Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality on Accelerating the Sourcing of Synthetic Biological Innovation and Building a High-end Biomanufacturing Industry Cluster (2023-2025)

This Action Plan is formulated in accordance with the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the construction of a globally influential science and technology innovation center in Shanghai Municipality and the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the development of strategic emerging industries and leading industries in Shanghai Municipality to fully leverage the advantages of Shanghai in the field of synthetic biology, aggregation of top talents, profound research capabilities, solid industrial foundation, and complete supply chain, to accelerate the innovation and industrial application of synthetic biology technology and build a high-end bio-manufacturing industry cluster.

I. Overall Goal

We shall, by seizing the new wave of global bio-economical transformation and taking the implementation of major national strategic tasks as the driving force, treat synthetic biotechnology as an important engine for the development of high-end manufacturing industry in Shanghai Municipality, and play a leading role in serving the country's participation in global bio-economical industrial cooperation and competition.

By 2025, Shanghai will reach the goal to achieve a number of internationally influential research results in the field of synthetic biology, foster a quantity of leading companies and high-end talents, and establish a new development pattern characterized by advanced basic research, active innovation transformation, vigorous development of industrial entities, and a sound and complete industrial ecosystem.

Over five internationally influential top scientists and their teams will be newly added, a component library with a capacity of over one million will be set up, major scientific and technological infrastructure that can meet the research and industrial development needs of the Yangtze River Delta and even the Asia-Pacific region will be constructed, and a number of significant original research achievements will be generated, which will position Shanghai at the forefront of global innovation sourcing technology.

Key technologies with independent intellectual property rights in gene editing, synthesis and assembly, circuit design and construction, etc., will be developed, more than five synthetic biology functional platforms will be established and a number of transformation projects with core competitiveness will be put in place, a batch of international cooperative projects with industrial application value will be formed, and more than 10 innovative leading enterprises with certain influence at home and abroad will be cultivated.

Five or more companies will be attracted to establish regional or R&D headquarters, one to two leading enterprises with annual sales revenue exceeding one billion yuan will be nurtured and about three industrial bases with distinctive features and domestic leading advantages will be constructed.

By 2030, we aim to establish a global hub for synthetic biology innovation sourcing, an international hub for technology transfer and commercialization, and an international hub for advanced bio-manufacturing, and basically complete a high-end bio-manufacturing industry cluster with global influence.

II Development Priorities

Innovation-driven breakthroughs at the fundamental research level. We shall clarify the elucidation of the laws and mechanisms governing the operation of biological systems, with a focus on conducting fundamental research in areas such as artificial life components, artificial genome design and synthesis, and biological system design and reconstruction, accelerate breakthroughs in foundational technologies such as gene editing and detection, genome synthesis, design and assembly of biological components, chassis cell construction, and directed evolution, promote the standardization and characterization of biological components and the construction of standardized high-energy component libraries.

Empowering transformation by tools utilization at the platform level. We shall utilize technologies such as precision engineering, automation, machine learning, and big data to build a large-scale synthetic biological manufacturing system integrated by software control, hardware equipment and applications; develop autonomously controllable artificial intelligence-assisted industrial software toolkits; we shall support the establishment, mining, sharing, and utilization of biological information databases, and accelerate a number of key core technological breakthroughs in industrial transformation such as chassis transformation and screening, component optimization and adaptation.

Enhancement of industrial transformation and development at the application level. We shall concentrate on the application of synthetic biology technology in five major fields of biomedicine, advanced materials, consumer goods, energy, and environmental protection, promote the high-end and green development of bio-manufacturing. In the field of biomedicine, we shall concentrate on the development of new vaccines, cell and gene therapy, natural products and derivatives, active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, microbial therapy, intelligent live biotherapeutic products, medical diagnostic reagents and enzymes, medical materials and other subdivided fields

In the field of advanced materials, we shall focus on the development of subdivided fields such as bio-based materials and future materials. In the field of consumer goods, we shall focus on the development of high-end cosmetic raw materials, functional food additives, new animal feed, cultured meat and dairy products, special medical foods and health foods and other subdivided products. In the field of environmental protection, we shall focus on the development of subdivided products such as environmental monitoring biosensors, environmental pollutant biodegradable and adsorption preparations.

III Key Tasks

1. Upgrade infrastructure and laboratory level. We shall strengthen the functions of existing major scientific facilities in Shanghai, such as the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, National Protein Center, and translational medicine facilities, to form a significant cluster of scientific and technological infrastructure that supports the development of synthetic biology technology. We shall establish mechanisms for open sharing and efficient utilization of major scientific and technological infrastructure, and encourage research institutions and innovative enterprises to fully utilize the network of major scientific and technological infrastructure. We shall support universities and research institutes in Shanghai to strive for the establishment of national key laboratories in the field of synthetic biology, undertake major strategic scientific and technological tasks in the field of synthetic biology at the national and local levels, and strengthen functional complementarity and collaboration.

