Intl Bio-town, Nobel research institute attract world attention

The 2017 Annual Conference of Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town, recently held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, attracted Robert Huber, a German biochemist and Nobel laureate, national experts, investment elites and corporate executives to discuss the innovation, investment and internationalization of new drugs research.

Biomedicine is called the "diamond industry" in the 21st century that promotes regional economic growth. Chengdu, in Southwest China, values the development of the sector and is providing great support to the 1-year-old Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town, which has drawn attention from leading biomedical experts and Noble laureates.

During the annual conference, the Tianfu International Nobel Biomedicine Research Institute was set up by the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone's management committee and two other organizations.

The institute aims to attract more Nobel laureates and intellectual teams led by noted experts. It also aims to integrate the scientific research and industrialization capability of Chengdu-based companies such as Hinova Pharmaceuticals.

The institute intends to lead innovation and entrepreneurship related to biological pharmaceuticals and to attract investment, promote the commercialization of research results and raise the international competence of the Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town.

Committed to promoting Chengdu's ability to create new medicine, the institute consists of six platforms, including research into advanced preparations, optimization techniques for medicine and medicine quality studies.

Huber said that he was pleased to have been invited by the bio-town. He had heard about the development of the biomedical sector in Chengdu and knew that the city boasts excellent research and development teams and enterprises. Huber added he hoped to communicate face-to-face with those involved during his trip.

The bio-town aims to attract more than 200,000 professionals and more than 30,000 enterprises as it focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship over the next two decades, a representative from the bio-town said.

Making "put people first" its core and characteristic concept differs the bio-town from traditional parks. It is also an important reason that the Nobel laureates and entrepreneurs visited the bio-town, local officials said.

The bio-town will give priority to creating a comfortable living environment with comprehensive supporting facilities.

It will cooperate with biological industries from Cuba, Europe and America, gather advanced industrial elements and innovate its development model, the officials said. To date, the bio-town has signed up 51 projects, including international plans. The total investment of the agreements has reached 61.9 billion yuan ($8.99 billion).

Innovation institute

The Tianfu New Area's Chengdu administration committee and SRI International, an American nonprofit research institute, have established the Tianfu Innovation Institute in Chengdu.

The Tianfu institute launched its first innovation incubation event on April 6. Among the 20 incubation targets was Zeng Ming, a teacher from the School of Electrical Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University.

"The Chengdu government has issued policies to encourage college teachers to start up high-tech companies," Zeng said, adding that he wanted to have a try, as he is involved in track detection technology that can ensure safe rail transit.

He said he did not know how to establish a company and attract investment. He added he hoped to gain knowledge and even capital by joining incubation activities.

Huang Yannong, general manager at the Tianfu Innovation Institute, said: "We have two missions - one is to bring in advanced technologies and companies to the Tianfu New Area from Silicon Valley or other regions, and the other is to incubate and train local entrepreneurship teams boasting new technology and business concepts."

The innovation incubation system plans to offer skills training to entrepreneurship teams and help them to formulate product plans in around half a year. Different phases of the event will eliminate teams, with the winners expected to receive equity investment from the Tianfu institute.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/10/2017 page6)