Taizhou powers ahead with big health industry

A groundbreaking ceremony for major projects in the health industry takes place on Feb 6 in Taizhou. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfabu]

Plans are for Taizhou – located in East China's Jiangsu province – to accelerate the pace of development of its big health industry system and for it to become a leading health city in the country, with different areas in the metropolis making moves to promote the sector.

On Feb 2, CONNC Oil & Gas (Taizhou) Petrochemical Co Ltd, based in the Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone – also known as "China Medical City" – held a commencement ceremony for its new medical project.

This year, the Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone is aiming to sign up 80 projects valuing over 100 million yuan ($14.73 million) each and to rank among the top 10 bio-pharmaceutical parks in China.

On Jan 31, a high-end medical equipment industrial park project, funded by Zoina Hi-tech Group with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan ($368.16 million), started construction in Taizhou's Jiangyan High-tech Zone.

At present, the Jiangyan district of Taizhou focuses on traditional Chinese medicine, pollution-free food, ecological tourism and medical treatment services.

Elsewhere, the county-level city of Taixing, emphasizes medicine, food, health care products and cosmeceuticals, in a bid to build a bio-pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry cluster.

In Taixing, the Taixing Economic Development Zone is leveraging its advantages in fine chemicals, to develop chemicals raw materials and cosmeceuticals, aiming to create a national bulk pharmaceutical chemicals production base.

The Taixing Huangqiao Economic Development Zone has moved to become a new highland for future food and has moved to develop a "Bio-fermentation and Future Food City of China". The modern agricultural industrial park in Taixing focuses on deep processing of agricultural products and food industry, to create a health food supply base in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The county-level city Jingjiang, meanwhile, is pushing forwards with the modern construction of a "big health+" industry chain. It is highlighting high-end, intelligent and digital orientations, in an attempt to build a 30-billion-yuan big health industry cluster within 3-5 years.

Another county-level city, Xinghua, is a leading agricultural county in China. It has set itself the goal of building a health food industry cluster with the total value over 100 billion yuan. Currently in the Xinghua Economic Development Zone, the food industry contributes 53 percent of the output value of the park.

Over in Hailing, the district aims to establish a demonstration area for big health life services.

Thanks to the expanding industry and its dividend policy, the big health sector of Taizhou is now moving into a new phase that is taking it from "big" to "strong", said Tao Ling, director of the Taizhou Development and Reform Commission.