2. Set up R&D institutions of new type. We shall establish a synthetic biology innovation center in accordance with the model of marketization of operating mechanism, internationalization of employment mechanism, and integration of R&D and transformation, and build research, transformation, and incubation platforms to conduct validations for short-cycle technology and for commercial value, efficiently advance the research and engineering of key common technologies, and develop platforms for engineering cell data, genotype construction, phenotype testing, and cell design.

We shall support various entities such as universities, research institutes, and technology-based enterprises in Shanghai to establish research platforms of various forms, with a focus on breakthroughs in the forefront of synthetic biology and future applications, and expand the research and application directions of synthetic biology. By integrating the resources from various fields, including major scientific facilities in this Municipality, research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, key universities, and top scientific teams, we shall strengthen collaborative cooperation and form a network of major scientific facilities, key laboratories, and high-end talent in synthetic biology.

3. Strengthen fundamental and applied research. We shall, relaying on the universities and research institutes in Shanghai, conduct cutting-edge theoretical explorations in areas such as the origin and evolution of life, and strengthen research on frontier technologies such as DNA molecular devices and DNA storage devices. We shall build foundational technologies and develop new technologies for high-throughput, high-precision, long-sequence nucleic acid synthesis, efficient and precise large-scale (megabase-level) nucleic acid assembly, controllable genetic technologies, and characterization techniques for biodiversity, and provide support for synthetic biology construction.

We shall promote organized research and, in response to the industrial demands of key areas, encourage collaboration between universities, research institutes, and technology-based enterprises to achieve fundamental breakthroughs in key common technologies such as multi-enzyme catalytic systems, biochemically compatible synthesis technologies, microfluidic bio-detection, and fermentation process scaling and optimization. We shall accelerate the construction of basic biological information databases, including microbial genetic information database and protein structure-function information database.

4. Organize the tackling of automation tools for biological design. We shall concentrate on areas such as gene detection, biological component research, protein structure prediction and design, metabolic analysis and simulation, laboratory automation, and high-throughput screening, and develop bio-design automation (BDA) tools that are urgently needed for iterative synthetic biology technologies.

We shall support the construction of Integrated AI Biomedical Model integrating dry lab and wet lab, including large-scale models of multi-modal generation of AI proteins, multi-level big data, and verification platforms, support the development and application of toolkits such as visual editing software for gene sequence and annotation, gene sequence database, metabolic analysis and simulation, whole cell simulation and visualization, biological function modules, statistical analysis of data, and graphical drawing software for gene sequence and annotation.

5. Build a high-level biofoundry. With a focus on the key links of pilot scale-up and large-scale production, we shall give full play to the main role of enterprise innovation, and form an innovation consortium, and establish several high-throughput, automated, and open bio-fabrication facilities following the "design-build-test-learn" approach. With a focus on the subfields of natural product synthesis, novel bio-based materials, functional ingredients for cosmetics, synthetic edible proteins, new energy sources, and bioremediation of environmental pollutants, we shall promote the construction of high-level industry innovation centers and national-level engineering and technology centers. We shall encourage service models such as contract research outsourcing, contract manufacturing organizations, and customized research and development production to upgrade the level of bio-manufacturing.

6. Create spaces of "one core and two wings". Based on the industrial development foundation of each district and the characteristics of subdivided fields, we shall create a spatial layout of "one core and two wings", with innovation and breakthroughs in Pudong New Area as the core, and manufacturing bases in Jinshan District and Baoshan District as the two wings. Pudong New Area shall prioritize the development of original innovation, foundational technologies, innovation platforms, corporate research and development centers, and headquarters. Jinshan District shall leverage the BioPharma Bay and Carbon Valley Green Bay to concentrate on areas such as new materials and new energy. Baoshan District shall, by relying on the Nanjing University Synthetic Biology Industrial Park, prioritize the development of functional platforms, promote the coordinated development of distinctive regions such as Lingang Life Blue Bay, Minhang Big Zero Bay, Fengxian Oriental Beauty Valley, and Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone. We shall construct high-quality incubators and accelerators with professional characteristics, and establish a smooth chain for discovery, transformation, incubation, and industrialization.

7. Facilitate the differentiated landing of industry projects. For cell and gene therapy, nucleic acids, proteins, and other macromolecular products, we shall promote the layout of the entire industry chain of "research and development + manufacturing + application". For large-scale chemical and fine chemical products, foster the establishment of corporate research and development centers, operational headquarters, settlement centers, and listing entities, and promote the implementation of high-level bio-manufacturing projects characterized by high-end, intelligent, and green features.

