2026 BioShanghai Week to pool global innovation resources and build an open ecosystem

"We will hold high the banner of open collaboration, promote the free flow and optimal allocation of resources, and accelerate the biopharmaceutical industry for the greater benefit of all humanity," he said.

"China's innovative drugs and devices are becoming a shining business card for a science-powered nation and a healthy China," Yang Sheng, deputy director of China's National Medical Products Administration, said.

The numbers highlight the momentum. In 2025, China approved 76 innovative drugs and 76 innovative medical devices, including 11 drugs with new mechanisms or targets. In 2026 so far, 59 innovative drugs have been approved, 13 of them with new mechanisms or targets.

Shanghai alone secured six Class-I domestic innovative drug approvals this year, alongside the world's first approved implantable brain-computer interface medical device, according to Yang.

The gathering's global reach was brought into sharp focus by Jane Wall, director general of the BioIndustry Association of the United Kingdom, who highlighted a rising tide of cross-border investment appetite.

"This is the best time to collaborate and invest in the UK's biotech sector," Wall said. Noting that Shanghai and London share a common identity as their respective nations' leading innovation gateways, she expressed confidence in a deepening relationship.

"We look forward to reinforcing that bond and building a strong, two-way partnership."

The opening ceremony also marked the formal launch of two initiatives, namely the Shanghai-London Life Sciences Innovation Partnership and the BioShanghai Investment and Financing Ecosystem Partnership.