Synthetic Biology Industrial Innovation Development Forum: Accelerating Commercialization and Unlocking the Potential of Synthetic Biology
According to the “Q4 2021 Synthetic Biology Venture Capital Report” published by the U.S.-based synthetic biology media outlet SynBioBeta, 2021 was the best year on record for overall investment trends in synthetic biology startups, with total funding reaching nearly $18 billion—almost equivalent to the cumulative amount raised in all prior years since the field’s emergence in 2009. Entering 2022, the synthetic biology industry has entered a growth phase, with its momentum spreading not only from the United States to China but also from secondary markets to primary markets, driving total financing to continued record highs.
CB Insights predicts that the market size of synthetic biology in healthcare will reach $5 billion in 2024, indicating significant market potential. The synthetic biology sector in healthcare exhibits a vertically integrated industrial chain, primarily categorized into upstream tool providers, midstream platform companies, and downstream product developers. Among various downstream pharmaceutical applications, synthetic biology has made positive strides in drug synthesis, medical aesthetics, and innovative therapies.
Co-organized by the 7th Future Healthcare Top 100 ConferenceHengxu CapitalHostForum on the Innovative Development of the Synthetic Biology Industry, we will invite guests from industry, academia, and investment sectors to jointly discuss China’s synthetic biology technologies, industrial applications, development trends, and investment strategies, providing a platform for industry exchange and sharing to foster technological innovation and collaborative development across the synthetic biology value chain in the healthcare sector.
I. Forum Highlights:
(I) Synthetic Intelligence: Development Trends and Investment Strategies
In 2004, MIT Technology Review named synthetic biology one of the ten emerging technologies that would change the world. Guided by national macro-strategies, research and industrial development in synthetic biology have advanced rapidly in recent years, with multiple related research centers and key laboratories established. In the past few years, driven by advancements in foundational technologies such as gene editing and genetic testing, along with reduced costs and improved efficiency, scientific achievements in synthetic biology have increasingly been translated into industrial applications. Coupled with supportive national policies and the inspiration drawn from successful commercial cases, this field has attracted significant attention from investors. Although Zymergen and Ginkgo Bioworks previously faced sharp declines in market capitalization in the secondary market, development of companies in the synthetic biology sector and investments in this direction remain robust in the primary market. What is the allure of synthetic biology that drives strong investor interest? Amidst the hype, what should be invested in, and how? This forum will guide participants in exploring these answers.
(3) Creation for Utility: Industrial Applications and the Innovation Landscape
Standing at the forefront of policy and capital, the blueprint for the synthetic biology industry has been drawn, positioning it as a sector with immense growth potential. Although synthetic biology is a cutting-edge field, it is already widely applied across multiple domains, including biomedicine, materials and chemical engineering, agriculture, food, energy, and environmental protection. Biopharmaceuticals represent one of the most extensive application areas for synthetic biology, facilitating drug production, medical diagnostics, and the development of therapeutic methods. This encompasses products such as disease diagnostics, vaccines, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, gene therapies, and cell engineering. The forum will also invite innovative enterprises to share their applications and practical innovations.
(3) All Things Thriving: Breakthroughs and Bottlenecks Amid Technological Leaps
Synthetic biology marks the third biotechnology revolution, following the discovery of the DNA double helix structure and the Human Genome Project, characterized by the engineering-driven design and synthesis of genomes. As a disruptive emerging technology, synthetic biology in China presents both opportunities and challenges. While a robust ecosystem has already taken shape in certain upstream and downstream sectors—such as the biopharmaceutical industry, which has established a CXO (Contract X Organization) collaboration model—complete ecological systems have yet to be formed in agriculture and biomanufacturing. Meanwhile, the field faces safety and ethical challenges. How sustainable and far-reaching will the synthetic biology industry be? The forum will also discuss breakthroughs and bottlenecks amidst technological leaps in the industry.
II.Forum Introduction
Forum Schedule:May 5–7, 2023
Forum Location:Shanghai · Zhangjiang Science Hall
Forum Organizer:VB100, VCBeat, Eggshell Institute
Co-organized by:Hengxu Capital
Corporate Representatives Present:Yixi Bio
※ Listed in alphabetical order by company name; no ranking is implied. Additional companies are being confirmed.
Agenda Planning:
Frontier Advances and Technological Applications of Synthetic Biology in the Field of Life and Health
From the Lab to the Production Line: How to Cross the Valley of Death in Synthetic Biology Commercialization?
Synthetic Biology in the Spotlight: What to Invest In and How?
Breakthroughs in Foundational Technologies: How to Build a Standardized Platform for Synthetic Biology?
Beauty by Design: Synthetic Biology Unlocks New Possibilities in Medical Aesthetics
How Synthetic Biology Is Disrupting Innovation in Pharmaceutical R&D?
Exploring New Forms of Life Through Research and Imagination
The Innovation Landscape of Synthetic Biology Amid Technological Leaps
※ The proposed agenda is for reference only; the final agenda is subject to on-site confirmation.
