It was announced on June 26, 2014 that Japan's "Yong Ren Xin" (EVAHEART) auxiliary artificial heart program would settle in the Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (CLJNA) in Chongqing's Shuitu High-tech Park.
It is said that the Japan-based HI-LEX Group will co-fund and jointly set up the Chongqing EVAHEART Medical Device Co., Ltd with Chongqing Lilong Group engaging in the production of auxiliary artificial hearts. The new facility is expected to achieve an annual output value of over RMB3 billion after it is put into operation. It is said that the establishment of "EVAHEART" will fill a gap in China's artificial heart research and bring the gospel to patients with heart failure in China.
The program is said to be just the latest headway that CLJNA has made in creating the "Medicon Valley" in Shuitu.
Since its establishment four years ago, CLJNA has been highlighting the advanced manufacturing of automobile, electronic information, high-end equipment, general aviation and biomedicine. As a strategic new burgeoning sector to which CLJNA has attached great importance, biomedicine mainly focuses on the comprehensive distribution of ultrasonic medical devices, digital medical equipment, innovative medicines, bio pharmaceutical and medical devices.
Before the launch of "EVAHEART", there had already been ten medical programs planned to settle in to Chongqing Shuitu High-tech Park, involving a total investment of RMB11.198 billion and an estimated output value of RMB28.7 billion.
It is reported that three major industry modules, including medicine, high-end medical devices, and service outsourcing and medical applications have preliminarily taken shape in CLJNA at Chongqing Shuitu High-tech Park. Among them, the medicine module has already had such prestigious enterprises as PKU Healthcare Industry Group, YAOPHARMA, Kailian Pharmaceutical and Baoke Medicine under its wing.
The high-end medical device module has been home to programs such as High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, HIFU and Hong Kong U.MA. And the service outsourcing and medical application modules have kept Chongqing Boteng Pharmaceutical and China Stem Cell Group under its roof. It is said that after all the projects are put into operation, CLJNA Chongqing Shuitu High-tech Park will serve as an important biomedicine base in China.
John Edwards, the UK trade commissioner for China, praised Chongqing over its rise as a burgeoning center in intelligent manufacturing.