On October 26, 2025, the 2025 World Summit of Young Scientists' Forum on Health and the 13th China Conference on Medical Biotechnology were co-hosted by Wenzhou Medical University and China Gene Valley at the Wenzhou Ouhai Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. The event gathered over 100 domestic authoritative experts, scholars, young scientists and business representatives, as well as more than 60 international guests. Attendees focused on breakthrough fields including cell and gene therapy, AI-driven new drug development, and synthetic biology technology, jointly exploring the full-chain innovation path spanning from basic research to clinical application and from technological breakthroughs to industrial implementation.

Zhang Wenjie, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Wenzhou; Chansiri Songcharoen, Minister-Counselor for Higher Education and Research Innovation of the Royal Thai Embassy in China; Academician Liao Wanqing of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Academician Chen Chunying of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Academician Eric Westhof of the French Academy of Sciences; Academicians Mitchell Valdes-Sosa, Pedro Valdes-Sosa and Carlet Montón-López of the Cuban Academy of Sciences; Pichai Songchit, Secretary-General of the Thailand-China Science and Technology Association; Zhang Heng, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Association for Science and Technology; and Academicians Song Weihong and Liu Fang of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences were present at the forum.University leaders including Jin Huanmin, Li Xiaokun, Jin Shengwei, Zhu Xuebo and Shen Xian also participated in the event. The forum was presided over by Huang Yangxu, Vice Mayor of Wenzhou.

Integrated and advanced in synergy with the 13th China Conference on Medical Biotechnology, the forum was themed "Focusing on building new productive forces for new drug research and development, accelerating the transformation of biotechnology achievements, and creating a biomedical industry ecosystem". It centered on cutting-edge biotechnology, digital health, and precision medicine, aiming to seize the high ground of future technological development, promote the deep integration of scientific and industrial innovation, and accelerate the formation of new productive forces, thereby gathering cutting-edge wisdom and core momentum for the construction of a Healthy China.

Leader's Speech

In his speech, Zhang Wenjie, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Wenzhou, stated that at present, Wenzhou is thoroughly studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on Healthy China . The city is clarifying its positioning, leveraging its strengths, striving to seize the frontier track of life sciences, focusing on strengthening the life and health industry cluster, committing to building a regional medical center, and accelerating the creation of a new highland for the life and health industry.He expressed expectations for joint efforts and enhanced cooperation with all parties: to let the light of advances in life sciences illuminate more people’s pursuit of health; to call on experts and scholars to pool their wisdom and strength for Wenzhou and promote the localization of more advanced concepts and innovative technologies in the city; and to look forward to more elite talents and innovation teams joining and rooting in Wenzhou, so as to write a new chapter of mutual achievement and win-win development on this vibrant and promising land for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Jin Huanmin, the Party Secretary of Wenzhou Medical University, noted that the university closely aligns with major national strategic demands and the development needs of the big health industry, advancing the integrated and coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talent. In recent years, the university has jointly built platforms such as China Eye Valley, China Gene Medicine Valley, Oujiang Laboratory, and the "FGF Growth Factor City" with Wenzhou, effectively fostering the cultivation and development of new productive forces in the big health sector, including biomedicine and ophthalmic medical devices. He hoped the forum would serve as an opportunity for experts to fully exchange ideas, share experiences, inspire wisdom and reach consensus, jointly exploring the latest trends, core key technologies and future industrial paths in the big health field (especially medical biotechnology), and contributing to the high-quality development of the big health industry and the "Healthy China" strategy.

Li Xiaokun, the president of Wenzhou Medical University and the chairman of the China Association of Biotechnology, stated that current biotechnologies represented by cell therapy, gene editing and AI drug development are reshaping the future landscape of human health with unprecedented power. Standing at the historical convergence point of technological revolution and industrial transformation, the sector faces both significant development opportunities and the noble mission of conquering major diseases and meeting people’s health demands. He expected the conference to serve as a new starting point for building a higher-level exchange platform, fostering a more dynamic innovation ecosystem, exploring broader international cooperation areas, and extending the benefits of scientific research to more countries and people.

In-depth Embedding in the Global Biomedical Innovation Network

During the forum, a number of landmark cooperation projects were launched.

