Chongqing enterprises integrate into global life and health industrial chain

In Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology, a large screen shows real-time data from Haifu equipment worldwide. After nearly three decades of exploring the overseas market, Haifu has become a prime example of a Chongqing-based life and health enterprise integrating into the global industrial chain.

The Haifu Med-tech industrial base in Liangjiang New Area. [Photo/Lan Tian]

The company developed and patented the first Chinese High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) system in 1997, and made its global debut by exporting equipment to the University of Oxford in 2002. HIFU is a non-invasive therapeutic technique that has low risk and requires less recovery time than traditional treatments.

"The medical field is witnessing a transition towards minimally invasive and non-invasive. HIFU is a game changer, and we aim to have more patients benefit from this technology by expanding our global footprint," said Jiang Gang, general manager of Haifu.

To date, the company has exported its machine to 31 countries and regions and opened more than 60 non-invasive treatment centers globally. In 2004, Haifu was invited to help jointly establish the first international standard for the HIFU industry. Since then, it has further shaped the industry by participating in the formulation of another 13 standards.

One kilometer away, Porton Pharma Solutions echoes Haifu's going-global story with its growing presence in the CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organizations) sector. This sector is an emerging alternative to the in-house development and manufacturing unit of pharmaceutical companies and institutes over recent decades. By 2030, the global CDMO market is expected to exceed $220 billion.

Porton started out by manufacturing anti-HIV drugs for a global industry giant. In 2017, the company saw market potential and extended its service value chain to become a CDMO, followed by an accumulative investment in R&D of more than 1.1 billion over the years.

At present, Porton provides CDMO services for small molecule, TIDES, Biologics, and Gene & Cell Therapies. It has set up R&D centers, manufacturing plants, and offices in Asia, America, and Europe with over 5,000 global employees.

The company has gained the upper hand on crystallization processes, continuous flow reactions, and enzyme catalysis. Centering on its CDMO services, Porton has developed a service capability that covers from the pre-clinical to commercialization stages, according to Wang Fengping, vice president of Porton. So far, the company has established connections with about 800 clients and delivered over 2,200 projects around the globe.

With companies exploring overseas markets, Chongqing has also taken part in significant cutting-edge technology importation and commercialization.

EVAHEART, the first Chongqing-made artificial heart, is a result of cross-border cooperation. Based on the decades-long research and collaborative development from Waseda University and other leading institutions in Japan, Chongqing EVAHEART Medical Devices was established in 2014. It engages in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of artificial hearts. The EVAHEART medical industrial park is under construction in Liangjiang New Area. It is scheduled to begin operation this year and serve as China's first tech industrial park that focuses on heart failure treatment.

The EVAHEART Medical Devices production line. [Photo/Zhang Jinhui]

Liangjiang New Area is the first national development and opening-up area in inland China. In its blueprint for a modern manufacturing cluster, the life and health industry is one of its three future pillar industries. To date, the new area houses 270 enterprises in the industry and is forming an industry cluster comprising enterprise headquarters, R&C centers, manufacturing bases, and services platforms. In 2023, the above-scale industry output in Liangjiang surpassed 10.4 billion, increasing by 24.7 percent from the previous year.