China Bio-manufacturing Industry Development Conference Successfully Concludes with Major Project Signings and Industry Insights

On November 7, the China Biomanufacturing Industry Development Conference opened in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. Themed “Synthetic Biology: Boundless Vitality,” the conference was hosted by the People’s Government of Hebei Province and jointly organized by the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Hebei Province, the Shijiazhuang Municipal People’s Government, the China Center for Information Industry Development, and the National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology. More than 1,000 attendees participated, including relevant officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the departments of industry and information technology of various provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), leaders in charge of biomanufacturing and heads of industry and information technology departments from cities across Hebei Province and the Xiong’an New Area, senior scientists and experts in the field of biomanufacturing, executives from leading enterprises and investment institutions, and representatives from well-known biomanufacturing companies nationwide.

Hu Qisheng, Vice Governor of Hebei Province, extended a warm welcome to the leaders and distinguished guests attending the conference. He expressed his hope that academicians and experts would fully leverage their professional expertise to introduce cutting-edge technologies and advanced concepts, thereby supporting the translation and implementation of more innovative achievements in Hebei. He encouraged entrepreneurs from both within and outside the province to share in Hebei’s development opportunities by bringing more high-quality projects, top-tier talent, and dynamic capital to the region. Hebei remains committed to cultivating a first-class business environment, offering the most favorable policies, optimal services, and the best possible conditions for all investors and businesses, working together to create a brighter future.

He Yaqiong, Director of the Department of Consumer Goods Industry under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that the bioindustry is a strategic emerging sector with the greatest potential and prospects for the future. Developing biomanufacturing is expected to reshape the industrial ecosystem and future development landscape of the manufacturing sector, representing an inevitable requirement for advancing new-type industrialization. To deepen the development of biomanufacturing, three key measures should be taken: first, strengthen overall coordination and comprehensively plan the implementation of biomanufacturing initiatives; second, adhere to systems thinking and vigorously promote innovation within the biomanufacturing industry; and third, reinforce market-oriented concepts and continuously expand application scenarios for biomanufacturing.

The opening ceremony of the conference was meticulously designed to feature addresses by leading enterprises, the release of the “2023 White Paper on China’s Biomanufacturing Industry,” the unveiling of the 2023 List of Emerging Enterprises in the Biomanufacturing Sector, the award ceremony for the finals of the 8th “Maker China” Biomanufacturing SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, investment promotion presentations for Shijiazhuang’s biomanufacturing industry, project signing ceremonies, and keynote speeches by academicians and experts. These activities aimed to establish a professional platform for exchange and matchmaking within China’s biomanufacturing sector, thereby fostering the vigorous development of the industry.

At the opening ceremony, representatives from leading biomanufacturing enterprises and venture capital firms—including Anhui Huaheng Biotechnology, Shenzhen BGI, Huapu Biology, Hebei Shoulang New Energy, Bloomage Biotechnology, and State Development & Investment Corp.—outlined their companies’ development strategies and investment directions in the biomanufacturing sector. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the China Center for Information Industry Development released the White Paper on China’s Biomanufacturing Industry 2023 and the 2023 List of Emerging Enterprises in the Biomanufacturing Field. The award ceremony for the finals of the 8th “Maker China” Biomanufacturing Special Competition was also held at the conference, where 17 winning enterprises and maker teams, along with three outstanding organizing units, received their awards on site.

Ma Yujun, Deputy Secretary of the Shijiazhuang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Mayor of Shijiazhuang City, delivered a presentation on investment promotion for the biomanufacturing industry. Leveraging its regional resource endowments and industrial foundation, Shijiazhuang City has cultivated a fertile ground for development through policy guidance, industrial support, and financial assistance, continuously driving the transformation and upgrading of its biomanufacturing sector and accelerating the commercialization of innovative achievements.

During the conference, 14 projects were signed on-site, including the “Life Sciences Big Data Center and Translational Application Demonstration Base” project in Xiong’an New Area, the “Industrialization Project for Early Diagnosis and Screening of Tumors” in Shijiazhuang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, the “AI-Powered Smart Medical Insurance Drug Dispensing Equipment Production” project in Cangzhou City, and the “Microbial Synthetic Biology Carotenoid Manufacturing” project in Beidaihe New District, Qinhuangdao City.

During the keynote address session by academicians and experts, Ma Yanhe, Deputy Director of the 18th Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee and Director of the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Tan Tianwei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Beijing University of Chemical Technology; and Zheng Yuguo, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor at the College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, delivered keynote speeches titled “Opportunities and Challenges in Biomanufacturing,” “Green Biomanufacturing: Changing the Future,” and “Pharmaceutical Biomanufacturing,” respectively. They shared insights on industrial development trends from an international perspective, discussed specialized topics in the field of biomanufacturing, and provided strategic guidance for industry advancement through their perspectives.

The conference brought together academicians, experts, leading enterprises, emerging pioneers, and venture capital investors. Participants engaged in in-depth exchanges around the theme “Synthetic Biology: Boundless Vitality,” working collaboratively to build an open ecosystem that fosters a virtuous cycle among “science and technology, industry, and finance.” They shared new opportunities in biomanufacturing for the new era, accelerating economic transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development.