Pandemic Accelerates International Collaboration in Life Sciences: Wuxi Innovation Park Resumes Over 90% Operations

Wuxi, China, April 2, 2020 — As the global pandemic continues to escalate, industries across the board are facing unprecedented challenges. Today,Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park I·Campus、UK BioIndustry Association (BIA)、AstraZenecaCo-organized an online thematic seminar, inviting experts from the United Kingdom and China in the fields of life sciences, healthcare industry, and financial investment to jointly discuss the challenges and opportunities brought by the pandemic to the life sciences sector. Participants unanimously agreed that the pandemic has urgently called for international cooperation in the life sciences field, while also presenting new topics and development opportunities for enterprises in this sector.

(Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park I·Campus)

At the conference, both Chinese and international attendees expressed that the pandemic has heightened expectations for the life sciences sector. Critical issues facing the industry include mitigating the impact of COVID-19, seizing post-pandemic opportunities, advancing digital healthcare, promoting industrial integration, and navigating globalization. Participants emphasized that global collaboration is essential to address these challenges effectively. Furthermore, they voiced confidence in the recovery and growth of the Chinese market following the pandemic. China is emerging as an influential hub for innovation, poised to inject new vitality into the global development of life sciences.

In this regard, Gao Yaguang, Deputy Mayor of Wuxi, stated, “The recent epidemic has heightened China’s awareness of the critical importance of the life sciences industry. While posing challenges to companies in the life sciences sector, the epidemic has also presented opportunities. Wuxi will continue to focus on building a robust life sciences industry chain, consistently create a favorable environment for the clustered development of its life sciences industry, intensify efforts to attract and implement high-quality projects from both domestic and international sources, and provide service platforms to benefit a wide range of enterprises.”

As one of the co-hosts of this conference, the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park represents another global strategic platform in Wuxi’s efforts to build a biomedical industry cluster. Leveraging its pivotal strategic position within the Yangtze River Delta economic region, Wuxi has attracted and nurtured a cohort of cornerstone enterprises through its open-minded city spirit and high-quality business environment. Among these, the life sciences industry, led by biomedicine, has become a powerful engine in the global industrial chain.

Established in 2019 through a collaboration between the Wuxi Municipal Government, the Wuxi New District Government, and AstraZeneca, the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park is located in the Wuxi High-Tech Zone. With an international foundation and coverage of the entire life science lifecycle, the park aims to accelerate the incubation and implementation of global innovative achievements in China. Since its opening last September, the Innovation Park has rapidly garnered attention from numerous domestic and overseas innovative enterprises, attracting 17 companies from both home and abroad. These tenants span diverse frontier scientific research fields, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health. Amidst the pandemic, the Innovation Park has continued to demonstrate considerable vitality.

According to Gao Yaguang, Deputy Mayor of Wuxi City, the Wuxi New District actively implemented a series of measures during the pandemic to help resident life sciences companies overcome challenges. On one hand, it ensured their safe and continuous production, with the post-holiday resumption rate exceeding 90%. On the other hand, it served as a strong support system for these enterprises by helping those in difficulty secure raw materials and connect with sales channels, thereby safeguarding life sciences companies through the pandemic. “I hope that I·Campus Innovation Park will become the premier incubation platform for leading global life sciences companies entering China,” stated Deputy Mayor Gao.

As an overseas strategic partner of the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park, Steve Bates, CEO of the UK BioIndustry Association, also stated, “The pandemic has accelerated innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. I am honored to participate in today’s discussion and witness China’s continued vitality in the life sciences sector. It was highly engaging to hear Chinese enterprises share their measures for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is evident that we need to learn from international partners to develop global strategies for addressing this crisis. We believe that, in the future, more innovative companies from both home and abroad will enter China and achieve success through the platform provided by the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park.”

On how to seize future opportunities amid the pandemic, Dr. Ye Xiaoping, founder and chairman of Tigermed, one of the first companies to settle in the park, stated, “The pandemic has delivered a significant shock to industries across the board. In the field of life sciences research, there has never been a more pressing need for global collaboration to jointly address the crisis. As an open platform, the Wuxi International Life Sciences Innovation Park introduces international concepts and practices to China’s industry. In the future, it will also have the opportunity to incubate and export successful domestic models overseas, thereby paving more pathways for the sustainable development of life sciences.”

AstraZeneca is a co-founder of the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park. AstraZeneca has been committed to building a global ecosystem for life science innovation. Wang Lei, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca, President of International Business and China, stated, “Through this online seminar supported by AstraZeneca, we hope to leverage the strengths of the government and various multinational stakeholders to provide more insights into the sustainable development of the life sciences industry amid the pandemic. During the outbreak, we witnessed the Chinese government’s rapid response capabilities. With strong governmental support, our production and innovation base in Wuxi, as well as the promotion of the Wuxi Innovation Park, have continued without interruption. We believe that China’s industrial revitalization and continuous innovation hold significant potential in the post-pandemic era. We aim to continue leveraging Wuxi’s innovative environment and favorable policy landscape to help build an international innovation industrial park, creating a global hub for ‘life sciences’ and contributing to human health.”

It is reported that this month, AstraZeneca also organized a series of online academic conferences featuring clinical sharing and discussions on COVID-19, with the participation of tens of thousands of doctors and world-class health experts worldwide, providing strong support for global pandemic control. Top global experts from multiple countries, including China, Japan, Italy, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Brazil—such as Academician Zhong Nanshan and Professor Zhang Wenhong from China—shared and exchanged frontline experiences in combating the epidemic during the live broadcasts.

Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park was jointly established in 2019 by the Wuxi Municipal Government, Wuxi New District, and AstraZeneca. Located in Wuxi New District, the park features a core R&D area with a planned size of approximately 300,000 square meters. It aims to build an innovation incubation and acceleration platform covering the entire life science lifecycle—from R&D to incubation, and from demonstration to commercialization. The park encompasses key industry sectors including drug development, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. By gathering global innovative expertise, it provides comprehensive whole-disease-management solutions for Chinese patients and strives to become an internationally influential innovation industrial park with global impact.

AstraZeneca is a science-led global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of prescription medicines, with a primary focus on three major therapeutic areas: oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, and respiratory. With operations in more than 100 countries, AstraZeneca’s innovative medicines benefit millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visitwww.astrazeneca.com。

Since entering China in 1993, AstraZeneca has adhered to a science-first approach and prioritized innovation to meet the country’s growing health needs, striving to realize its ambitious vision of “pioneering innovation, benefiting patients, and becoming China’s most trusted healthcare partner.” Headquartered in Shanghai, AstraZeneca has established regional headquarters in Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, and employs more than 18,000 people across China. The company has invested in manufacturing bases in Wuxi and Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, and has established its China logistics center in Wuxi.

In China, AstraZeneca’s business focus is primarily concentrated on therapeutic areas with the most urgent patient needs, including respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, oncology, gastrointestinal, and renal diseases. In 2017, the China Health IoT Innovation Center was established in Wuxi, aiming to explore innovative integrated solutions for whole-disease management that combine Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled diagnosis and treatment. In the same year, AstraZeneca formed a joint venture with SDIC Innovation to establish Dizal (Jiangsu) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., accelerating the pace of local new drug research and development.

In 2019, AstraZeneca announced a partnership with Wuxi to co-establish the Wuxi International Life Science Innovation Park, pooling global expertise to benefit patients in China. In the same year, AstraZeneca announced the establishment of its Global R&D Center and an AI Innovation Center in Shanghai, and jointly launched a Global Healthcare Industry Fund with CICC Capital.

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