Technology commercialization is a critical link in the formation of new quality productive forces and a key pillar for high-quality economic development. On April 18, the Westlake University/ Westlake Laboratory Technology Commercialization Base—the first officially established base of its kind in the Hangzhou Chengxi Sci-tech Innovation Corridor—was formally unveiled and launched at the Yunchuang Gallium Valley Park in Zijingang Science and Technology City.

Westlake Pharma, a technology commercialization enterprise spun out of Westlake University and a new-model biopharmaceutical company that has grown rapidly under the new paradigm of tech-industry-finance integration, was invited to attend the unveiling ceremony.

The robust development of innovation ecosystems around universities and major science and technology platforms, along with the construction of commercialization bases, is a key priority outlined in this year's Hangzhou municipal government work report and a critical measure for advancing new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions. The official unveiling of the Westlake University/ Westlake Laboratory Technology Commercialization Base is an effective step by the Hangzhou Chengxi Sci-tech Innovation Corridor to pioneer a new paradigm of tech-industry-finance integration, paving the way for Hangzhou to accelerate its development as a premier destination for technology transfer and commercialization.

A signing ceremony was held for the joint residency of "Scientists + Entrepreneurs + Venture Capitalists." The first cohort of innovative commercialization studios, led by five top scientists including Shi Yigong, Xu Tian, Yu Hongtao, and Guan Kunliang, was officially established at the base. Additionally, eight technology commercialization projects led by scientists such as Zeng Anping, Yang Jian, Liu Xiaodong, Cheng Gang and Cao Lu, who hold leading technological advantages in fields like biomaterials, Bio-AI, immunotherapy, and brain-computer interfaces, were signed to be based at the facility. The base has also brought together over 10 professional service organizations, including the Zhejiang Intellectual Property Exchange Center, injecting strong momentum for future development.

Westlake Pharma is a technology commercialization enterprise spun out of Westlake University, led by top scientists and focused on innovative drug R&D. As an enterprise representative, Westlake Pharma participated in the signing ceremony and will also establish a presence at the Westlake University/ Westlake Laboratory Technology Commercialization Base in the future.

Innovative drug R&D is a systemic undertaking that relies on high-level basic research support from academic institutions and depends on a closed-loop ecosystem of tech-industry-finance integration. By bringing together talent, technology, and capital, the commercialization base will create new opportunities for Westlake Pharma's deep-seated growth. After moving in, Westlake Pharma will have more opportunities for face-to-face interaction and brainstorming with leading scientists and venture capitalists, allowing it to capture industry opportunities in real-time. Furthermore, Westlake Pharma will be able to collaborate with other upstream and downstream biopharmaceutical companies gathered at the base to co-develop products and share technological resources, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvements while jointly shaping a new blueprint for the biopharmaceutical industry.

"Universities thrive because of cities, and cities flourish because of universities," said President Shi Yigong. He noted that high-level talent and disruptive technologies are the fundamental source of new quality productive forces and the key focal point for win-win cooperation between the university and the local government. Over the past five years, Westlake University has adopted a dual-pronged approach of combining goal-oriented research with free exploration, yielding over 30 major original research achievements and successfully incubating 42 high-tech enterprises, eight of which have reached Future Unicorn status.

"I believe that by leveraging the technology commercialization base, we will better connect basic research with application and innovation with productivity, achieving mutual empowerment between science and industry. This will allow more rising-star enterprises with key core technologies to grow into industry leaders, igniting a new engine for tech-driven innovation," said President Shi Yigong.