8. Empower the growth of high-quality enterprise echelons. We shall support the introduction of leading domestic and international companies, high-end research and development institutions, and major industrial projects in the field of synthetic biology, and encourage industry leaders to carry out sector and industrial chain mergers and acquisitions, leverage their driving and radiating effects, and promote the integration and innovation of the synthetic biological industry chain to become bigger and stronger. We shall strengthen the support for incubating and nurturing startups in the synthetic biology field, encourage innovative enterprises to deepen their presence in specific areas, cultivate a group of high-tech enterprises, specialized and innovative enterprises, unicorns, gazelles, and champions in specific segments.

9. Strengthen the collaborative development of the industrial chain and supply chain. We shall continuously strengthen the innovative collaboration of the industrial chain and supply chain in the Yangtze River Delta region, promote multi-party collaboration among upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain, and carry out "strengthening, supplementing, and stabilizing" actions guided by industrial demand. We shall promote the development of efficient and intelligent bioreactors and other equipment, advanced membrane separation materials, and new chromatographic fillers and consumables, tackle key problems in major components, intelligent control software, and systems to ensure supply security and promote the aggregation and development of enterprises in the synthetic biology industry chain and supply chain.

IV Safeguard Measures

1. Strengthen the assurance of diversified funds. We shall coordinate the specific funds for strategic emerging industries in this Municipality, major municipality-level science and technology projects, high-quality industrial development and scientific and technological innovation plans, and for Zhangjiang independent innovation demonstration zone development and other special funds, make research and deployment related to major science and technology projects, and ensure the continuous investment of special funds. We shall establish and improve a diversified capital assurance mechanism, set up a market-oriented Shanghai Synthetic Biological Industry Guidance Fund, and accurately realize the combination of allocation and investment and integration of investment and business invitation, and actively play the guiding role of government financing guarantee institutions, and increase policy innovation in intellectual property mortgage and product liability insurance.

2. We shall leverage the legislative power of Pudong New Area, make deep cultivation of the experimental field in the Lingang Special Area, and optimize supporting policies and regulations for research and development, production, operation.

3. Strengthen the demonstration and application of new technologies and new products. We shall establish a platform for cooperation and communication with clients, encourage collaboration among enterprises and institutions along the industry chain, and establish industry-user consortia to jointly conduct performance testing and evaluation of synthetic biology products. Support should be provided, as per regulations, to independently innovative products that achieve industrial application for the first time.

We shall enhance the promotion, demonstration, and popularization of high-quality synthetic biology products and technical solutions to increase public awareness and market acceptance, encourage the development and application of bio-based, recyclable, and reusable high-performance materials, improve green and low-carbon policies and market systems, and accelerate the exploration of carbon trading and taxation policies in the field of bio-manufacturing.

4. Increase efforts to attract and train talents at various levels. We shall leverage innovation platforms and major projects, enhance efforts to attract high-level talents such as top scientists and engineers, and establish efficient mechanisms for talent introduction and service support. We shall support eligible outstanding talents to be included in programs such as "Industrial Elites", and include key synthetic biology companies that meet the criteria in key talent introduction institutions and include relevant talents from these companies in talent incentives range for key industries. We shall strengthen the construction of synthetic biology disciplines and encourage the nurture of applied, interdisciplinary, and talent in high-level universities and research institutes in Shanghai, and cultivate high-skilled and versatile talents and a skilled workforce through industry-education integration.

5. Establish a professional service matrix. We shall establish a high-quality and specialized regulatory service team and provide training in biosafety, ethical regulation, standard implementation, market access, and intellectual property in the field of synthetic biology, enhance the professionalism of investment promotion in synthetic biology, cultivate a group of composite talents and professional managers who are familiar with regional policies, investment and finance, and possess high professional qualities, and provide precise services throughout the entire lifecycle of enterprises.

6. Set up a high-end industrial think tank. We shall formulate Shanghai Synthetic Biology Strategic Expert Committee and Shanghai Synthetic Biology Industry Association, collaborate with Shanghai Synthetic Biology Innovation Strategic Alliance to provide intellectual support in formulating industry plans and technology roadmaps, conducting special industry research, and developing standards, and provide specialized research and consulting opinions on topics such as policy regulations, scientific supervision, intellectual property, biosafety, and ethical issues in the field of synthetic biology. We shall expand the influence of Shanghai Synthetic Biology Innovation Strategic Alliance, organize events such as Shanghai (International) Synthetic Biology Industry Innovation Summit, project investment and financing roadshows, and innovation contests.