Zhou Hongsheng, a former researcher at the Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is the founder of the Institute of Advanced Ultrasonic Technologies of the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Institute for Technological Innovation in Zhangjiang Science City of Pudong New Area.

Just 18 months after the institute's launch, he has achieved remarkable results—winning key tech bids, building three core platforms, applying for over 40 intellectual property rights, and securing nearly 20 million yuan ($2.78 million) in contracts.

When asked whether it was difficult to establish a research institute in Zhangjiang, Zhou noted that the process was smoother than anticipated, crediting Zhangjiang's top-tier innovation ecosystem.

　　Zhangjiang in Pudong New Area, a hub of scientific innovation and urban vitality. [Photo/WeChat ID: pdnews]

This view reflects the sentiment of many innovators in Zhangjiang, as the industrial park celebrates its 33rd anniversary. In the first half of 2025, Zhangjiang reported 167.3 billion yuan in industrial output, up 16.6 percent year-on-year, and 153.3 billion yuan in service revenue, a 16 percent year-on-year-increase. Forty-eight projects, including Superconducting Science and Technology Project and Skyverse Technology, broke ground with a combined floor area of nearly 2 million square meters.

Innovation hub: a clash of cutting-edge technologies

Zhangjiang's gravitational pull comes from its strategic role as a national comprehensive science center and its unparalleled research infrastructure. Facilities like the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai (NFPS), Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF), and Live Cell Structure and Function Imaging and Other Beamline Projects form a rare cluster of foundational science infrastructure.

Unlike conventional science parks, Zhangjiang dissolves the boundary between academia and industry. Labs and corporate R&D centers often sit side-by-side, with academic exploration and industrial application evolving hand-in-hand, backed by leading clusters in biomedicine, integrated circuits, and artificial intelligence.

On July 8, 2025, the University of Hong Kong signed a strategic agreement with the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Pudong New Area Government to establish its School of Computing and Data Science in Zhangjiang, further enriching this innovative hotspot with academic prestige and cross-border talent exchange.

Zhangjiang's thriving ecosystem continues to attract global talent. For example, biotech firm CorrectSequence Therapeutics, incubated by ShanghaiTech University, has developed a pioneering base-edited therapy capable of correcting genetic mutations like a "molecular eraser."

With comprehensive support from the university, CorrectSequence Therapeutics secured a number of global patents. Four international patients, including a 4-year-old from Pakistan, have already benefited from clinical trials conducted in Shanghai this May. The technology exemplifies China's emerging leadership in genetic medicine.

Respect for scientists and a commitment to cutting-edge research have made Zhangjiang a hotbed for innovation. In biomedicine, a synergistic layout has formed:Zhangjiang Pharma Valley leads in R&D, while the International Medical Park, Innovation Drug Base, and Medical Device Park focus on manufacturing and clinical transformation.

This ecosystem is further bolstered by world-class scientific life science infrastructure, including the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and the National Center for Protein Science Shanghai (NCPS). It has also facilitated the launch of key innovation platforms such as the Synthetic Biology Innovation Center and the Concept Validation Center for Frontier New-Drug Technologies, while driving the rollout of X-scholar. More than 2,300 biopharma firms are based in the region.

In the first half of 2025 alone, five Class I new drugs and four Class III innovative medical devices gained regulatory approval. 　

From "seeds" to "giant trees": Zhangjiang's substantial investment

To turn early-stage ideas into industry champions, Zhangjiang offers both support and capital. Shanghai Shenze Venture Capital, one of the city's first high-quality incubators, has funded 35 projects over the past decade, including four now publicly listed firms. Many of these focus on disruptive technologies in deep science and advanced materials.

The Advanced Ultrasound Technology Institute, jointly established by the Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Institute for Technological Innovation, and Zhangjiang Group, received multi-faceted support in talent recruitment from the Pudong International Unveiling and Leading Platform, lab subsidies from the Zhangjiang Science City Construction Management Office, and funding from the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Institute for Technological Innovation. 

Zhou noted that diversified investment, mixed ownership, and scientist-led autonomy made the institute more market-aligned and agile. His team enjoys operational independence and ownership of research outcomes, fueling innovation from within.

Zhangjiang also leverages finance to empower innovation. Zhangjiang Tech Investment was launched in 2004, combining direct investment with fund partnerships. In April 2025, a new one-stop financing service center opened, helping 19 firms secure a total of 73.6 million yuan in loans and bridge capital.

Two of Shanghai's three major industrial mother funds — funds for biomedicine and integrated circuits — have been set up in Zhangjiang, totaling 67.5 billion yuan. To date, the three funds have invested nearly 8 billion yuan in 140 projects, often acting as a springboard for cross-border joint ventures and IPOs.

The leading zone fund, in partnership with major enterprises like China Mobile, Aipumai, and Shanghai Pharma, has established five corporate venture capital (CVC) funds to support frontier technologies and the three leading industries, catalyzing new industrial breakthroughs. Zhangjiang is now home to 109 listed companies, including 44 on the STAR Market. Their IPOs have raised nearly 150 billion yuan in capital.　　 

　　Institutional innovation: speeding up innovation chains to boost corporate ecosystem vitality

As a cradle of policy innovation, Zhangjiang has led pilot reforms such as the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) system and medical device registrant mechanism, which have streamlined the path from lab to market.

Recent regulatory reforms enabled local firm CANbridge Pharmaceuticals to bring its enzyme replacement drug, Velaglucerase beta for injection (trade name: Gaurunning), for Gaucher disease to market a year ahead of schedule. It became the first approved Class I innovative biologic under China's new segmented production pilot.

Zhangjiang also pioneered a joint regulatory trial for imported biomedical materials and streamlined customs clearance for cell therapies. Fosun Kairos's CAR-T products have now reached overseas markets, while foreign access policies for gene and cell therapy are being implemented on a trial basis.

Shanghai passed an action plan to accelerate Zhangjiang's transformation into a world-class science city on April 27, 2025. Pudong New Area is executing this through five methods: optimizing spatial layout, building national labs, nurturing leading firms, attracting global talent, and boosting innovation ecology.

Zhangjiang is poised for another leap forward. Every breakthrough not only fuels China's innovation engine but also reshapes its position in the global science and technology landscape.