New growth poles to boost Pudong's development

Pudong New Area in East China's Shanghai will advance the development of the three core industries, namely integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, and emerging industries including aerospace, intelligent connected vehicles and high-end equipment will also be boosted during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, according to a Pudong government work report published on Jan 11.

In recent years, Pudong's autonomous innovation capabilities have been substantially expanded, and its research and development (R&D) level has been strengthened, bringing a number of key projects to the area, which have in turn promoted Pudong's high-quality growth.

Clover Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel corona virus vaccines and biologic therapies announced earlier this year that it will build a new research and development center in Zhangjiang Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industrial Base in Pudong, which is scheduled to be put into production in the second half of this year.

"Establishing a new R&D center in Shanghai will allow us to expand our R&D capabilities and accelerate our innovative pipeline. In the future, we plan to establish additional R&D centers around the world as we advance the discovery and development of new innovative product candidates," said Joshua Liang, chief executive officer of Clover Biopharmaceuticals.

The Zhangjiang Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industrial Base, dubbed "Zhangjiang Pharma Valley", is one of the top biotech hubs in China and is home to over 1,000 innovative biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies. The pharma valley is expected to boost the high-quality development of Pudong's biomedicine industry, and development will be reinforced in the three related sectors of innovative medicine, high-end medical equipment, and the R&D of COVID-19 vaccines.

Huaqin Technology Company, a global leading enterprise specializing in smart hardware products, established its global R&D headquarters in Pudong in January, and construction of the project is expected to be completed in 2024, which is of great importance for Huaqin to expand its global footprint.

Domestic and international enterprises choose to invest in Pudong due to its sound business environment and better innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. In the future, Shanghai will empower Pudong to better carry out its leading role in high-level reform and opening-up and implement major national strategic tasks this year.

Efforts will also be made to build Pudong into a leading location for the construction of socialist modernization, exploring and carrying out comprehensive reform pilots, and formulating and implementing a list of special measures to ease market access.