Gathering All Elements, Shaping the Future: Changzhou Jintan-HuaDa Synthetic Biology Industry Forum Successfully Held

“Converging All Things, Shaping the Future.” On November 13, coinciding with the “2023 Changzhou–Shenzhen Open Innovation and Cooperation Exchange Conference,” the BGI Branch of the Changzhou Jintan Synthetic Biology Industry was inaugurated at the BGI Time-Space Center in Shenzhen.

Lu Qiuming, Secretary of the Jintan District Committee of the Changzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and his delegation visited BGI Spatiotemporal and held discussions with senior executives of BGI Group on the synthetic biology industry. At the event, partners in Jintan’s “1+X” innovation ecosystem for synthetic biology completed their signing ceremony. Also attending the event were Yang Jian, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jintan District Committee and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jintan Economic Development Zone; Wang Jian, Chairman of BGI Group; Lu Jun, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of BGI Group; Xu Xun, Executive Director of BGI Group and Dean of BGI Research; as well as representatives from synthetic biology enterprises.

Lu Jun introduces the BGI Spatiotemporal Center to guests

Attendees visited the BGI Spatiotemporal Center. As the newly completed global headquarters of BGI Group, the BGI Spatiotemporal Center is committed to building a global hub for life science innovation, facilitating the development and application of cutting-edge technologies.

 Chairman Wang Jian Introduces BGI Labs to Guests

Wang Jian, Chairman of BGI Group, expressed his willingness to continuously strengthen cooperation with Jintan in the development of the synthetic biology industry, joint talent cultivation with universities, and public health.

Xu Xun, Executive Director of BGI Group and Dean of the BGI Research Institute, outlined BGI’s grand vision for its synthetic biology base from three perspectives: current progress, future plans, and recommendations for further development. He expressed his commitment to supporting Changzhou in establishing itself as a new hub for synthetic biology research and industry.

Representatives from Hohai University, Jintan Holding, Jiinda Biotech, and Redlin Biotech actively offered suggestions and recommendations, pledging to vigorously promote the development of Changzhou Jintan’s synthetic biology industry.

Lu Qiuming, Secretary of the Jintan District Committee of Changzhou City, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to BGI for its investment and support in Jintan’s synthetic biology industry. He stated that Jintan possesses a historical legacy, a solid foundation, and promising prospects for the development of its synthetic biology sector. Emphasizing the district’s determination, sincerity, and confidence in advancing this industry, Mr. Lu extended a sincere invitation to attending enterprises to join Jintan’s Three-Year Action Plan. He also expressed earnest expectations that BGI and its partners will leverage their respective strengths, choose Changzhou, deepen their roots in Jintan, achieve mutual success, and co-create a prosperous future.

Subsequently, the signing ceremony for the “1+X” Innovative Ecosystem Partners in Synthetic Biology was officially completed. Centered on the Changzhou Jintan Synthetic Biology Industrial Park, the “1+X” Innovative Ecosystem Partners will bring together stakeholders from industry, academia, research, and investment to achieve specialized focus and industrial synergy, build a shared and prosperous synthetic biology industrial ecosystem, and jointly promote the development of the synthetic biology industry.

BGI Group, founded in 1999, is a global leader in frontier life sciences. Upholding the mission of “Genomics for the Benefit of Humanity,” it drives innovative development in genomics through an integrated model combining industry, academia, and research. In 2021, the BGI Synthetic Biology Innovation Center was established in Jintan, focusing on the development of common key technologies and equipment in synthetic biology, as well as promoting downstream applied research and technology transfer. To date, it has initially built a synthetic biology industry-research base featuring a four-pronged linkage among “platform support, scientific research, industrial incubation, and talent attraction and cultivation.”

In the future, Jintan District will join forces with BGI and other “1+X” innovation ecosystem partners in synthetic biology to advance the development of the synthetic biology industry, strategically position itself in new tracks within future industries, and build a comprehensive synthetic biology industrial chain that integrates frontier technology research, transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and innovative industrial development, thereby establishing a premier hub for synthetic biology industry innovation in the Yangtze River Delta.