Talks on the future of Synthetic Biology were held at the Boao Forum for Asia's third global health forum in Beijing E-Town on July 16.

During the roundtable discussion, Liu Li, deputy director of the Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone (Beijing E-Town), said that the number of biopharmaceutical companies in the area had increased in the last year from 4,200 to more than 4,800. 

Liu said that the next step will be to increase the space given to the synthetic biology industry in Beijing E-Town, making efforts from multiple dimensions, such as regulatory mechanisms and industrial space, to empower the development of the synthetic biology manufacturing industry with precise support and refined services.

The question was asked, at the practical level, how will Beijing E-Town seize the opportunity created by the new wave of synthetic biology? 

During the sub-forum, Liu said that, to accelerate product R&D design and validation testing, Beijing E-Town will support leading synthetic biology companies such as Sino Biological and Evolyzer in leading the construction of industrial chain pilot platforms. 

These platforms will be shared with small and micro enterprises city-wide, providing open-source technology platforms and personalized, targeted technical services for industrialization and result transformation, thereby supporting the rapid growth of small and micro enterprises.

The development and expansion of the industry rely on the support of high-quality locations. For this reason, Beijing E-Town has taken the lead in creating the "Skyland – Synthetic Biology Manufacturing Pioneer Demonstration Park". 

The park will contain a special area for synthetic biology manufacturing, and is expected to eventually provide approximately 500,000 square meters of industrial space.

A sound policy system is also an important factor in promoting industrial development, Liu added. In the field of biopharmaceuticals, Beijing E-Town has introduced the "1+2" industrial policy and the action plan of building a global new medicine intelligent manufacturing highland.