The biomedical industry in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province was recently added to the list of national strategic emerging industrial clusters, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The national strategic emerging industrial clusters include new-generation information technology, biological medicine, energy conservation and environmental protection.

According to NDRC, local government should establish teams of experts, regional innovation platforms and financial service institutions to boost the development of  industrial clusters and turn them into an important driver of local economic growth.

In 2014, Xiamen was designated as the pilot city for the biomedical industry in China and obtained 150 million yuan ($21.41 million) in financial support from the central government.

Since 2015, the average annual growth rate of the biomedical and health industries in the city has exceeded 25 percent. In 2018, the combined output value of the two industries stood at 57.47 billion yuan and is expected to reach 66 billion yuan this year.

In the first 10 months of this year, three biomedical and health projects with an investment of more than 100 million yuan were completed and construction began on 39 projects worth 9.5 billion yuan.

Xiamen is now home to 102 biomedical and health companies with an annual output value of more than 100 million yuan, as well as 15 types of biological medicine with annual sales revenue above 100 million yuan.

Xiamen is home to 102 biomedical and health companies with an annual output value of more than 100 million yuan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]