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China has introduced its first comprehensive national policy for the marine biopharmaceutical industry, aiming to foster the development of multiple innovative marine drugs and reach an industry value exceeding CNY130 billion (approximately USD19.2 billion) by 2030. The policy, announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources along with eight other government agencies, outlines 15 specific initiatives across five key sectors: enhancing resource supply, advancing scientific and technological innovation, refining industry direction, broadening market applications, and strengthening policy support.
The plan emphasizes improving the conservation system for marine drug sources, bolstering raw material supplies for marine biomanufacturing, and upgrading shared access to essential resources. These measures address longstanding issues such as unstable raw material availability and limited resource-sharing capabilities.
Additional goals include establishing a fully integrated supply chain that connects resource development, technology, industry, and application sectors, fostering deeper integration of scientific research with industrial innovation, and promoting better cooperation among research, regulatory, and approval authorities.
Regional differences in resources, technology, and market potential will be carefully considered to support cities like Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, and Xiamen in developing specialized industrial clusters tailored to local strengths, according to Shen Jun, director of the Marine Strategy Planning and Economy Department.
Data indicates that China’s marine medicine and biological products industry contributed approximately CNY99.6 billion (around USD14.7 billion) in value added last year, representing a 6.1% increase over 2024 and nearly 40% growth since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan in 2021.
China accounts for roughly 28% of global marine drug categories approved, with the country producing over 80% of raw materials such as chitosan and sodium alginate worldwide. Its marine drug innovation is progressing from merely following international trends to competing alongside global leaders, with several independently developed drugs now progressing through clinical trials.
Despite industry expansion, structural challenges remain. For instance, less than 30% of marine science and technology breakthroughs in China are converted into practical applications, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.
Professor Zhang Donghua of Ocean University of China and executive director of the Qingdao Marine Biomedical Research Institute highlights three ongoing issues: ineffective mechanisms for sharing marine pharmaceutical resources, unresolved technological hurdles in large-scale production, and escalating regional competition characterized by redundant and low-quality development.
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