Johnson & Johnson Innovation announces on Dec 5 to locate its new healthcare incubator JLABS @ Shanghai, its first JLABS site outside of North America, in Zhangjiang High Tech Park, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. [Photo/WeChat account: zjpark]

Johnson & Johnson Innovation announced on Dec 5 to locate its new healthcare incubator JLABS @ Shanghai, its first JLABS site outside of North America, in Zhangjiang High Tech Park, Pudong New Area, Shanghai.

The incubator is result of the cooperation between Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Shanghai government, Pudong government, and Zhangjiang Group.

The 4,400 square meters incubator is expected to start operations in 2019 and will be able to house 50 innovative startups specializing in life science and healthcare.

It will be equipped with cutting-edge modular and scalable lab space and state-of-the-art equipment, and provide startups with professional support in technology, industry and fundraising. It also features the JLABS device and digital prototype lab, providing entrepreneurs with access to highly specialized tools and skills-building programs to design and develop smart health technologies.

Startups are also able to use JLABS global resources, including talents and mentors. And their cooperation with JLABS has no strings attached. They can freely conduct scientific research and also keep their own intellectual property.

"We hope to cooperate with innovators in an open relationship and turn science into commercial products that can improve people life," said Melinda Richter, head of JLABS.

Yuan Tao, chairman of Zhangjiang Group, said that the arrival of JLABS @ Shanghai will help attract domestic and overseas biomedical professionals to Zhangjiang and also introduce Zhangjiang's innovation to the world.

"China, particularly Shanghai, has become a hot spot for global healthcare innovation," said Meng Qiming, chairman of Johnson & Johnson China, "JLABS @ Shanghai will work with Johnson & Johnson Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, Xi'an Janssen Shanghai R&D Lab, Emerging Market Innovation Center, and the other subsidiaries of the company to create a Shanghai-centered innovation hub."

The JLABS @ Shanghai will be run by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Zhangjiang Drug Valley Public Service Platform, according to a mutual agreement.

The Zhangjiang Drug Valley platform has played an important role in Zhangjiang's entrepreneurship and innovation. So far, it has incubated over 370 life science innovative projects and helped them gain total investment of over 2 billion yuan ($302 million).