Multinational companies are growing their investment in research and innovation in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Science City and forging closer integration with the local innovation ecosystem.

The Boehringer Ingelheim China Research and Development Center opens in Zhangjiang, Shanghai, on Oct 12. [Photo/Boehringer Ingelheim China]

German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim opened its China Research and Development Center in Zhangjiang on Oct 12.

The new center will strengthen early-stage clinical development and external collaboration. Boehringer Ingelheim's China team already participates in more than 70 percent of its early-stage clinical research projects. The company plans to expand China's participation in early-stage development, bringing scientific discoveries into its global drug pipeline and helping deliver new treatments to patients worldwide.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Nuoshang Life Science Industrialization Base in Zhangjiang, Shanghai is held on Oct 10. [Photo/Novartis]

Two days earlier on Oct 10, Novartis and its investment and operating partners ESR Group and Yunsong Capital launched construction of the Nuoshang Life Science Industrialization Base in Zhangjiang, backed by a total investment of 1.8 billion yuan ($268 million).

Open to life sciences companies, the project will provide support from pilot-scale testing to production, helping accelerate the transition from laboratory research to commercial manufacturing.

Umicore opened its first R&D center in China there, while Freudenberg launched a co-creation center at Zhangjiang Robot Valley.

These investments underscore Zhangjiang's growing role in connecting multinational research networks, Chinese scientific talent and industrial capabilities. The area is helping to accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real-world applications and global markets.