Nanning High-tech Zone Emerges as a New Landmark in China's Biopharmaceutical Industry with Over 1,500 Leading Enterprises

In recent years, as the national policy of “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” has been vigorously promoted and deeply implemented, developing industrial economies and driving industrial transformation and upgrading have become the “centerpiece” of regional development. In this context, industrial parks, leveraging multiple advantages such as government support, resource integration, production capacity agglomeration, and concentrated ecosystem building, have gained favor among many large and innovative enterprises. They are gradually becoming the “backbone” force in supporting enterprise growth and accelerating the commercialization of market outcomes.

AsGuangxi’s First Industrial Park with Annual Output Value Exceeding RMB 100 BillionNanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is arguably the most shining pearl on the industrial pillar chain of Guangxi. Established in 1988, the zone was approved by the State Council in 1992 as a national-level high-tech industrial development zone. With a current planned area of 182.15 square kilometers, it administers five districts: Xinxu, Anning, Xiangsi Lake, the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and Wuming Industrial Park. These areas adopt differentiated positioning to promote coordinated and orderly development.

Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone boasts a solid industrial foundation and distinct industrial characteristics, having cultivated and supported a cohort of enterprises with independent innovation capabilities and international competitiveness.A core industrial cluster dominated by next-generation information technology, biomedicine, and intelligent manufacturing has been established, gradually becoming an important strategic hub for the development of high-tech industries in Nanning and even Guangxi, as well as a new window for opening up to the outside world.

Within the main industrial chain, the biopharmaceutical sector has drawn particular attention. Leveraging Guangxi’s abundant medicinal herb resources and guided by multiple policy initiatives, the biopharmaceutical industry in Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has developed rapidly,The industrial park is home to more than 1,500 biopharmaceutical companies, whose output accounts for over 30% of the total output value of the three leading industries in the High-Tech Zone. This sector represents a core business segment within the park, characterized by significant commercial value and substantial market potential.

Everything has its causes and effects. Behind the vast industrial clusters and revenue chains, what precise strategic layouts has Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone implemented in the biopharmaceutical sector, and what supporting services have attracted numerous enterprises to flock there? Furthermore, standing at the threshold of a new era, how will Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, with its focus on the biopharmaceutical field, chart its future course?

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is one of China’s four major medicinal material production areas, boasting as many as 5,996 species of medicinal plants and earning the reputations of “Natural Medicine Warehouse,” “Biological Resource Gene Bank,” and “Hometown of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials.” Leveraging its unique resource advantages, Guangxi is striving to build an ecosystem for the biopharmaceutical industry, thereby promoting specialized, large-scale, and clustered industrial development.

Driven by the dual advantages of favorable policies and abundant resources, the biopharmaceutical industry in Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has achieved a qualitative leap in recent years.In terms of the number of enterprises, the industrial park currently hosts approximately 1,500 biopharmaceutical companies, including 1,220 biotechnology firms, 83 pharmaceutical and drug R&D companies, 14 medical testing laboratories, and 136 medical device manufacturers. Regarding invention patents, from January to October 2020, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone filed 1,670 invention patent applications, accounting for 43.04% of the city’s total, and was granted 495 invention patents, representing 45.28% of the city’s total.

In specialized industry sectors, the Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has attracted renowned domestic enterprises such as Hanhe Biotech, Mouhe Protein, and Zhongce Biotech by leveraging high-quality, efficient, and specialized services. This development has undoubtedly strengthened the zone’s overall competitiveness in the biopharmaceutical sector and provided impetus for building a robust industrial ecosystem.

In addition, the Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone also serves as a “cradle” for innovative enterprises to thrive. Newly established companies such as Pudienwei, Taimei Life, and Zhendi Biotech, which have recently settled in the zone, are all emerging enterprises founded within the past two years.

To promote the agglomeration of innovation and better serve the entrepreneurial and innovative activities of these innovative enterprises, Nanning High-Tech Zone has constructed“Nanning Bio-Industry Innovation Center”. Located to the northwest of the High-Tech Industrial Park in the High-Tech Zone, this park serves as the core area for the biopharmaceutical industry cluster in the zone. Covering an area of approximately 50 mu with a total floor area of over 80,000 square meters, the park comprises one comprehensive R&D building and four standard factory buildings. With well-developed infrastructure, the facility is poised to provide high-quality services to enterprises.

Surrounding the Nanning Bio-industry Innovation Center are several high-tech industrial parks, including the Hede Sci-Tech Innovation Center, the Eco-Industrial Park, the Nanning·Zhongguancun Innovation Demonstration Base (Xiangsihu Area), and the Lihé Nanning Innovation Center. The enterprises stationed in these parks are technologically representative firms specializing in drug R&D, testing, and bio-fermentation, and have established technical collaborations with Guangxi University, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Guangxi Minzu University, and Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine. Furthermore, the park has established a Molecular Biology Testing Platform, a Public Platform for Microbial Fermentation Technology R&D, and a Public Platform for Research on Extraction of Active Plant Ingredients, providing outsourced services for testing and related technical research.

