Liwan District issued policies to promote the innovative development of the pharmaceutical industry in November 2023, aiming to accelerate the construction of a medicine and health comprehensive zone in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Photo: Nanfang Plus
The policies cover innovative technologies, talent, industrial space, and digital transformation related to the medical industry. The four highlights of the policies are as follows:
1. The policies cover the full life cycle of enterprises.
A. Liwan supports the development of major projects. A maximum reward of 5 million RMB will be provided for newly established major pharmaceutical manufacturing projects with a total fixed asset investment of 50 million RMB or more.
B. Liwan improves the carriers for industrial development. A maximum reward of 3 million RMB will be provided for newly cultivated and certified biomedical public innovation spaces, incubators, and accelerators at all levels.
C. Liwan promotes digital transformation. A one-off reward of 2.5 million RMB will be granted to cross-industry, cross-field comprehensive industrial internet platforms recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. A one-off reward of 1.5 million RMB will be provided for state-level characteristics or specialized industrial internet platforms.
D. Liwan facilitates the industrialization of innovative achievements. A maximum reward of 10 million RMB will be provided for enterprises in the district that obtain new drug certificates, production approvals, Class III medical device registration certificates, or related international market entry permits, and are industrialized in the district.
E. Liwan strengthens the cultivation of micro, small and medium enterprises. A one-off reward of 10,000 RMB will be given to pharmaceutical enterprises qualified to be upgraded from individual businesses to enterprises. A one-off reward of 50,000 RMB will be given to pharmaceutical enterprises included in the list of enterprises that reach a certain scale, qualification or quota in the current statistical work practice.
2. The policies focus on R&D and innovation.
A. Liwan provides subsidies for new drug R&D projects. Eligible projects will receive a maximum reward of 10 million RMB, based on a certain percentage of the actual national and provincial support funds approved.
B. Liwan supports the development of new drugs. A maximum reward of 10 million RMB will be granted to products that have newly obtained a drug registration certificate (or drug registration approval) and are produced in the district.
C. Liwan facilitates the R&D of generic drugs. A one-off reward of 2 million RMB will be provided for products that pass the consistency evaluation for the first time or are selected as reference-listed drugs (RLDs) and are produced in the district.
D. Liwan encourages the development of medical devices. A maximum one-off reward of 1 million RMB will be provided for products that obtain the first registration certificate for medical devices.
E. Liwan promotes the construction of innovative public platforms for the pharmaceutical sector. A support fund equivalent to 30% of the actual construction fund invested in the project will be provided, and the reward is up to 10 million RMB. For new R&D institutions at the provincial level or above constructed within the Baietan Central Business Zone or the Hailongwei Science and Technology Innovation Zone, a financial subsidy not exceeding 100% of the construction investment or 20 million RMB in total will be granted. A maximum reward of 2 million RMB will be given to the construction of newly recognized R&D institutions, key laboratories, engineering and technology research centers, engineering research centers, enterprise technology centers, manufacturing innovation centers, technology innovation centers, and industrial innovation centers at all levels.
3. The policies highlight the TCM industry in Liwan.
A. Liwan supports the academic inheritance of TCM. A maximum reward of 100,000 RMB will be given to the establishment of TCM studios by national TCM masters, Qihuang scholars, and nationally or provincially recognized TCM experts in the district.
B. Liwan encourages the development of TCM-related time-honored brands. A one-off reward of 500,000 RMB will be provided for pharmaceutical enterprises awarded the China Time-honored Brand. Those newly awarded the Guangdong Time-honored Brand or the Guangzhou Time-honored Brand will receive a one-off reward of 300,000 RMB or 100,000 RMB, respectively. Time-honored enterprises will receive a one-off reward of 20,000 RMB for each new chain store opened in the district, with a maximum reward of 100,000 RMB for a single enterprise.
C. Liwan promotes the construction of high-level TCM-related disciplines. Each project that cultivates a district-level key discipline or a distinctive discipline related to TCM clinical practice will receive an annual grant of 500,000 RMB or 100,000 RMB, respectively. Each TCM work demonstration unit in comprehensive hospitals nationwide will receive an annual grant of 300,000 RMB. Each provincial-level TCM work demonstration base in maternal and child health institutions, and each municipal-level demonstration unit for the combined treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine will receive an annual grant of 200,000 RMB.
4. The policies emphasize the introduction and cultivation of talent.
A. Liwan provides a wide variety of support measures regarding settlement subsidies, children’s education, rental subsidies, spousal employment, healthcare services, staffing, and settlement.
B. Liwan provides a support fund equivalent to 50% of the actual municipal support fund approved for the establishment of academicians, postdoctoral, and doctoral workstations in the pharmaceutical sector.
C. Liwan provides salary subsidies. Recognized high-level pharmaceutical industry talent who work full-time with an annual pre-tax salary of no less than 250,000 RMB, and those engaged in flexible cooperation with an annual pre-tax compensation of no less than 180,000 RMB, will be granted subsidies equivalent to 35% and 30% of the pre-tax annual salary, respectively. The subsidy will be provided continuously for three years for full-time positions.