(Yicai) Oct. 17 -- Shanghai’s government has brought out a three-year policy guideline for the biomedical industry to promote the development of cutting-edge technologies in synthetic biotechnology, gene therapy, and medical robots as well as support the cultivation of 10 leading medical robotics firms.

Synthetic biotech should be taken as an important engine for developing Shanghai's high-end manufacturing industry, according to the guidelines released at the opening ceremony of the International Biopharma Industry Week Shanghai yesterday. The biomedical industry is one of the three leading sectors in the city.

The guidelines further propose developing the gene therapy science and technology innovation industry, comprehensively improving Shanghai's ability to innovate gene therapy capacity and industrial development, and promoting the medical robotics sector to create several leading domestic and even international advanced innovative products.

Shanghai will build two industrial zones for medical robots, five professional and technical public service platforms, and three medical robot application demonstration platforms, according to the guidelines.

The aim is to cultivate 10 leading medical robotics firms in subdivided fields within three years, launch 10 global advanced products, and set up 10 application demonstration scenarios that can be promoted and replicated. The development of surgical, rehabilitation, and auxiliary service robots will be particularly encouraged.

Regarding the synthetic biotech industry, nearly 5 million square meters of new biomedical standard plants should be built in the next two years, with construction of about 1.8 million sqm to begin this year. Shanghai will form a cascade industrial agglomeration of biomedical “incubation research and development pilot industrialization” and build itself into a new highland for the global biomedical R&D economy and the advancement of industrialization.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev