The Zhangjiang high-tech area of the Shanghai FTZ. [Photo/Xinhua] 

This year, the Zhangjiang high-tech area of the Shanghai FTZ has made a forward-looking layout in key areas such as integrated circuits, artificial intelligence and biomedicine. 

The Zhangjiang Artificial Intelligence Island that will be home to  IBM, Microsoft, Infineon and other industry giants has just been unveiled. The Shanghai Integrated Circuit Design Industrial Park which will gather large-scale enterprises such as Alibaba and Tsinghua Unigroup has also been launched.

The new industry has begun to show its pulling power. Last year, the total economic volume of Shanghai's biomedical industry reached 343.39 billion yuan, an increase of 4.49 percent. The output value of the manufacturing industry amounted to 117.66 billion yuan, an increase of 9.8 percent.

A bio-pharmaceutical industry cluster is emerging in Zhangjiang. There are more than 600 life-health innovation companies with over 400 drug varieties in development and more than 130 projects entering the clinical research stage. 

There are nearly 150 national-level research and development institutions, which have more than 1,000 patents authorized and storage capacity for 10 million biological samples. 

In the new field of cell clinical research, Zhangjiang has just planned a cell industrial park, which will form a whole industrial chain from storage, research and development, production, transportation and treatment to mature cell therapy. 

Xia Duo, general manager of Shanghai International Medical Zone Group Co, said that in the next few years, Zhangjiang will focus on building the commanding heights of the cell industry and take it as a starting point to promote its bio-pharmaceutical industry to a higher level. By 2030, the output value is targeted to exceed 50 million yuan.

"The first-class business environment in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone has strengthened our determination to establish a foothold in Shanghai and deepen the Chinese market,” said Gong Anming, executive vice-president and China CEO of Elekta, a world-renowned precision radiotherapy equipment producer.

He said that after showcasing the world's first high-field magnetic resonance radiotherapy system at the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai, the company determined to set up its regional headquarters in the city.