On the other hand, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is also making significant efforts in biopharmaceutical innovation.Currently, 2 National Engineering Research Centers, 25 Provincial Engineering Technology Research Centers, 15 Provincial Enterprise Technology Centers, 2 New-type Industrial Technology Research Institutions, 1 Bioengineering Technology Service Platform, 10 Key Laboratories at or above the provincial level, 4 Academician Workstations, and 11 Cluster Industry Alliance Organizations have been established, providing full-process incubation and acceleration services for the growth of biopharmaceutical enterprises.

Industrial parks serve as crucial spatial vehicles for industrial agglomeration, with their core value lying in fostering industrial development. Therefore, establishing robust service mechanisms not only enables enterprises within the park to enter a stage of high-quality development but also further enhances the overall value of the park.

The reason why the biopharmaceutical industry in Nanning High-Tech Zone has become one of the three core pillars of the park is precisely due to its precise support and personalized investment in various service sectors.

First, strong policy support.In recent years, Guangxi has made concerted efforts to build a biomedical and pharmaceutical industry system with an output value of hundreds of billions of yuan, thereby continuously strengthening its policy support. Guiding opinions and policies such as the Implementation Plan for the Leapfrog Development of Guangxi’s Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Several Policies of the Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone Management Committee on Promoting Enterprise Innovation and Development, and Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Inheritance, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuang Medicine, and Yao Medicine have been successively promulgated and implemented, injecting a “powerful stimulant” into the rapid development of enterprises.

Second, the agglomeration of scientific and technological talent.The park is home to 37 higher education institutions and research organizations, with more than 120,000 scientific and technological professionals and researchers. To further strengthen its talent advantages and deepen reforms in the systems and mechanisms for talent development, Nanning City has issued the “1+6” policy documents on talent and implemented a series of talent initiatives, including the “Yongjiang Plan,” the “Breakthrough Plan” for top-tier talents, and the “Hundred Talents Plan” for overseas professionals.

Third, it is supported by a professional team.Upholding its service mission of empowering enterprise development, the industrial park has meticulously assembled a highly experienced service team and established an Administrative Approval Bureau. The bureau operates over 70 service counters covering areas such as business registration, taxation, project approval, urban planning, land resources, construction, environmental protection, and fire safety, providing enterprises with one-stop administrative approval services.

Fourth, financial services are precisely targeted.In terms of investment and financing, Nanning High-Tech Zone, in collaboration with entities such as the Nanning Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, established the Nanning High-Tech Industrial Enterprise Development Investment Fund with a total scale of RMB 1 billion. Additionally, it jointly set up an angel fund worth RMB 20 million with the Nanning Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and Lihua Group to support the accelerated development of technological innovation enterprises. Regarding capital circulation, Guangxi’s first technology-focused sub-branch—Guilin Bank Nanning Technology Sub-branch—was established in Nanning High-Tech Zone. Guilin Bank’s technology sub-branches have subsequently launched nearly 20 series of financial products tailored for technology enterprises, including the “Sci-Tech Innovation Express.” In terms of taxation, the industrial park has integrated a series of preferential tax policies, significantly reducing the tax burden on enterprises.

Fifth, adhere to innovation-driven development.Innovation has always been an essential element of development. As of the end of October 2020, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone held 4,482 valid invention patents, accounting for 52.05% of the city’s total. The zone is home to 21 “Guangxi Gazelle Enterprises” and 420 high-tech enterprises, with the number of enterprises maintaining rapid growth. In addition, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has established 27 innovation platforms, with a total floor area exceeding one million square meters, gradually forming an innovation cluster around the Mingyue Lake area.

The specialized supporting services have earned Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone consistent recognition from enterprises.

Luo Peifan, General Manager of Hanhe Biotechnology, told VCBeat: “As a key base for the development of high-tech industries in the autonomous region, the industrial park has formulated a range of policies to support the innovative development of resident enterprises. These include supporting the establishment of technological innovation platforms, encouraging enterprises to develop independent intellectual property rights, apply for recognition as high-tech enterprises, carry out standardization work, and strive for honors. Meanwhile, the park actively promotes the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements and technology transactions, providing corresponding subsidies and rewards in these areas. It also offers development funding and financing guarantees for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), effectively enhancing their awareness of independent innovation, stimulating their innovative vitality, and reinforcing their commitment to implementing an innovation-driven development strategy. Furthermore, the park’s management system is streamlined and efficient, with its ‘one-stop’ service offering considerable convenience to enterprises.”

