Taicang, a city in Jiangsu province, made significant strides in boosting the development of its biopharmaceutical and aviation sectors throughout 2023.

The city forged connections with over 1,100 biopharmaceutical projects last year. Among them, 179 were spotlighted as key initiatives. The city is currently home to over 100 enterprises specializing in this domain.

Between January and May last year, Taicang secured agreements for 65 new biopharmaceutical projects, attracting a total of 11.39 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in investment.

Among them is a project funded by Levostar Life Sciences, which specializes in pharmaceutical research and development, clinical trials, and production outsourcing. The first phase of the project involves an investment of 100 million yuan and is expected to generate more than 500 million yuan in annual output.

"The establishment of Levostar's project in Taicang signifies the city's advancement in the field of gene and cell therapies. This move is also expected to further accelerate the expansion and development of our biopharmaceutical industry cluster," said an official from the Taicang municipal investment promotion bureau.

Taicang is also currently home to over 100 enterprises involved in the aviation industrial chain.

In November 2023, the headquarters of Lingdong Guochuang Technology Co Ltd were set to be established at Taicang Port, demonstrating the city's commitment to advancing the aviation sector.

According to the local investment promotion bureau, the headquarters will consist of a comprehensive base for the research, production, and sales of aviation heavy-duty piston engines and turbochargers. The headquarters are set to commence operations in 2024 and are expected to generate more than 100 million yuan in annual sales.