On October 17, the Tianjin Municipal Government’s Information Office held a press conference to provide updates on two significant initiatives: the “Implementation Plan for Accelerating Synthetic Biology Innovation and Promoting High-Quality Development in the Biomanufacturing Industry” (referred to as the “Synthetic Biology Plan”) and the “Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Development of the Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Service Industry” (referred to as the “Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Plan”). Both plans were publicly released in September.
The Synthetic Biology Plan outlines overall objectives, including targets set for 2026, key tasks across nine areas, and three supporting measures. It aims to promote the industrialization of research outcomes, facilitate product market entry, and enhance the legal services for intellectual property protection. Similarly, the Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Plan includes overall objectives, seven key tasks, and three supporting measures, focusing on meeting clinical trial demands, fostering innovative development, and promoting clustered growth in the sector.
Mei Zhihong, Deputy Director of the Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, emphasized the government’s commitment to implementing these policies. “We will focus on several key areas,” he noted. “First, we will improve our working mechanisms to ensure accountability. A task force comprising 37 units and 40 members has been established to coordinate efforts across six major frameworks. Second, we are forming an industrial alliance with 95 member organizations to foster collaboration, which has already hosted four events and aims to establish a permanent mechanism. Third, we will enhance our communication strategies to better explain these policies and increase the sense of ownership among innovators.”
Currently, Tianjin boasts nearly 200 ongoing projects in the biopharmaceutical sector, with planned investments exceeding 50 billion yuan. The government aims to support infrastructural development and explore new avenues, focusing on emerging fields by leveraging its advantages. In the realm of pharmaceutical outsourcing, there is already a comprehensive service chain in place, with capabilities that span various sub-sectors and are empowered by technological innovation. Moving forward, the government plans to enhance innovation capacities, strengthen service platform systems, and accelerate the clustered development of the industry.
