From 11 to 13 November the 14th China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition national finals for biopharmaceuticals were held in Haikou, Hainan. After local rounds, 228 projects competed nationally.
Westlake Pharmaceuticals took first place in its semi-final group and went on to finish third overall in the finals, winning a second prize — a result that underlines the company’s technical leadership and industrial potential in AI drug discovery.
The competition is organised by the Torch High Technology Industry Development Centre of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and is one of China’s largest and most influential events of its kind. It runs five industry tracks: next-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials, biopharmaceuticals, and new energy, new-energy vehicles and environmental protection.
Nearly 30,000 companies entered this year. After local rounds, 228 biopharmaceutical projects reached the national finals, where prizes were awarded to the top three in the start-up category and the top six in the growth category.
In the growth category Westlake Pharmaceuticals presented “Westlake AI drug discovery platform”. The team explained the design and technical advantages of WAND (Westlake AI for Novel Drug) and, using real pipeline work as an example, showed how AI improves the precision and efficiency of drug discovery.
Strong technology, a clear commercial path and a precise presentation earned high marks from the jury of industry experts and seasoned investors.
Earlier, in the local rounds, the company placed first in Zhejiang’s biopharmaceutical track.
Since 2012 the competition has attracted more than 350,000 companies and teams, catalysed over RMB 100 billion of financing and produced more than 200 listed companies. This year’s biopharmaceutical track focused on innovative medicines, medical devices and digital health, seeking disruptive original projects and better technology transfer.
The award affirms both technical strength and industrial capability. Westlake Pharmaceuticals will keep working on core technology, on the integration of AI and life sciences, and with partners to move innovative medicines from laboratory to clinic faster.