AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading global biopharmaceutical companies, signs a strategic cooperation agreement with Jiangnan University on March 20. [Photo/jiangnan.edu.cn]

AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading global biopharmaceutical companies, recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Wuxi-based Jiangnan University.

The signing ceremony was attended by AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot and Huang Qin, acting mayor of Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, on March 20.

The two parties will build a new platform based on industry-university research cooperation and develop the health industry with the help of Internet of Things technology.

The platform will make use of its valuable resources and play an active role in establishing an application innovation system for interdisciplinary achievements in medicine, pharmacy and IoT, cultivating interdisciplinary talents, facilitating the incubation, implementation and improvement of the patient-oriented medical IoT strategy and innovative health solutions, as well as promoting Wuxi's medical IoT practices nationwide and even in other countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the agreement, AstraZeneca will contribute 5 million yuan ($789,527) to cooperative projects involving research, innovation, and personnel training, such as the construction of a key laboratory, the introduction of global experts, and internship programs.

Huang Qin said AstraZeneca has developed rapidly in Wuxi in recent years, adding that the opening of the company's business innovation center in the city has sped up the implementation of China's national health strategy.

The government will continue to support the company by improving port infrastructure and helping promote the R&D and marketing of new drugs, Huang added, hoping that AstraZeneca will increase investment in Wuxi, which he believes would be mutually beneficial.

A joint medical IoT personnel training base is unveiled at the signing ceremony on March 20. [Photo/jiangnan.edu.cn]   

Soriot said he was pleased to learn that the factory in Wuxi boasts world-class equipment and services, and also made special mention of the outstanding employees.

He said the company is quite willing to further invest in Wuxi and is very optimistic about cooperating with the university, which is a well-known higher education institution, specifically in bioengineering and IoT.

The CEO hoped that the cooperation between the two parties would also be fruitful in fields like digitalization and IoT.

A joint medical IoT personnel training base was also unveiled at the signing ceremony.