Qingdao in Shandong boasts rich marine resources, and is beefing up efforts to boost marine biomedicine. [Photo/WeChat account: opinionline]

Qingdao Guoxin Group recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Sino Biopharm and Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, announcing that the three sides will join hands to promote the development of marine biomedicine and the health industry in Qingdao, as well as build a "blue drugstore".

As the only municipal enterprise in Qingdao that has incorporated the marine industry into its main business model, the signing of the contract signifies that Qingdao Guoxin Group, which is also known for its achievements in the field of large-scale aquaculture vessels, has a new focus in the marine industry.

To date, two out of the 16 internationally-recognized listed marine innovative drugs (PSS, GV-971) are from China, and they were both developed in Qingdao. Most of the domestically-listed marine drugs, such as glycosides, also originated in Qingdao, making the city a national leader in marine drug research and development (R&D).

Qingdao has built advantages in terms of talent, technology, and platforms aimed at the development of marine biomedicine.

As a nationally-leading innovative research and development-driven pharmaceutical enterprise, Sino Biopharm has long been at the forefront of innovative drug R&D in China. Its subsidiary, CP Pharmaceutical Qingdao, is China's first marine drug production enterprise, with the only national-level marine drug pilot base in the country, and serves as the leading enterprise in Qingdao's biomedical and medical device industrial chain. The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao is a hub of innovation in China's marine biopharmaceutical industry.

Qingdao Guoxin Group will strengthen collaboration with its partners in terms of industry-academia-research synergy, integration of resource advantages, and linkage of industrial chains, accelerating the formation of new productive forces in Qingdao's marine biomedicine industry.