Biopharma again the core pillar of industrial strategy
Print Edition
AT the 2026 Shanghai Two Sessions, the biopharmaceutical sector, especially medical devices, was once again positioned as the core pillar of the city’s industrial strategy, reflecting Shanghai’s ambition to anchor itself higher up the global health care value chain.
Policymakers and industry representatives framed the sector not simply as a growth engine, but as a long-cycle, high-value industry that aligns closely with the city’s manufacturing capabilities, talent density and international orientation.
A recurring theme in the discussions was structural upgrading. While parts of China’s biopharma industry are facing short-term pressure — from pricing reforms, procurement policies and capacity expansion over the past decade — delegates emphasized that these challenges are accelerating a long-anticipated reshuffle. Policy direction is increasingly tilted toward encouraging innovation-driven players, higher technical barriers and differentiated products, rather than volume-based expansion.
Medical devices, in particular, were highlighted as a segment where Shanghai sees both comparative advantage and strategic opportunity. High-end devices and diagnostics combine advanced manufacturing, regulatory sophistication and clinical integration — areas where Shanghai already has relatively mature infrastructure.
Local policymakers stressed the importance of end-to-end ecosystem building, spanning research and development (R&D), clinical trials, regulatory approval, manufacturing and global market access, rather than fragmented policy support.
Internationalization also featured prominently in the policy narrative. As Chinese biopharma companies accumulate technical capabilities and regulatory experience, “going global” is increasingly seen not only as a revenue expansion strategy, but also as a way to absorb domestic capacity and benchmark against global standards.
This outward push, however, is framed as being rooted in innovation, long-term R&D accumulation, and regulatory credibility, rather than short-term arbitrage.
Talent remains a double-edged issue. Shanghai continues to benefit from its concentration of universities, research institutes and skilled professionals across the Yangtze River Delta region. At the same time, rising costs and intensifying inter-city competition have brought renewed attention to policy tools that can help companies manage long-term operating pressures while remaining globally competitive.
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