Congenica welcomes Chinese trade delegation to Cambridge Headquarters.

A delegation of eminent government and business representatives from one of China’s most vibrant and innovative cities has visited Congenica, at their Cambridge HQ, to discuss potential future collaborations as the exciting start-up expands into China.

The delegation was led by Qingdao’s Mayor, Meng Fanli, who was accompanied by representatives of the Qingdao Municipal Government, Qingdao Bureau of Commerce, the President of Qingdao’s Sino-German Eco Park, Qingdao Foreign Affairs Office and members of the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), the latter of whom are both a partner of Congenica and have recently opened offices in the city.

The meeting, held at Congenica international headquarters at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, focused on an overview of Congenica’s gold standard clinical genomic analysis platform, Sapientia, from the company’s President Dr. Tom Weaver. Mayor Meng then went on to speak about Qingdao's vibrant and expanding science parks, increasing foreign capital and direct investment alongside major Chinese businesses, prestigious universities and direct global transport links.

“We have made a promise to the people to increase their standards of living and we have done that, but we have more to do. People’s demands have also increased so we will promise to provide genetic testing for all newborns in Qingdao. With BGI and their partner, Congenica we expect to complete this project.” Said Mayor Meng.

Qingdao has a history of trade and innovation both internationally and domestically. With its nearby international ports and airports, proximity to North and South Korea and also major domestic hubs such as Tianjin, Beijing and Shanghai, mean that it is consistently one of the highest GDP cities in the country. Chinese internet giant Baidu has recently signed a deal with the municipal government to turn it into China’s first smart city.

The other cities receiving attention from the central government and also vying to be the location of Congenica’s Chinese headquarters are Nanchang, Jiangxi, Ningbo, Zhejiang, and Suzhou, Jiangsu.

“The UK is widely respected around the world for our research and innovation,” said Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science from 2010 to 2014. “By supporting the development of innovation capacity in other countries we can make it easier for UK businesses and universities to build links with counterparts overseas. The UK Science Park Association is a good example of this. Their work with the Chinese Association of University-based Science Parks has been highly valued by the Chinese Government.”

Mayor Meng and his delegation went on to London where he spoke the following day at the Qingdao Forum on UK - China Trade and Investment. “It is very impressive to see the use of innovation in supporting long term economic growth for England. Our mission is to support the economic development of China for its people, especially healthcare, through new technologies and ideas.”