2017 Shenzhen International BT Leadership Summit and Bio/Life Health Industry Expo: Driving Industrial Transformation in Life Sciences with Twelve Specialized Forums and Hundreds of Global Experts

On the morning of September 21, the 2017 Shenzhen International BT Leaders Summit and Bio/Life Health Industry Exhibition officially opened in the Plum Blossom Hall on the fifth floor of the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. Leaders from the Guangdong Provincial and Shenzhen Municipal Governments, as well as representatives from the Development and Reform Commissions and Science and Technology Departments of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City, attended the summit.

Opening Remarks by Mr. Ai Xuefeng, Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government

The bioindustry is an emerging sector characterized by the most vibrant innovation and the most profound impact in the 21st century, serving as a primary focus of China’s strategic emerging industries. The 2017 Shenzhen International BT Leaders Summit and Bio/Life Health Industry Exhibition, themed “Advancing Smart Holistic Health and Forging New Industrial Engines,” featured key activities including two keynote addresses, two high-level dialogues, and twelve specialized forums. Nearly one hundred distinguished guests were invited, including members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and foreign academies, as well as CEOs of world-renowned biotechnology enterprises. Participants engaged in academic exchanges, policy discussions, and industrial cooperation around hot topics in biotechnology and industry development, thereby accelerating the deep integration and robust growth of biological resources, technology, industry, and capital.

Barry Marshall, an Australian scientist, recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

The keynote speakers at the summit were Barry Marshall, a 2005 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Australian scientist, and Rao Yi, Tenured Chair Professor at Peking University and Dean of the Faculty of Science at Peking University. They delivered speeches titled “A Gold Standard Is Needed for New Diagnostic Technologies Targeting Helicobacter” and “When Will Original Research Drive Innovative Industrial Applications to Blossom in China?” respectively. Their presentations introduced new international diagnostic technologies for Helicobacter, explored the development prospects of biotechnology and original research in China, and called for greater biological innovation within the context of modern medical standards.

Rao Yi, Chair Professor for Life at Peking University and Dean of the School of Science, Peking University

The inaugural high-level dialogue, themed “Development Trends and Missions of Innovative Drugs,” was moderated by Xie Heng, Chief Medical Officer of the Research Institute of Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Group and Consultant at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Distinguished guests—including Otis W. Brawley, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society; Zhang Xuemin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Researcher at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences; Tan Weihong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Hunan University; and Jia Jiafu, President of Peking University Cancer Hospital—joined forces to explore R&D pathways for innovative drugs and the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases, while discussing the trends and missions shaping the pharmaceutical industry’s development.

High-End Dialogue I: Development Trends and Tasks for Innovative Drugs

The second high-level dialogue was moderated by Shi Wenzhao, President of Digital China Medical Technology Co., Ltd. Participants included He Lin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences, and Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Douglas Fridsma, President of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA); Hongfang Liu, Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics and Director of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Mayo Clinic, USA; and Hu Xiang, Chairman of Beike Biological Engineering. They exchanged views on the theme “Opportunities and Challenges in the Development of Health and Medical Big Data.” Focusing on development trends in biomedical big data both domestically and internationally, they jointly discussed hot topics such as data sharing and translation, data security, standardization, and social ethics within the biomedical big data industry. They also explored policy measures to accelerate the industry’s growth, aiming to build a comprehensive platform for academic exchange, industrial cooperation, and policy discussion to promote the global development of the biomedical big data sector.

High-End Dialogue II: Opportunities and Challenges in the Development of Big Data for Health and Medical Care

This was followed by twelve specialized forums, each offering a rich and diverse program: “Innovative Applications and Development of Health and Medical Big Data,” “Frontiers in Precision Medicine Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” “Molecular Diagnosis of Tumors and Personalized Therapy,” “New Directions for Investment in Immunotherapy,” “Development of the Novel Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diagnostic Industry,” “Frontiers in Generic Drug Development and Key Technologies for Consistency Evaluation Forum,” “Discussion on the Biopharmaceutical Industry Based on Microbiomics,” “Key Special Project on ‘R&D of Digital Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment’ – Young Scientists Forum: Bio-Center New Leaf Salon 2017, Issue 4,” “Regional Health Evaluation Index System Oriented Toward the Life Economy,” “Shenzhen Biological and Life Health Industry and International Bio-Valley Innovation and Development Forum,” “The 16th International Conference on Bioinformatics – Forum on Bioinformatics Data Mining and Applications for Precision Medicine,” and the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Health Services Industry Development Forum.”

Meanwhile, a symposium themed “Development of the Health and Medical Big Data Industry and Construction of Scientific Research Industries in Shenzhen” was held to discuss industrial planning and layout, development pathways, support mechanisms, and key challenges, offering recommendations and suggestions. At the summit, Monash University, Ping An Real Estate Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen National High-Tech Industrial Innovation Center signed a cooperation agreement for the life and health industry.

In addition to discussions on current hot topics, the 2017 Shenzhen International Bio/Life and Health Industry Exhibition was held concurrently with the summit, featuring four exhibition zones: Life Information and Biotechnology Innovation, Medical Devices and Smart Healthcare, High-Quality Services for General Health, and Agriculture and Biological Breeding.

The exhibition also features dedicated pavilions for international biotech and life health enterprises, including the U.S. Pavilion, the Australia Pavilion, and the Israel Pavilion, as well as specialized zones for professional visitor registration, exhibitor high-demand services, talent policy recruitment, startup project roadshows, and free health screenings with consultations by renowned physicians.

BGI, China National GeneBank, Hybio Pharmaceutical, Salubris Pharmaceuticals, Snibe Diagnostics, Hong Kong Life720, U.S. SABPA, Shenzhen Health Industry Development Promotion Association, and Jiantanhui, among hundreds of other renowned enterprises, industry associations, and platform organizations, participated in the exhibition. A series of events were held on-site, including the Shenzhen Pingshan International Biopharmaceutical Industry Innovation and Development Summit, the 2017 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen) Medical and Big Health Industry Capital Matchmaking Conference, and the Yantian Branch Venue of the 2017 Shenzhen International Bio and Life Health Industry Exhibition cum the Opening Ceremony of Shenzhen Dabaihui Life Health Industrial Park.

According to VCBeat, the current edition marks the fourth Shenzhen International BT Leaders Summit. Over the past three years, the summit has evolved into China’s most prestigious event in the fields of biotechnology and life health, garnering significant attention both domestically and internationally. The 2017 Shenzhen International BT Leaders Summit arrived as scheduled, focusing on comprehensive health and serving as a bellwether for the biotechnology and life health industries, thereby promoting the long-term development of these sectors in Shenzhen and across China.