The 5th Hong Kong International Bio-Tech Forum and Exhibition (BIOHK2026) drew to a close on September 12, 2026, having convened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 9th. Under the banner of "Leading Asian Biotech, Co-Creating a Global Innovation Ecosystem," the event attracted over ten thousand professionals, hundreds of top-tier experts, and nearly 200 leading companies from more than 40 countries and regions.
Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.'s Chairman and President, Xiao Weihong, took to the main forum stage to deliver a keynote speech that marked a significant strategic pivot for the company. He formally declared Hisun's transition from its traditional chemical pharmaceutical roots toward a biomanufacturing-centric model, while simultaneously outlining plans to enter the broader wellness sector, including sports health.
In his address, titled "From Raw Materials to Brands—Hisun's Answer in the Era of Biomanufacturing," Xiao framed this move not as a leap into uncharted territory, but as a natural evolution of the company's 70-year pharmaceutical history and over five decades of expertise in microbial fermentation and semi-synthetic technology. He highlighted the "15th Five-Year Plan" as a key policy driver positioning biomanufacturing as a strategic future industry, arguing that proactive transformation is essential for companies to seize upcoming opportunities.
The company's vision is to build a biomanufacturing-driven pharmaceutical group, completing an industrial paradigm shift from "chemical synthesis" to "intelligent biomanufacturing." This involves establishing a seamless closed-loop across technology, platforms, production, markets, and brands, enabling a full upgrade from B2B raw material supply to B2C proprietary brands.
During a subsequent panel discussion, Xiao elaborated on the challenges and Hisun's readiness for this transition. He noted that the core difficulties in shifting away from chemical pharmaceuticals lie in refining quality systems and reshaping the knowledge base of talent. To address this, he pointed to Hisun's early adoption of international quality standards in 1998 and the formation of its biologics R&D team in 2003 as foundational strengths. He also identified a structural imbalance in the industry—an oversupply of low-end capacity and a scarcity of high-quality production—which he believes creates a significant market opportunity for premium, green biomanufactured products.
Further solidifying its commitment, Hisun established Yunsheng Synthetic in 2025, a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to synthetic biology. This new entity is focused on the R&D and industrialization of high-value-added products like ergothioneine and bio-based heparin, leveraging Hisun's mature industrial systems, robust supply chains, and GMP-compliant quality management to build a high-barrier, internationalized, and fully ecological green biomanufacturing framework.
Concluding his remarks, Xiao emphasized that industrializing biomanufacturing requires extensive collaboration across the value chain. Hisun plans to deepen global partnerships and foster an open, shared innovation ecosystem spanning industry, academia, research, and application. By intensifying international cooperation in areas such as fermentation engineering, enzyme engineering, continuous manufacturing, and AI-driven intelligent production, the company aims to work with peers to build a green pharmaceutical ecosystem—helping China's biomanufacturing sector advance from a follower to a global leader and, ultimately, deliver high-quality, sustainable, and accessible solutions to patients and consumers worldwide.
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