogenous closed-loop industry chain integrating “equity investment + capital-driven investment promotion + financial services + park operations,” thereby providing full-lifecycle development support for enterprises stationed in the Jinqin Health Port Park. Notably, with years of deep-rooted presence in Hengqin and a focus on Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation, the Group will fully capitalize on the unique policy, locational, and industrial foundation advantages of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, Zhuhai City, and Jinwan District, to achieve synergy between industry and investment and forge a robust biomedical industry chain.

It is clear that Jinwan District has sounded the clarion call and made full preparations for industrial development across policy, funding, platform, and service dimensions.As the industrial service ecosystem continues to improve and optimize, Zhuhai’s biopharmaceutical industry holds boundless opportunities for the future.

Looking to the future, Jinwan District will continue to attract key biopharmaceutical enterprises, high-end R&D centers, and industrial technology R&D platforms to establish a presence, expand the scale of its industry, and accelerate the formation of competitive industrial clusters. The district is committed to building its biopharmaceutical sector into a nationally renowned hub of excellence, with the goal of achieving a cluster valued at over RMB 100 billion.

“Harnessing the Wind’s Momentum” — To seize the golden period of industrial development, empower the implementation and clustered growth of the biopharmaceutical industry, and gain insights into investment opportunities and emerging trends, the “Two Seas Join Hands, Win-Win Future” Zhuhai Jinwan District Biopharmaceutical Investment Environment Promotion Conference will be held in Shanghai on April 26. The event is hosted by Jinwan District of Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, and Zhuhai Economic and Technological Development Zone, with co-organization by Hengqin Financial Investment Group Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Jinhang Industrial Investment Group Co., Ltd., and Zhuhai Jinwan District Industrial Investment Promotion Co., Ltd.