Guangzhou International Biotech Island

Guangzhou International Biotech Island (GIBI), formerly known as Guanzhou Island (or Dove Island), is located in the center of the Pearl River in the southeast of Haizhu district, Guangzhou. It is an elliptical island lying in a northeast-southwest direction, to the east of Guanzhou waterway and to the west of Luntou waterway. Covering an area of 183.18 hectares, GIBI is the hinterland of biomedical research and development in Guangzhou Development District (GDD) and of the biomedical industry in the strategic layout of "one river-three belts" of the city. The core location of the National Biological Industry Base of Guangzhou approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, and of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, GIBI plans to be the regional headquartersr, operation center and R&D center of domestic and foreign biomedical and health enterprises as well as a world-class biomedicine innovation base and Guangdong innovation-driven development demonstration area.

In 1999, the municipal committee of the municipal government proposed to build Guangzhou Island into an international biotech research and industrial base. In 2000, the project and the name Guangzhou International Biotech Island were approved by the National Planning Commission, and in 2008 the project was accredited as the key part of the Outline for Reform and Development Planning of Pearl River Delta. By the beginning of 2016, GIBI had turned out to be the heart of the three strategic transportation hubs mode and the one river-two banks-three belts concept. In 2017, it was listed as one of the 13 innovation nodes of Guangzhou in the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Corridor plan, and at the same time became the permanent home of Guanzhou International Bio Forum.

GIBI intends to build up six functional areas of biotechnology R&D, high-end manufacturing, corporate headquarters, public service, recreation, and supporting services. Some pillar industry sections, such as drug development, stem cell and regenerative medicine, precision medicine, large health management consulting, and medical devices have been preliminarily completed.

Fully finished are some business projects such as GIBI standard property units 1-3, GIBI hotels, the Guangzhou international life science innovation center, and an enterprise headquarters community. Projects under construction include standard property unit 4 and projects of Yishan Biotechnology corporation, Yipinhong Pharmaceutical corporation, EagleStaR, Chuangjing Property, and the Guangzhou General Pharmaceutical Research Institute.

Functions partition

A public service center: an integrated service center focusing on the development of producer services;

Two high-end manufacturing areas cultivating biomedicine manufacturing and high yield, energy saving environmental protection industries.

Three SciTech R&D areas: science technology with production of biomedicine as the leading role

Three supporting function areas: important showcase resources for GIBI

Scale planning

Planning area: 183hm²

Area of city land use for construction: 183hm²

Total construction area: 2.25 million m²

Land use planning

SciTech R&D land use area of 65.90 hectares accounts for 36.79 percent of urban construction land.

Supporting commercial and business land, with an area of 21.42 hectares; accounts for 11.96 percent of urban construction land.

Green spaces and the square are in a proper layout, with a land area of 48.13 hectares; accounts for 26.86 percent.

Land area for roads and transportation facilities of 39.56 hectares accounts for 22.08 percent.

Transportation planning

The road network is in the form of one ring plus two vertical and two horizontal lines, with three entrances and exits provided. Rail transit consists of two subway lines - Lines 12 and Line 4 (already completed), and the Guangzhou-Foshan Circle Line Intercity Circular Railway. A slow traffic system adds 3km of greenway to the existing 5km Round Island Route and a 2-floor connecting corridor in core areas. The traffic system is comprised of five bus stops, two public parking lots, and one oil and gas filling station.

Planning of public service facilities

GIBI will serve 40,000 employees, with premier public space as well as public service facilities such as health service centers, commercial service complexes, and recreation centers.

The Guangzhou municipal committee and government attach great importance to the planning and industrial growth of GIBI. After the initial study, the main leaders of the municipal committee proposed to expand GIBI growth, to facilitate construction of international innovation clusters and the innovation-driven development demonstration area. Huangpu district/GDD, by setting high standards, will turn Guanzhou International Bio Forum into the likes of the World Economic Forum but with an orientation of global biotech growth. In this way GIBI, as the heart of the Pearl River Delta, can become a major platform for biotech and bio-industry exchanges and cooperation at home and abroad, a world-class bio-industry technology innovation headquarters cluster, a place for world-class international biotech forums, and a Guangzhou innovation-driven development demonstration area.