"Smart Health Town" is located at Torch Zone.

It was a farmland 24 years ago, but it has become a gathering place for renowned domestic and foreign medical firms 24 years later.

Here is the place in Torch Zone where National Health Technology Park stands.

On January 29, 1994, “National Health Technology Park” was approved by the state departments to settle down in South District of Zhongshan. Three months later, State Scientific and Technological Commission, Guangdong People’s Government and Zhongshan People’s Government signed an agreement to jointly build the National Health Technology Park (NHTP). In August the same year, NHTP was moved to Torch Zone, with a total area of 13.5 sqkm.

Zhongshan’s health industry dream started from then on. From zero to now, NHTP has gathered more than 300 leading and innovative medical firms, including Novartis Sandoz, Ferring, Akesobio, Zhongzhi Pharmaceutical, Jointown, Lifesense, Minfound and Ascendas Genomics, and become one of the important medical industry clusters nationwide.

At the beginning of the establishment, there was no referential developing experience of health technology park in domestic, in which case NHTP was lack of policy, capital and talent support. International financial crisis also brought great difficulties. “It was a hard time. We were embraced by farmlands, sometimes we had to travel by boat. In that case, many enterprises left this place. With weak foundation of industrial and deficient technological resources, medical industry was under a difficult developing circumstance.” Fang Ying, general manager of NHTP Development Co Ltd, recalled with emotions.

In late 1999, Torch Zone introduced a promotion plan for NHTP. 

Later in 2001, Zhongshan municipal government proposed three policies respectively in terms of financing infrastructure construction in industrial bases, promoting investment attraction and strengthening construction of innovation platforms. Since then, Zhongshan ushered in the best development opportunity.

President of AZPHARM Xu Xiaoxian who has 60 years’ experience in medical industry decided to “restart in Zhongshan” after quitting Livzon Pharmaceutical Group in 2003.

Sine settling down in NHTP in 2003, AZPHARM has developed into a large-scale pharmaceutical group approved by China and the US. At present, the new AZPHARM building stands ambitiously by Hengmen Waterway.

“The industrialized development characteristics and all-round services here made me choose to settle down in NHTP.” Xu Xiaoxian said. 

In the past 24 years’ time, a number of outstanding firms like AZPHARM stationed in NHTP one after another. So far, NHTP has formed advantageous industry sectors such as protein antibody bio-medicine, medical imaging equipment, genetic diagnosis, children use drug and medical device, new-type TCM medicinal slices and etc, and become the national pilot innovative industry cluster for bio-pharmaceutical.

In August this year, Zhongshan released “Action Plan of Medical Industry Development (2018-2022)” to advance strategic emerging industry. According to the plan, by 2022, Zhongshan’s medical industry will reached 120 billion yuan level. In addition, Zhongshan will develop important medical industry cluster and internet-medical industry integrated demonstration zone across the country.