The 13th China Bioindustry Convention kicks off in Optics Valley of China on Sept 24. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

A slew of 32 health industry projects worth 27.7 billion yuan ($4.06 billion) were signed on Sept 24 at the 13th China Bioindustry Convention in East Lake High-tech Development Zone -- located in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei province -- according to local media reports.

The event which kicked off that day in the zone -- also known as Optics Valley of China -- is the largest and leading convention in the field of China's bioindustry, with strong support from all sectors of society.

Since 2018, the convention site has permanently settled in Wuhan and in the city of Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong province -- alternating between the two metropolises. This year was the third time Wuhan held the convention.

Academicians and entrepreneurs in the field of the life and health industry in China were invited to this year's convention to give special lectures on their strategic responses, treatment and control strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apart from the $4.06 billion in health industry projects that were signed, Optics Valley's Biolake -- also known as the Wuhan National Bio-industry Base -- announced at the convention that it would build a leading biotechnology industrial park.

It would focus on new frontier biotechnology directions such as immune cell therapy, stem cell therapy and gene therapy. It will also focus on synthetic biology, 3D bioprinting, the integration of information technology and biotechnology -- while seizing industry development opportunities and creating growth spaces for enterprises.

Five enterprises signed agreements at the convention to settle in the frontier biotechnology industrial park, which will be on a 400 mu (26.67 hectares) site, with buildings occupying 800,000 square meters of floorspace.

It will be an international frontier biotechnology park that integrates project developments, business incubators and accelerators, clinical trials, production and manufacturing, third-party services, living facilities, international exchanges and personnel training.