Bioproduction drives push for greener growth

China's new industrial strategy promises opportunities for domestic, foreign entities

In an era defined by the urgent need for sustainable solutions to drive development, an innovative production paradigm is quietly revolutionizing industries. Industrial exhaust is being converted into fish feed, used cooking oil into jet fuel, and crop straw into biodegradable film.

This is biomanufacturing, or the convergence of biology, chemistry and engineering to transform waste into wealth. Characterized by low carbon emissions, high efficiency and renewable prospect, this technology is now at the heart of China's industrial strategy and is promising abundant opportunities for both domestic and foreign enterprises.

China has officially designated biomanufacturing as a cornerstone of its future industries, embedding it in the blueprint for its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). The goal is clear: upgrading traditional sectors and forging new drivers for a greener economy.

In January, during this year's first group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President Xi Jinping emphasized that cultivating future industries is of great significance for developing new quality productive forces, building a modernized industrial system, improving people's quality of life, promoting people's well-rounded development and fostering all-around social progress.

On Feb 9, when Xi visited Beijing E-Town, a cradle for emerging and future industries, he toured a national information technology innovation park, turning his attention once again to representative sci-tech innovations.

Zhang Linshan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that as a typical representative of new quality productive forces and future industries, biomanufacturing is at a critical stage of transitioning from the laboratory to industrialization.

"This holds strategic significance for China to seize the opportunities of the new technological revolution and build long-term competitive advantages," Zhang said.

He Yaqiong, head of the consumer products industry department at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the scale of China's biomanufacturing industry has reached 1.1 trillion yuan ($159.5 billion).

According to Chinese investment platform CEC Capital, China's market size is projected to grow to 1.8 trillion yuan by 2030, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the global market and positioning the country as one of the world's key biomanufacturing hubs.

Li Boyang, head of the consumer goods industry research institute at the China Center for Information Industry Development, said that biomanufacturing could become a crucial direction in the nation's efforts to build itself into a manufacturing powerhouse.

"It can cultivate numerous new sectors such as biomaterials, bioenergy, biopharmaceuticals, bioenvironmental protection, biochemicals and bio-agriculture, while also helping many traditional industries upgrade and transform," Li said.

Competitive edge

Globally, the race to dominate the biomanufacturing sector is intensifying. Recognizing its transformative potential, many developed countries have incorporated this advanced technology into their major national plans.

The United States released its National Bioeconomy Blueprint as early as 2012, focusing on genomics and synthetic biology. The European Union, emphasizing the green and circular attributes of the bioeconomy, has made it a core pillar of the European Green Deal.

China's approach, however, is distinctive in terms of scale and systematic integration. "The country's biomanufacturing industry is characterized by national strategic guidance, large-scale market application and whole industrial chain collaborative advancement," said Zhang, from the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

Unlike the Western focus on high-end, niche sectors, China's development path is closely aligned with major national needs, demonstrating greater systemic impact in areas such as green substitution for bulk chemicals and food security assurance, he added.

Zhao Yan, chairwoman of Chinese biomaterials company Bloomage Biotechnology, noted that biomanufacturing capability is a yardstick for measuring whether a nation has become a major manufacturing power.

"Its core value lies in connecting upstream foundational bioscience research, such as gene engineering, with downstream application in areas related to improving the quality of life. This spans everything — from life and health to daily consumption," she said.

China's advantage lies in its growing innovation capacity in the field. The nation contributes more than 20 percent to global academic publications and patent applications in biomanufacturing, according to the China Center for Information Industry Development.

The integration of artificial intelligence is adding further impetus to the sector. In August 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released 16 typical cases of AI application in biomanufacturing, injecting new momentum into the industry's development.

Xu Guanhua, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the shift from traditional methods to biomanufacturing is profound.

He cited the example of artemisinin, one of the world's most effective antimalarial drugs derived from a substance isolated by Chinese phytochemist Tu Youyou, which won her the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015.

The production of artemisinin that once required 50,000 mu (over 3,333 hectares) of farmland and 18 months of cultivation can now be achieved in weeks with a controlled 100 cubic meter industrial fermenter, Xu said.

Global implications

International experts see China's commitment to biomanufacturing as a strategic move with global implications.

Joseph Scheeren, a member of the French National Academy of Pharmacy, who has over 35 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry, said that China wants to be "self-sufficient from a pharmaceutical perspective", which drives its efforts to produce newer sophisticated biological products within the country.

He added that such capability could extend beyond China's domestic needs. "China has a lot of talent and access to a lot of industrial knowledge that can be leveraged to build up its manufacturing capability. Doing that now will mean being ready in a couple of years to produce for itself and for others." (source: China daily)