Tech sector taps bioproduction to spur development

In a workshop in Chengdu, Sichuan province, rows of fermentation tanks are filled with genetically modified microorganisms that are producing a new generation of chemotherapy drugs.

Since its inception in 2002, Biostar Pharma, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical firm, has expanded into a company with a 10,000-square-meter automated workshop. It has developed the world's first oral microtubule inhibitor in solid oral dosage form, a novel chemotherapy drug for cancer treatment.

With bio-manufacturing recognized as a key future industry in China's Government Work Report this year, a growing number of startups are poised to tap into new opportunities in this rapidly emerging sector.