An aerial view of the Feixiang Pharmaceutical Industrial Park. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]

The Feixiang Pharmaceutical Industrial Park in Fenghuang town, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province was recently recognized by the Suzhou government as a municipal-level pharmaceutical green manufacturing park.

The term "pharmaceutical green manufacturing park" refers to a park involved in the development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) or other substances whose preparation involves chemical reactions. The park is also required to meet the same safety and environmental standards as chemical parks.

The Feixiang Pharmaceutical Industrial Park was once a chemical industrial cluster that encountered operational difficulties in the second half of 2020. Due to a guideline issued by the Suzhou government in March 2021 to support the construction of pharmaceutical parks, the park had to pivot and become a green manufacturing zone.

Fengguang town and the Zhangjiagang bureau of industry and information technology have taken a series of measures, such as seeking advice from Suzhou government officials and industry experts, to help with the park's transformation.

In April 2021, the Zhangjiagang government approved the construction of the pharmaceutical industrial park on the site of the former chemical park. The first phase of the park will span 130 hectares.

To date, facilities like an intelligent management platform, an environmental monitoring system, a firefighting station, a power plant, and a sewage treatment plant have been added to the park.

Fenghuang town had also introduced new policies in July 2022 to support biopharmaceutical and medical equipment companies that run businesses in the park. Ji Xiaoyang, deputy Party secretary of the town, said they are now planning to attract projects from South Korea and industrial parks in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Suzhou.