Entrepreneur expects to thrive with Guangming

Video and photos by Lin Jianping

Lured by Shenzhen's unique entrepreneurial culture, Shang Yuanfang, founder of Shenzhen Cellbri Bio-Innovation Technology Co. Ltd., came to Shenzhen after obtaining his doctoral degree from Tsinghua University.

被深圳独具魅力的创业文化所吸引，深圳赛桥生物创新技术有限公司创始人商院芳在获得清华大学博士学位后就来到深圳。

"Shenzhen is actually a place I yearn for, because it was my first stop after I obtained my doctoral degree. I came to work for a private enterprise. I had been to Shenzhen once when I was still a student. What impressed me most is that the city is full of young people. It's a city that ignites your passion for entrepreneurship, where almost nowhere else compares with it. In Shenzhen, people will feel that starting a company is very courageous, doing something right. This culture is very important," Shang said.

“深圳其实是我非常向往的地方，因为我博士毕业后第一站就来了深圳。当时我们班上只有我一个人在深圳的一家民企工作。我在学生时代也来过一次，当时对深圳有非常深刻的印象，这个地方的年轻人非常多。这座城市对这种创业的激情和包容性，几乎是没有其它哪个地方能够媲美的。在深圳，大家觉得这个人很有勇气，做了一件很对的事情，我觉得这种文化很重要。”商院芳说道。

Shang Yuanfang, founder of Shenzhen Cellbri Bio-Innovation Technology Co. Ltd., works in his office in Guangming District.

Together with several other partners from the Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Shang founded Shenzhen Cellbri Bio-Innovation Technology Co. Ltd. in March 2020 in Longhua District, which was later moved to Guangming District.

2020年3月，商院芳与清华大学精密仪器系的其他几位伙伴一起在龙华区创办了深圳赛桥生物创新技术有限公司，随后公司迁至光明区。

The company provides smart manufacturing solution for cell and gene therapy (CGT). It focuses on technological innovation and localization of key upstream manufacturing technologies and complete sets of core equipment for the CGT industry.

该公司是一家细胞和基因治疗智能制造解决方案提供商，专注于细胞与基因治疗行业上游关键制造技术及成套核心装备的源头技术创新和国产化工作。

"Our partners belonged to the same lab of the Department of Precision Instrument in Tsinghua, which was the first lab in China focusing on microfluidic biochips. We worked on projects together at that time," Shang recalled. In 2020, they saw a turning point in this industry, from scientific research to industrialization, and decided to establish the company.

“我们几个创始的小伙伴原来在清华大学精密机器系，我们是一个实验室的，这是中国最早做微流控生物芯片的实验室，我们在学生时代就一起在做项目。”商院芳回忆说。2020年，他们看到从研究到产业化实现了一个拐点，于是决定原班人马成立赛桥公司。

In the second half of 2021, Shang decided to move the company to Guangming District due to the district’s focus on the construction of its science city. "Guangming centers on science. The development of science and strategic emerging industries is one of its main focuses, which makes it different from other places. The synthetic biology industry, which highly matches our business, is also here. As we provide manufacturing equipment and system for synthetic biology, there are many potential clients," Shang said.

由于光明区重点发展科学城，2021年下半年，商院芳决定将公司迁至光明区。“光明以科学立城，科学和新兴战略性产业是光明区的一个发展重点，这一点其实跟很多地方是不同的。这里有合成生物，又刚好是跟我们高度匹配，我们本身是给合成生物提供一个平台性的制造装备、制造体系，不管你的终端是哪方面的应用，都可能会成我们的客户。”商院芳介绍说。

Shang Yuanfang receives an exclusive interview with Shenzhen Daily.

Apart from the industry advantages, Guangming also provides a series of policies to support the development of emerging startup companies.

除了行业优势，光明区还制定很多相关政策来扶持新兴创业公司的发展。

"The district has issued policies which cater to its development goals. It aims at cultivating companies on its own, and we benefit from such policies. The district is highly efficient. We were the first company to settle in the synthetic biology industry park. I remembered we met the official of the Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau of Guangming District on a Thursday in late July and we signed an agreement to settle in the district the following Saturday," he recalled.

“光明区整个的政策定位与它的目标是紧紧相扣的，它的目标是培养自己的企业，所以我们也享受到很多相关优惠政策。光明区非常高效，我们是第一家入驻合成生物产业园的企业，我记得当时我们是7月底的一个周四跟光明区科创局谈好这个事情，周六我们就签入驻协议了。”商院芳回忆说。

From Aug. 1 last year, they started the design of their carrier and their workplace. At the end of October, they moved the first batch of their personnel while at the end of November they moved completely to Guangming.

去年8月1号他们就开始正式做公司整个载体和场地的设计。10月底公司的首批人员就搬迁到光明，11月底完成整个公司的搬迁。

"Guangming District implements things rapidly. Before we moved here, they already arranged talents’ apartments for us. The officials of the whole science, technology and innovation bureau are every nice. They are even more thoughtful than us, taking everything into consideration," Shang said.

“光明区办事效率非常高。甚至在我们搬过来之前就给我们协调好了人才房，整个科创部门服务态度非常好，想的比你还周全。” 商院芳说道。

Though the company has just moved to Guangming for nearly half a year, it has grown rapidly. "During the past half year, we have already served a total of 40 big clients. So far, it's safe to say that we are the No. 1 in this industry nationwide. Guangming District focuses on doing practical things. Our enterprise also focuses on our development. An official of the bureau provides counterpart support to us, which liberates us from many daily chores and enables us to focus on our core work," Shang noted.

虽然公司搬到光明只有接近半年的时间，却已取得快速发展。“在过去半年里，我们已经服务了40家头部客户。就目前来说，我们在这个行业应该是跑到了国内的第一名了。光明区干实事，我们企业来这也是干实事，所以我埋头发展。其实很多方面的工作区里都会帮忙，科创局有位领导是给我们对口帮扶，企业什么困难他对口帮扶。所以很多事务性的工作，我们基本上不用花什么精力，我们只需要把业务做好，把市场做好。” 商院芳说。

Shang Yuanfang poses for a photo outside his office.

Over the past half year, the company has built a 5,000-square-meter production base and high-end R&D laboratories. "We started producing equipment and supplies for our clients. So far, we have delivered over 40 sets of equipment. Our revenue is expected to reach 50 billion yuan (US$7.63 billion) this year. Our rapid development cannot be realized without the support from Guangming District."

不到半年的时间，赛桥生物已经在光明建立了5000平米的生产基地和高端研发实验室。“我们开始在这边生产我们的设备和耗材，已经交付了40多套设备，预计我们今年就会有5000万元的营收，所以这也是一个非常快的发展，那么也是区里帮我们解决了很多后顾之忧。”

Shang believes that with three to five more years of development, the company will become an influential innovative enterprise worldwide. "We hope we can thrive together with Guangming Science City."

商院芳相信，再过三五年时间，公司有望发展成为一家在全球范围内有很强影响力的创新型企业。“我们希望企业借助光明科学城的腾飞，走上一个更高的高度。”