WND strives to become biomedicine industry hub

Wuxi National Hi-tech District (WND) aims to develop into a new hub of the Chinese biomedicine industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to a development plan released on March 2.

WND released 12 measures to promote the high-quality development of its modern biomedicine industry days before, covering the research and development of innovative drugs, medical instruments, generic drugs and special medical food, as well as the promotion and introduction of talents, financial business, and industrial land security.

The district will also provide pertinent support to enterprises in various development stages, such as R&D, production, sales, and listing.

WND is now home to 230 biomedicine enterprises of various kinds featuring innovative drugs and preparations, medical instruments and diagnostic reagents, as well as smart medical treatment and health services. In 2020, the scale of its biomedicine industry reached 62.5 billion yuan ($9.66 billion).

According to the plan, the scale of the biomedicine industry in WND is expected to reach 135 billion yuan by 2025.

Wu Jianhua, director of the WND science and technology bureau, said that the district will offer financial subsidies to projects and talents involved in the biomedicine industry.

For newly-introduced talent projects in the industry, a subsidy of up to 100 million yuan will be given to the project within three years. A subsidy of up to 80,000 yuan will be given to talents who get jobs in the industry in WND for the first time.