AI-Powered Drug Discovery: Tianhe District of Guangzhou Hosts First AI Industry Matchmaking Event of the Year

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(Source: Securities Times)

On the afternoon of January 6, the first industry对接event of the New Year in Tianhe District, Guangzhou — "AI-Driven New Paradigm in Scientific Research and Global Opportunities: From Drug Discovery to Thousands of Industries" — was successfully held. The event was hosted by the Management Committee of Guangzhou Tianhe Central Business District and organized by the Advanced Equipment (Equipment) Industry Science and Technology Innovation Application Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Innovative Investment Development Co., Ltd., Guangdong Huaxing Bank, Guangzhou Bioindustry Alliance, and Guangzhou New Materials Industry Development Promotion Association.

Currently, Guangdong Province is actively promoting the deep integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy. In recent years, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology has continuously driven the high-quality development of the biopharmaceutical industry. Positive achievements have been made through the introduction of a series of policies and hosting various activities aimed at facilitating the transformation of medical scientific and technological achievements, integrating medicine and engineering, fostering collaboration between hospitals and enterprises, and creating industrial pathways empowered by digital intelligence and multi-party cooperation. Further support will be given to cutting-edge fields such as "AI + biomedicine" in the future.

Tianhe District has clearly identified the artificial intelligence industry as one of the eight key strategic emerging industries to focus on. By 2025, Tianhe District successfully attracted the joint venture platform of Guangdong Innovative Investment Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the provincially owned state enterprise Hengjian Holding Company, and XtalPi, a globally renowned leader in AI-driven pharmaceuticals, to establish itself in Tianhe. This platform will concentrate on creating an "Artificial Intelligence+" innovation consortium, investing in the development of world-class AI automated public R&D infrastructure and an innovative service platform in Tianhe District. It aims to drive the deep integration of AI, automation, and other cutting-edge technologies across various industries, facilitating more efficient AI innovation and the transformation of research achievements.

At this event, XtalPi's Chief Strategy Officer Zhang Peiyu shared how AI can solve the "high technology, high investment, high risk, and long cycle" challenges in new drug discovery. "Emerging artificial intelligence methods can shorten the time to market for new drugs by 4 to 5 years and increase intellectual property value by 70%-80%." Zhang Peiyu revealed that XtalPi has extensively collaborated with global pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly. He particularly emphasized XtalPi's long-term advocacy and pioneering realization of "AI participating in experimental design+Robot"Execute experiments + AI feedback on experimental data," this new R&D paradigm has been recognized by mainstream research institutions both in China and internationally, holding immense potential to empower various industries.

Zhuo Shu, Vice President of R&D at Signature Biotechnology, showcased the leading application of its "Organoid+AI" platform in innovative targeted drug development. Its core pipeline has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. FDA and nominated for the Galien Award, validating the significant potential of this model in enhancing R&D success rates. Professor Hai-Tao Zhao from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University shared the revolutionary integration of artificial intelligence and robotics in the field of smart manufacturing for materials, aiming to accelerate innovation in new energy and semiconductor materials.

State-owned capital also plays a crucial role in promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. Qiu Hui, Chairman of Guangdong Innovative Investment Development Co., Ltd., stated that under the guidance of the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Hengjian Holdings has taken the lead in establishing the Guangdong Advanced Equipment (Devices) Industry Science and Technology Innovation Application Center. This center will become a high-level industrial promotion platform integrating resource aggregation, financial empowerment, and achievement transformation. In terms of regional collaboration, Guangdong Innovative Investment will work with Tianhe to promote the implementation of a number of benchmark cooperative projects. Meanwhile, relying on the jointly established Guangzhou Tianhe Innovative Investment Development Co., Ltd., they will build a market-oriented operation platform that integrates industrial cultivation, investment promotion synergy, and achievement transformation, better serving scientific and technological innovation and the high-quality development of the regional economy.

In terms of financial support, Duan Xin, Assistant to the President of Guangdong Huaxing Bank, systematically introduced customized financial products and services for AI and biopharmaceutical enterprises, as well as professional M&A services. "We can provide eligible biopharmaceutical enterprises with acquisition loans of up to 10 years and a maximum financing ratio of 70%, supporting companies in carrying out industrial layout around technological innovation."

Against the strategic backdrop of coordinated development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this对接活动 further highlights the significant opportunities for cross-border cooperation. Chen Haoyang, Marketing Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, emphasized Hong Kong's unique advantages as an international medical innovation hub. With the "1+" new drug approval mechanism, the world's second-largest biotech financing platform, strengths in research and talent, and multiple world-class collaboration platforms, Hong Kong is accelerating the construction of a cross-border healthcare ecosystem with mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area.