Founding of the International Alliance of Cell and Cytokine Drugs. The alliance aims to gather the world’s top research institutions, universities, hospitals and enterprises via a cross-border scientific research collaboration platform. It focuses on three core directions: cytokine signaling pathway analysis, new cell drug development, and clinical transformation standard formulation. The alliance will share cutting-edge technologies, integrate innovative resources, and establish international norms, providing innovative solutions for humanity to overcome major diseases.

With over 30 years of profound accumulation in cell growth factor research, Wenzhou Medical University has led China’s cytokine research to realize a historic leap from "international follower" to "global leader". In the future, the alliance will build an open and collaborative global innovation network, contributing Chinese solutions to addressing major global health challenges.

Establishment of the China-Thailand Biomedical Industry Alliance. Marking the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations, the alliance was established to further respond to the "Belt and Road Initiative" and advance the construction of the "Health Silk Road", building a new platform for Sino-Thai biomedical exchanges and cooperation. It will play the role of a bridge and engine, promoting R&D resource sharing and scientific research achievement transformation. Additionally, the alliance will drive the deep integration of modern biomedicine technology with traditional medical culture, strengthen the connection between industrial and innovation chains, and enhance comprehensive competitiveness and influence in the global medical landscape, contributing Sino-Thai wisdom and strength to building a global community of health for mankind.

Signing of the China-Cuba Joint Translational Research Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders. A signing ceremony was held for the "China-Cuba Joint Translational Research Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders". The center will focus on joint scientific R&D, clinical translation, and talent cultivation in the field of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Bridge the "last mile" of the innovation chain

Strategic Cooperation for the FGF Group. To accelerate the cultivation of high-quality new productive forces in biomedicine, Wenzhou Medical University, the People’s Government of Ouhai District, and Wenzhou Industrial and Energy Development Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the establishment of the FGF (Fibroblast Growth Factor) Group. This government-industry-academia collaboration will take China Gene Valley as the core to build a characteristic industrial cluster centered on FGF innovative drugs and radiating to multiple application scenarios. It is another key move following the launch of "FGF City" construction last year, and a strategic measure to build an industrial peak and innovation source in the FGF field, striving to provide a high-quality "Wenzhou solution" and demonstration benchmark for global biomedical innovation and development.

Cooperation agreements among enterprises in the sci-tech innovation field were signed, further integrating the full chain from "basic research - technology development - industrial application". This will drive the regional innovation ecosystem to upgrade from single-point breakthroughs to systematic empowerment, injecting new momentum into industrial development.

A number of innovation platforms were unveiled at the meeting, including: 1.Biomedical Science and Education Integration Institute of Wenzhou Medical University and Oujiang Laboratory 2.Institute of Medical and Health Development Strategy of Wenzhou Medical University Medical Department 3.Institute of Major Brain Diseases and Neuroscience of Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Central Hospital 4.Institute of Medical-Engineering Integration of Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Second Hospital and National Key Laboratory of Wenzhou. These platforms will drive the high-quality development of the biomedical industry from four dimensions: science-education integration, strategic research, medical-educational collaboration, and interdisciplinary research.

Focus on the Frontiers, Collaborate for the Future

During the keynote speech session, Liao Wanqing, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered a special report titled Fungal Disease Prevention and Control Along the “Belt and Road”. Starting from the background of the “infectious disease prevention and control” agenda under the “Healthy Silk Road” initiative, he elaborated on the opportunities and challenges faced by the international joint research project on fungal disease prevention and control in countries along the “Belt and Road”, the research approaches adopted, the progress and achievements made, as well as new discoveries and outcomes in related diagnosis and treatment research.

The Blue Book on China’s Biopharmaceutical Innovation Environment was released during the forum. Bringing together the wisdom of numerous experts and scholars, the report conducted a comprehensive "panoramic scan" and in-depth diagnosis of the current policy environment, R&D trends, capital support, and industrial chain layout in China’s biopharmaceutical sector, providing scientific and authoritative decision-making references for the development of the biomedical industry.

As a flagship event of the World Young Scientists Summit, the Grand Health Forum has, since its inaugural session in 2020, successively invited over 1,000 scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs from home and abroad – including Nobel laureates, academicians, and senior executives of leading pharmaceutical enterprises. Centering on cutting-edge fields such as cell and gene therapy, synthetic biology, and medical artificial intelligence, it has built an international exchange and cooperation platform for fostering friendship and discussing development, emerging as a key venue for inspiring ideas and promoting collaborative innovation in the grand health sector.