Shenzhen legislates to boost synthetic biology

Shenzhen has taken a major step to accelerate the growth of its synthetic biology industry with the passage of the Regulations on Promoting the Innovative Development of the Synthetic Biology Industry in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.

The Yesun Guangming Synthetic Biology Industrial Park. File photo

Approved Friday at the 40th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, the new law will take effect on October 1, 2025.

As a key initiative to implement China’s strategy of developing new quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system, the regulations are designed to break through industry bottlenecks and inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of synthetic biology—an emerging field often described as a disruptive “future-making” technology.

In recent years, Shenzhen has identified synthetic biology as a priority future industry, establishing a full-chain innovation ecosystem spanning basic research, technological breakthroughs, industrialization, financing, and talent support. Nearly 40% of new synthetic biology enterprises founded nationwide in the past three years have chosen Shenzhen, with Guangming Science City emerging as a core cluster that now hosts over 130 companies with a combined valuation of nearly 40 billion yuan.

Despite this rapid progress, the sector still faces challenges such as lengthy product approval cycles, low efficiency in technology transfer, and limited market adoption.

The Regulations, composed of 32 articles, adopt a “small, fast, and flexible” legislative approach that directly targets industry pain points. Key highlights include:

· Clear strategic direction: The municipal government is required to integrate synthetic biology into its economic and social development plans, with a focus on consumer goods, biomedicine and health, new materials, green and low-carbon solutions, and agriculture.

· Innovation and commercialization: Shenzhen will promote the integration of artificial intelligence with synthetic biology, strengthen infrastructure and innovation hubs, and support breakthroughs in core technologies.

· Full-chain services: The city will encourage professional service providers, improve IP protection, and strengthen standards development.

· Accelerated product entry and application: A major innovation of the law is exploring a new joint review model between central and local authorities, enabling qualified institutions to conduct evaluations in areas such as “novel foods” and new cosmetic ingredients—aimed at significantly shortening time-to-market. A government “first purchase” catalog for synthetic biology innovations will also be compiled to stimulate demand.

· Resource and talent guarantees: Measures include securing industrial land, expanding financial support with a focus on early-stage and deep-tech projects, optimizing talent policies, and providing customs facilitation for biomedical materials.

The legislation was proposed following research into the development of Guangming Science City and responds directly to urgent industry needs. Its implementation marks a crucial step for Shenzhen in improving its industrial ecosystem and striving for global leadership in synthetic biology.

Expert Views

Zhang Xian’en, Dean of the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, described the move as “highly forward-looking.” He noted that Shenzhen has already formed a “Shenzhen model” featuring a collaborative innovation ecosystem from original research to industrialization. “This legislation consolidates successful practices such as the establishment of specialized parks, while addressing bottlenecks in market access and application promotion. It provides full-chain legal support for the healthy, sustainable growth of the industry,” Zhang said.