China News Online, October 13th (Zheng Yingying, Li Shuzheng, Yu Mei) In 1992, when Shanghai Zhangjiang High-tech Park (hereinafter referred to as the park) was just established, let alone the world, even many native Shanghainese were not aware of it. Where is Zhangjiang located?
Nearly 30 years later, Zhangjiang has become the most active place in Shanghai for the development of science and technology, and it is also a veritable "China Medicine Valley": more than 1,400 biomedical innovation entities have gathered, 7 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies have settled; the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies have established 9 here. An open innovation center; nearly one-third of China's top 100 pharmaceutical companies will deploy R&D here.
William Keller, who served as the general manager of Roche (China) and Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. from 1994 to 2002, recalled this: It was a cold and foggy February, and he and the then Roche Global Vice Chairman stood on Longdong Avenue. On the site.
At that time, Longdong Avenue was not yet called Longdong Avenue.
At a glance, the rice fields and old farmhouses, and only the faintly visible construction roads, seem to herald the great changes that are about to be opened here.
In 1992, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park was established, and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Company, the predecessor of Zhangjiang Group, was established.
At the end of 1993, Longdong Avenue, the first traffic artery in the park, was opened to traffic.
In 1994, Roche Pharmaceuticals, the first foreign company to enter the park, signed a contract.
When William Keller retired from the position of General Manager of Roche China in 2003, Roche Pharmaceuticals China had achieved annual sales revenue of US$300 million and established 6 joint ventures and a wholly-owned company in China.
At the 2021 Shanghai International Biopharmaceutical Industry Week held in Shanghai from 11 to 14 this month, Bian Xin, President of Roche Pharmaceuticals China, said, "Some (foreign pharmaceutical companies) may have'withdrawal' actions, but Roche has recently We have been'overweighting' throughout the year. The reason why we built a R&D center in Shanghai is to integrate with local scientific original discoveries and clinical resources, and truly form the dream of'serving the world in China'."
Yuan Tao, Chairman of Shanghai Zhangjiang Group Co., Ltd., said at the "2021 Shanghai International Biomedical Industry Week-The First Zhangjiang Life Science International Innovation Summit" on the 12th that Zhangjiang has formed a "national first-class, catch-up" after nearly 30 years of development. The world’s biomedical innovation ecology, “We have always hoped to cultivate the ecology of Zhangjiang into a “tropical rain forest” with big trees and small grasses, which can form a mutually supportive and cooperative ecosystem.
He said frankly in the interview that at the beginning of Zhangjiang, there were no companies and no big technology installations. With the development process, especially the government's vigorous promotion, Zhangjiang has gathered a large number of basic research platforms. A large number of colleges and universities.
At the same time, with the gradual joining of multinational companies and the rapid development of local R&D, Zhangjiang has now initially formed a "tropical rainforest" innovation ecology.
Zhang Jiang not only "imports the world", but also "exports the world."
According to the 2021 Zhangjiang Biomedical Innovation Index compiled by the Zhangjiang Group and the Shanghai Institute of Science, in 2020, Zhangjiang’s cross-border foreign license transactions will be 13, accounting for 27% of the country and 3% of the world. However, the number of transactions The amount is as high as 46.1 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), accounting for 80% of the country and 8% of the world.
At the same time, Zhangjiang's cross-border license introduction transaction still maintained its previous momentum, with 28 transactions, accounting for 27% of the country; the transaction amount reached 17.8 billion yuan, accounting for 45% of the country.
According to Shi Qian, director of the Shanghai Institute of Science, this shows that more original achievements have appeared in Zhangjiang, and its value has been recognized, continued and extended globally. Zhangjiang is already a global biomedical innovation chain and industrial chain. And an indispensable and important link in the supply chain.
Xu Xin, director of the Science and Technology and Economic Commission of Shanghai Pudong New Area, introduced that Zhangjiang gave birth to 15% of innovative drugs and 10% of innovative medical devices in the country, creating many firsts in China and even in the world.
In the next step, Pudong will focus on Zhangjiang, accelerate the layout and construction of large scientific platforms and large facility clusters, organize and participate in large scientific plans, and provide strategic support for improving the ability of new targets, new mechanisms and other sources of planning and making true original drugs.
At the same time, Pudong will further promote the large-scale enterprise open innovation center plan, focus on creating a tropical rainforest innovation ecology; promote scientific drug review and supervision, international intellectual property environment, etc., and strive to create an international business environment; accelerate the construction of a new one Approval of tertiary hospitals to provide strong guarantee for clinical research.
More and more biopharmaceutical companies are also coming to Zhangjiang to look for opportunities. As Zhang Xin, Chief Operating Officer of Newforth (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. said in the interview: "Zhangjiang is chosen because it is in line with international standards. You have access to advanced scientific research institutions and early-stage projects. There are opportunities here."
About to enter the "thirty years", Zhang Jiang is also "thinking" about future plans.
Wang Kairong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Zhangjiang Group Co., Ltd., said in an interview that Zhangjiang’s development still needs speed. “If you want to catch up with international development and shorten the gap, then you must develop faster and break through some bottlenecks.”
At the first Zhangjiang Life Science International Innovation Summit this year, Zhang Jiang announced the Cell and Gene Industrial Park and the AI (Artificial Intelligence) New Drug Research and Development Alliance to seek "speed" for cutting-edge development.
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