In 2024, Guangming District forged ahead amid the tide of the times, demonstrating robust momentum for vigorous development. As the pilot zone for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Comprehensive National Science Center, Guangming District has been guided by science and has achieved remarkable results in the construction of the Science City, industrial development, public welfare initiatives, and grassroots governance, continuously enhancing the district’s overall strength and urban quality.
As a model of the integration of "science" and "city," Guangming Science City serves not only as a vital showcase of the nation’s scientific research capabilities but also as a key platform for aggregating regional innovation resources. Since its inception, Guangming Science City has been entrusted with the critical mission of building national strategic scientific and technological capabilities.In 2020, it was officially approved as the pilot zone for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Comprehensive National Science Center and designated as one of the core functional zones of the Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center, highlighting its unique position in the field of science and technology innovation.
In 2024, Guangming Science City achieved further significant progress in major scientific and technological infrastructure. The first batch of major facilities at the China Spallation Neutron Source, including the high-resolution, high-throughput neutron powder diffraction spectrometer and the high-voltage neutron spectrometer, began operations; construction of the Special Environment Materials and Devices Science and Application Research Facility and the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory was also announced.The construction of these facilities not only drives industrial development in sectors such as aerospace, marine engineering, and nuclear energy and power but also enhances Shenzhen’s biosafety capabilities. Additionally, the establishment of the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences, which operates in integration with the Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, provides robust support for research in the life sciences; meanwhile, the approval for the construction of the National Bio-manufacturing Industry Innovation Center has injected new momentum into Guangming Science City’s innovative development in the field of bio-manufacturing.
　　Through a series of major scientific facilities—such as the Synthetic Biology Research Facility and the Brain Analysis and Simulation Facility—as well as the addition of innovation platforms like the Guangming Laboratory and the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangming Science City is gradually forming a complete ecosystem spanning from basic research to applied translation.Moreover, Guangming Science City possesses scientific data sources such as computing power facilities and materials genomics platforms, as well as cross-disciplinary IT-BT integration platforms like quantitative synthetic biology. It focuses on the deep integration of science and digital intelligence in future AI+ and +AI applications, actively exploring new paradigms for original innovation in basic research. These facilities not only accelerate the process of transforming research outcomes from the laboratory to the market but also promote interdisciplinary convergence, giving rise to new research paradigms and technological breakthroughs.
Particularly noteworthy is the official launch of the International Synthetic Cell Science Initiative in Guangming Science City in October 2024, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Leveraging major scientific and technological infrastructure for synthetic biology research within Guangming Science City and incorporating smart manufacturing concepts, the initiative has established an automated, high-throughput experimental platform, thereby enhancing experimental efficiency and driving innovation in the biotechnology sector.
Guangming Science City has established a comprehensive innovation ecosystem encompassing a proof-of-concept center, testing and inspection platforms, pilot production bases, and technology incubators.For example, the Shenzhen Engineering Biotechnology Industry Innovation Center offers one-stop services to help startups grow rapidly. The “upstairs-downstairs” integrated model effectively shortens the cycle for transforming scientific research outcomes into actual products, thereby promoting the development of emerging technologies and industries. Furthermore, Guangming Science City will fully leverage the synergistic role of major platforms to form a six-in-one model comprising “universities and research institutes + facilities and equipment + parks + industry + finance + talent,” driving the iterative interaction among original innovation, technological breakthroughs, and industrial development.