Eleven academicians at home and abroad, more than forty national-level talents including recipients of NSFC fund for distinguished young scholars and excellent young scholars, over one hundred experts in the pharmaceutical field and executives of leading enterprises in the industry, and above thirty keynote speeches and scholars’ dialogue... On the morning of November 17, the World Young Scientist Summit 2023 International Forum on Comprehensive Health Care hosted by Wenzhou Medical University was successfully held.

With the theme of “New Technology, New Future, Transformation and Opportunities in the Innovation Paradigm of the Life and Health Industry”, the forum discussed the innovation and development in the life science and health industry. In specific, the forum aimed to give full play to the agglomeration effect and major scientific and technological innovation platforms, strengthen school-enterprise exchanges and cooperation, and promote and achieve higher-quality innovation in the life science and health industry with greater efficiency.

Attendees of the forum included Zhang Honggang, Director of High Technology Research and Development Center, Ministry of Science and Technology, Zhang Zhenfeng, Secretary of CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee, Jiang Zhengui, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province , Bian Zhenjia, President of China Nutrition and Health Food Association, Sun Xianze, Chairman of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, Chen Shifei, Director of the National Steering Committee of Pharmacy Graduate Education, Deng Zixin, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Liao Wanqing, Ding Jian, Yang Baofeng, Fu Xiaobing, Jia Weiping, Jiang Jianxin, Fan Xianqun, Academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Song Weihong, Liu Fang, Academicians of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Shao Yuanchang, First-Class Inspector of Zhejiang Medical Products Administration and Chairman of Zhejiang Pharmaceutical Association, Chen Renjian, Chief Supervisor of Education Department of Zhejiang Province, Lu Wenge, Second-Class Inspector of Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, Wang Zhenyong, Vice Mayor of Wenzhou Municipality, and Yao Wenbin, Director of the National Steering Committee for Pharmacy Education in Universities and Colleges under the Ministration of Education. Lyu Yijun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Wenzhou Medical University, presided over the address session and the launching ceremony, after which Li Xiaokun, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Wenzhou Medical University, made a report on the construction of the National Key Laboratory.

Zhang Honggang pointed out that, the current world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and China’s development is facing in-depth and complex changes in the domestic and international environment. Scientific and technological innovation has become a key variable determining future development. Hence, he hoped to take this forum as an opportunity to further enhance the sense of mission, responsibility, and urgency in scientific and technological innovation, focus on the major strategic scientific and technological needs of the country, and make endeavors to solve crucial scientific frontier issues, develop key core technologies, and carry out research that may bring about significant breakthroughs. He encouraged all participants to jointly promote high-quality development of science and technology in the new era and make contributions to achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

Jiang Zhengui stressed that in recent years, the whole province has thoroughly studied and implemented President Xi Jinping’s important discourse spirit on innovation and development, continuously promoted comprehensive innovation with scientific and technological innovation as the core, and unconventionally advanced the construction of the three major scientific and technological innovation hub, and achieved remarkable results. He pointed out that innovation is the primary driving force for development, talents are the foundation of innovation, and young scientific and technological talents are a dynamic driving force of scientific and technological innovation. Zhejiang province will step up greater efforts to carry forward the spirit of scientists, establish more platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship, and help more young scientific and technological talents to realize their aspirations and fulfill their dreams.

Wang Zhenyong pinpointed that these years, Wenzhou has been adhering to the strategy of scientific and technological innovation-driven development, and systematically fostering the innovation pattern of “one zone, one corridor, one summit, one lab, and one cluster". Especially in the field of comprehensive health industry, the city has established plenty of big platforms such as Oujiang Laboratory, China Eye Valley, and China Gene Medicine Valley, and the life science and health industry has gotten off the ground and grown rapidly. He also expressed the expectations that this forum would help introduce cutting-edge technologies, innovative talents, and industrial projects to Wenzhou and contribute to the development of Wenzhou’s comprehensive health industry.

Lyu Yijun is presiding over the address session.

After the address session, Li Xiaokun gave a report on the construction of the National Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drug Development and Manufacturing. This lab is jointly constructed by Wenzhou Medical University and Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., which obtained the official approval for construction in March this year. The lab will concentrate on macromolecular drugs such as cell growth factors, antibodies, and cell therapy with an emphasis on building a chain innovation system from innovation at the source to large-scale manufacturing. It aims to accelerate the efforts to remove bottlenecks in macromolecular drug research and development, and meet the strategic needs from adapting to Western standards to establishing internationally recognized Chinese standards.

Guo Yajun, President of Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is appointed as the chief scientist of the laboratory.

Appointment Ceremony of Director and Members of the Academic Committee

Appointment Ceremony of Members of the Advisory Committee

Besides, the forum also included the appointment ceremony of chief scientist, the appointment ceremony of director and members of the academic committee, the appointment ceremony of members of the advisory committee, the awarding ceremony of industry-university-research cooperation units and cooperation center of the national key laboratory, and the signing ceremony of major projects in the life science and health industry.

Signing Ceremony of Industry-University-Research Cooperation Units

Awarding Ceremony of the Beijing Branch Center of the National Key Laboratory

At the conference, the supporting units Wenzhou Medical University and Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. signed agreements with the industry-university-research cooperation units, including Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, Shanghai Tofflon Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Hrain Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Oujiang Lab, the People’s Government of Ouhai District, Anyuan Biology Technology(Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and Liaocheng University, and presented the plaques to the Beijing Branch Center of the lab.

In addition, a total of 13 major projects in the life science and health industry were signed at the conference.

In the keynote speech session, Academician Ding Jian made a report on the topic of “Thirty years of anti-tumor drug development”. He pointed out that China has the most cases of cancer incidence and mortality in the world. As a result, the research and development of anti-tumor drugs is essential in the building of a healthy China. Combining with the 30-year history of “establishing platforms, developing new drugs, and expanding the frontiers” in research and development of novel anti-tumor drugs, he reckoned that we should seek new opportunities in the upsurge of tumor immunotherapy research actively, and discover a suitable road for China in drug research and development by embracing emerging technologies and improving basic research capabilities.

In the young scholars dialogue session, Anderi V Tkatchenko, researcher at Oujiang Laboratory and former tenured professor at Columbia University, Bi Huichang, professor at Southern Medical University and recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Gao Shaorong, professor at Tongji University and recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Mo Yiming, researcher at Zhejiang University and recipient of the Research Fund for International Excellent Young Scientists, Bao Min, researcher at Wenzhou Medical University and recipient of the Research Fund for International Excellent Young Scientists, and Ge Mengkai, a postdoctoral research fellow at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, conducted a dialogue on “How can young scientists seize the opportunity of paradigm reform in biomedical innovation”.

Additionally, the forum held the inauguration ceremony of the National Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drug Development and Manufacturing and the inauguration ceremony of the CDMO industry platform of China Gene Medicine Valley. What’s more, there were sub-forums such as the Third Oujiang Forum on Biological Drugs and Molecular Regulation and the Seminar on CGF Transformation and Clinical Application.

The International Forum on Comprehensive Health Care, as one of the top academic events in the field of life science and health care in China, is a main event of the World Young Scientists Summit. The forum has been consecutively held in Wenzhou Medical University for four years, drawing tremendous attention at home and abroad. More than fifty academicians and one hundred leading scholars, including Zhong Nanshan, recipient of the Medal of the People’s Republic, and Michael Horton, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, participated in the forum and delivered keynote speeches on the most cutting-edge academic achievements and the latest industry development trends.

Text translated by Wu Zehan and reviewed by Sun You.