National medical high-tech zone spurs health sector

As the first national-level zone of its kind in China, Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone, also known as Gaogang district, is gearing up to promote its health industry.

Located in Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province, the zone has a robust health industry that is now being rapidly developed as the local provincial committee and government have offered policy support to give it a shot in the arm, according to some guidelines released in November 2022.

At present, the zone is home to more than 1,200 bio-pharmaceutical enterprises, with top companies including Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group, AstraZeneca (Taizhou), Jiangsu Bioperfectus Technologies Co Ltd, and Nestle Health Science (China) Co Ltd.

A conference to hammer out more details was held by the district office of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on April 25, gathering local officials and company representatives to engage in negotiations.

Shi Weiwei, general manager of Zhongke Health Industry Group's Jiangsu Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, suggested that the approval time for new herbs to be included in traditional Chinese medicine should be shortened.

Also, more favorable policies should be drawn up for talented personnel and research and development companies, said He Bibo, a representative of Jiangsu Maiweikang New Drug Research and Development Co Ltd.

The exterior of Zhongke Health Industry Group's Jiangsu Pharmaceutical Co Ltd. [Photo/WeChat account: weigg6666]

The zone has mapped out a series of goals and targets it expects its health industry to reach by 2025. These include achieving a business scale of more than 100 billion yuan ($14.42 billion), owning more than 20 listed companies, and reaching revenue from the general public budgets of 3 billion yuan.

Facing much potential but also considerable challenges moving forward, more efforts will be made to promote the industrial process of bio-pharmaceutical projects, enhance the agglomeration of resources in Taizhou, and gather high-end forms of innovation, according to the district development and reform commission.