Wang Jinzi, General Manager of Yuemu Biotech, also spoke highly of the park: “The park demonstrates outstanding management and operational capabilities, providing enterprises with high-quality services that are both timely and tailored. Furthermore, the park effectively leverages the respective strengths of each enterprise to organically integrate resources, thereby establishing an ecological industrial chain and maximizing resource utilization. Relying on this operational mechanism, we have established collaborative partnerships with resident entities such as third-party animal disease testing service providers and the Institute of Marine Biological Industry at Guangxi Minzu University, achieving the current series of accomplishments.”

Since the introduction of the bioindustry development plan during China’s 12th Five-Year Plan period, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the bioindustry has exceeded 15%, demonstrating extremely rapid growth.In 2020, the scale of the bioindustry exceeded RMB 10 trillion for the first time, with its value added accounting for over 4% of GDP, thereby becoming a pillar industry of the national economy.

Leveraging a favorable market environment and unprecedented opportunities for development, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone will position the biopharmaceutical sector as a key driver of future growth. By capitalizing on its unique geographic advantages, robust economic momentum, and deepening China-ASEAN cooperation, the zone is committed to innovation-driven development, gradually establishing itself as a “new landmark” in the biopharmaceutical industry.

In terms of industrial planning, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone focuses its efforts precisely on five core sectors. The first isSpecialty Traditional Chinese Medicine: Centered on nationally exclusive, TCM-protected varieties, implement the strategy of major enterprises and flagship products. Second,Biopharmaceuticals: Focusing on core areas such as antibody drugs, recombinant proteins, and novel vaccines, accelerating the R&D and industrialization of new drugs under development, and fostering the clustered development of innovative drugs and biological products. Third,Health Supplements: Leveraging Guangxi Province’s major varieties of traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) materials and those TCM herbs approved for both medicinal and dietary use, design, establish, and organize the implementation of a series of new R&D and industrialization projects for major functional food products, with a focus on developing functional health foods primarily based on TCM herbs that are approved for both medicinal and dietary use. Fourthly,Health ServicesLeveraging Guangxi’s endowment advantages in traditional Chinese medicinal herb resources, and utilizing next-generation information technologies such as big data and cloud computing, we will establish subtropical life information biobanks, cell banks, and intelligent databases, while vigorously developing services including genetic testing, cell therapy, and health rehabilitation. Fifth,Medical Devices: Focus on introducing mainstream mid-to-high-end medical equipment projects to build a new highland for medical devices oriented toward ASEAN.

Beyond its core sectors, the industrial park also warmly welcomes enterprises from other areas of biomedicine. Fu Hairong, Director of the Nanning New Technology Entrepreneurs Center, stated, “The Nanning High-Tech Zone will not turn away any biopharmaceutical company with innovative capabilities. On the contrary, it will attract such innovative enterprises to settle in the park by strengthening support measures. This approach not only helps these companies ‘take root and flourish,’ but also establishes a more comprehensive service network for the development of the park’s industrial ecosystem, creating a win-win situation desired by both parties.”

It is worth noting that Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone will also make precise layout along the industrial chain. Fu Hairong told VCBeat, “Relying on innovation platforms such as the Nanning-Zhongguancun Innovation Demonstration Base, Nanning Bio-industry Innovation Center, Eco-Industrial Park, and Lihua Nanning Innovation Center, Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone will prioritize support for pharmaceutical R&D enterprises and scientific research institutions, encouraging and supporting companies to carry out research on stem cell and immune cell technologies, as well as the research and industrialization of products such as biological enzyme preparations, microbial preparations, chemical reagents, and additives. Meanwhile,”Actively introduce “Internet + Healthcare” enterprises, establish collaborative platforms for pharmaceutical distributors, medical institutions, and e-commerce companies, promote efficient integration across all segments, and gradually build a healthcare technology service industrial chain with R&D as the driver, manufacturing as the core, and medical testing as the market endpoint.”

Standing at the present, Nanning High-Tech Zone has already taken action.

To accelerate the clustering of innovation and entrepreneurship projects in the bio-industry, the Administrative Committee of Nanning High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has specially planned“2020-2021 China Biotech Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project Express”, soliciting outstanding projects, talents, and enterprises in the bio-industry across China to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and excellence in the development of China's bio-industry.

It is understood that this “Direct Train” initiative focuses on nine key sectors: medical diagnostics, innovative drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, biological enzymes and the enzyme industry, medical services, bio-environmental protection, biomanufacturing, bio-agriculture, and smart agriculture. The program establishes the “Outstanding Project Award” and the “Yongjiang Talent Award,” and aims to empower enterprise development through multi-dimensional support, including financing matchmaking, operational guidance, entrepreneurship training, innovation acceleration, and business collaboration matchmaking.