Third Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley Development Forum and Health Industry Research Achievements Release Event Held in Chengdu
In accordance with the spirit of the 8th Plenary Session of the 11th Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the 8th Plenary Session of the 13th Chengdu Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the central, provincial, and municipal economic work conferences, and based on innovation-driven technological advancement, Wuhou District of Chengdu, in collaboration with Sichuan University, West China Hospital, West China Hospital of Stomatology, West China Second University Hospital, and West China Fourth Hospital, jointly hosted the “3rd ‘Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley’ Development Forum and ‘One University and Four Hospitals’ Health Industry Scientific Research Achievements Launch Event” on December 30. The event aimed to promote in-depth cooperation among universities, hospitals, enterprises, and local governments, facilitate the translation of scientific research achievements, and support the development of the Huaxi Great Health Industry Functional Zone in Wuhou District.
The event comprises three segments: the main forum, parallel forums, and an online showcase of achievements. Renowned experts in healthcare, leading industry enterprises, and investment institutions from related fields have gathered in Wuhou to explore the frontiers of the general health industry’s development, promote the establishment of the “West China International Smart Medical Valley” think tank, and build an integrated comprehensive technological innovation service platform for the West China health industry.
In the Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Healthy China was officially elevated to a national strategy, ushering in a golden opportunity for the broad health industry. As one of the regions with the most concentrated medical resources in central and western China, Wuhou District has leveraged the Huaxi Health Industry Functional Zone as its carrier and introduced a series of supportive policies to effectively promote the clustered development of the health industry. In recent years, relying on high-quality medical resources such as West China Hospital, the industrial functional zone has actively developed high-end sectors including precision medicine, smart healthcare, and international medical services. It has accelerated the construction of the “Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley,” facilitating the signing of 42 key projects with a total investment of RMB 70 billion.
At this year’s Central Economic Work Conference, “strengthening national strategic scientific and technological capabilities” was listed as the top priority for key tasks in the coming year, setting higher requirements for scientific and technological innovation and charting the course for industrial upgrading and development. At this forum, Wei Yuquan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Sichuan University; Zhang Xingdong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Honorary Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials at Sichuan University; along with numerous experts from West China Hospital, West China School of Stomatology, West China Second University Hospital, and West China Fourth Hospital of Sichuan University, were appointed by Wuhou District as “Think Tank Experts of the Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley.” Together, they will facilitate the transfer and commercialization of scientific and technological innovations within the Huaxi Grand Health Industry Functional Zone.
“We believe the expert think tank will play a positive role in supporting government decision-making and promoting the development of the broader health industry,” said an official from Wuhou District. The district will leverage the expert think tank to comprehensively enhance policy research, decision-making consultation, and achievement commercialization for the broader health industry, thereby exploring new pathways for innovative development in Wuhou’s broader health sector and ushering in a new chapter for the construction of the “Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley.”
The “Healthy China” national strategy relies on industrialization for its realization, and the broader health industry has gradually become a new engine for economic development. The focal point of this forum is how Wuhou District can fully leverage the scientific, educational, and research resources of Sichuan University and West China Hospital within its jurisdiction to promote the optimized allocation of research capabilities and resource sharing.
The 8th Plenary Session of the 13th Chengdu Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed enhancing the capacity for scientific and technological innovation sourcing, strengthening strategic and frontier technological innovations, and promoting the deep integration of innovation chains with industrial chains. Wuhou District, in collaboration with Sichuan University and its four affiliated West China hospitals, jointly established the West China Health Industry Scientific Research Achievement Release Platform. This platform guides the deep alignment of health industry research outcomes with market demands, forming a comprehensive service system covering business, government affairs, legal, and financial services. It establishes channels for collaborative innovation between medical R&D and market applications, strengthens industrial chains, and builds a “government-industry-academia-research-capital” ecosystem for the big health industry.
Following the platform’s launch, enterprises and investment institutions can access the Integrated Comprehensive Technology Innovation Service Platform for the Huaxi Health Industry Circle by clicking through the Wuhou District People’s Government portal or the official WeChat account of the Wuhou District West China Grand Health Industry Functional Zone. Users can review cutting-edge scientific research achievements and contact the publishing institutions via dedicated sections to explore collaboration opportunities. A representative from Sichuan University stated that the platform will play a significant role in facilitating deep integration between medical research outcomes, industry, and the market, ensuring that achievements in the grand health sector are practically applicable and market-oriented.
At the event, professors and researchers from the “One University, Four Hospitals” consortium unveiled their achievements, covering fields such as high-end healthcare, smart healthcare, medical aesthetics, and pharmaceutical R&D. These research outcomes, notable for both their substantial value and innovative edge, fully demonstrated to attendees the boundless potential of the big health industry driven by technological innovation.
As one of Chengdu’s 66 industrial functional zones, the West China Great Health Industrial Functional Zone is positioned as the “Western Great Health Living City.” It serves as the primary host area for Chengdu’s internationally renowned medical center and the international “Capital of Medical Aesthetics,” while providing strategic support for the pharmaceutical and health industries. In recent years, Wuhou District has partnered with Sichuan University to co-establish the “West China International Smart Medical Valley,” launching a series of flagship projects such as the “Wuhou–West China Women’s and Children’s Alliance,” the “National Major Science and Technology Project on Translational Medicine in Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University,” and the “Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Industry Incubation Park,” thereby ushering in a new chapter in university–hospital–local government collaboration.
At the forum, representatives from enterprises in the functional zones and Sichuan University’s sci-tech innovation teams shared their firsthand experiences, highlighting successful cases of university–industry collaboration in translating scientific research achievements into practical applications during the development of the “Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley.”
It is reported that to further leverage the principal role of enterprises in technological innovation, the Huaxi Health Industry Functional Zone will establish a “1-3-6” industrial framework—comprising “one power source, three key industries, and six coordinated centers”—along with a spatial layout characterized by “one valley, one axis, one park, and multiple nodes.” Within this industrial framework, the “power source” refers to innovation resources represented by Sichuan University and the four affiliated hospitals of West China Hospital. In terms of spatial layout, the “one valley” denotes the “Huaxi International Smart Medical Valley.”
“With government support, scientific research backing, corporate assistance, and market demand, Wuhou District will certainly continue to drive the vigorous development of the big health industry,” said Wang Huitang, Chief Technology Officer of Sichuan Meikeqi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. He noted that an increasing number of health-related scientific achievements will be implemented in the West China Big Health Industry Functional Zone, emphasizing the need to seize opportunities and achieve scalable growth alongside industrial agglomeration.
At the main forum, Wei Yuquan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, professor and doctoral supervisor at Sichuan University, was invited to deliver a keynote speech titled “Insights from the Path of COVID-19 Vaccine Development.” In the afternoon, parallel sessions were live-streamed online, focusing on three themes: frontier biotechnology and disease mechanism research, gene-cell and immunotherapy research, and targeted drug therapy research. The special forum on international technology transfer attracted experts from Japan’s health sector to engage in remote exchanges.