On September 12, an important gathering of over 200 biomedical experts and pharmaceutical leaders from more than 20 countries took place in Shanghai. The primary objective of this international event was to foster collaboration and share the latest advancements in the biomedicine sector, with a strong focus on accelerating the translation of innovative findings and exploring multilateral industrial cooperation.

The conference, titled the 2024 International Biomedical Symposium and the Shanghai Oriental Beauty Valley Biomedical Industry Conference, kicked off in the Fengxian district of the city. Centered around the theme “Innovation, Integration, Development,” the event was co-hosted by the Shanghai Biomedicine Technology Industry Promotion Center alongside several local government departments. Throughout the conference, participants engaged in 16 parallel sessions that tackled cutting-edge topics such as innovative drug discovery, advancements in antibodies and vaccines, biotherapy, and novel strategies in oncology treatment.

Adel K. El-Naggar, a professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, highlighted the conference’s role as a global platform for advancing research and industrial development in biomedicine. He noted that it bridges international advancements and technological breakthroughs with significant global market needs, an initiative that has the potential to greatly advance the biopharmaceutical industry.

In a dialogue segment, experts reached a consensus that despite a slowdown in momentum within the biomedicine sector, the field remains a vibrant arena for innovation and investment competition on a global scale. They stressed that achieving high-quality growth in biomedicine hinges on both seizing opportunities and enhancing internal capabilities. The experts collectively called for collaborative efforts to address industry challenges, optimize resource allocation, and build a robust innovation ecosystem, all while aiming for a deeper integration of the innovation chain, industry chain, and policy chain within the biomedicine sphere.

Additionally, the project’s roadshow and investment negotiation segment set the stage for investment and technological collaboration in biomedicine, fostering meaningful connections. Following a meticulous selection process, 20 high-quality projects from universities, hospitals, research institutions, and companies participated in the roadshow. Notably, nine of these projects represented countries such as Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, Russia, and Finland, focusing on cutting-edge fields like cell and gene therapy, nucleic acid drugs, AI diagnostics, nano-antibodies, and synthetic biology.