GUi helps Hefei emerge as bio-manufacturing hub

The seventh BioONE Annual Biomanufacturing Industry Summit was held in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, from Nov 26 to 27. This is the first time the event has been held in Hefei instead of Shanghai.

The Grand Union of Innovation (GUi), an innovation hub in Hefei, acts as a "testing ground" for institutional reform in the science and technology sector, connecting government, industry, academia, research, and finance, to boost the rapid growth of bio-manufacturing in the city.

The summit gathered over 500 participants, including scientists, industry leaders, and professionals from investment institutions, to discuss cutting-edge trends in bio-manufacturing, share technology transfer experiences, and explore industry collaboration opportunities.

Guo Meijin, a professor from East China University of Science and Technology, one of the event organizers, said that the decision to host the summit in Hefei aligns with the evolving trends in the development of biotechnology and the city's industrial strengths.

Hefei boasts remarkable industrial strengths, prioritizing bio-manufacturing as a key industry. It has a clustering effect, with leading companies such as AHB Global and Cathay Biotech, and a robust industrial ecosystem supported by abundant talent and academic resources, backed by the GUi.

While promoting cooperation with academic and research institutions like the University of Science and Technology of China, the GUi collaborated with Hefei Jiantou Capital Management, Changfeng and Lujiang counties to establish a 300 million-yuan ($42 million) bio-manufacturing future industry fund, accelerating the development of Hefei's bio-manufacturing sector.

With clear industrial planning, leading enterprises, and the GUi's pivotal role in innovation, Hefei is rapidly advancing in the bio-manufacturing sector. The city is home to over 50 companies in the sector, boasting a market scale of hundreds of billions of yuan.

Zhang Wei, CEO of BioValley, expressed hopes that the summit would further enhance Hefei's position as an innovation hub and support the establishment of globally influential bio-manufacturing projects.

According to an estimate by the McKinsey Global Institute, the economic value of synthetic biology and bio-manufacturing is expected to reach $100 billion by 2025.