The global landscape of pharmaceutical innovation is undergoing profound transformation. China has evolved from a “fast follower” into an indispensable source of global R&D pipelines. Europe, leveraging its profound clinical research heritage, mature regulatory frameworks, and sophisticated capital allocation, continues to play a critical role throughout the value chain from target discovery to clinical translation. As these two innovation powerhouses converge at a historic inflection point, a regular, high-caliber, action-oriented dialogue platform has become an industry imperative.

From July 22 to 24, 2026, the inaugural China Pharmaceutical Innovation Conference (CPIC 2026) will take place at the Golden Hall & Hall 4.2 of the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai). Hosted by TONACEA, China’s premier innovation ecosystem platform for the pharma industry, and guided by Shanghai Biopharmaceutical Technology Industry Promotion Center and other key institutions, CPIC is benchmarked against the internationally renowned J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, aiming to establish a new paradigm of “China Innovation – Global Partnerships – Shanghai Dealmaking” and to serve as a definitive barometer for global health industry investment and cross-border collaboration. More than 20,000 global health industry leaders are expected to gather in Shanghai, engaging in deep dialogues across over 50 parallel forums, and converting insights into tangible transactions through an intensive one-on-one business matching system.

As one of the key CPIC 2026 parallel forums, the China-Europe Health Industry Forum carries a distinct strategic mission: it serves not only as a premier window for Europe’s top research scientists, industry leaders, and investors to understand China’s innovation ecosystem, but also as a vital channel for Chinese innovators to grasp European market dynamics and integrate into global value chains.

Biotech (EBT) and former President of Pfizer China, for his meticulous curation of this session and his efforts in inviting distinguished experts. July and August may be the traditional European holiday season, yet the vibrant appeal of China's innovative pharmaceutical industry remains an irresistible draw for global industry leaders.
CPIC 2026 adopts both Chinese and English as its official conference languages. The China-Europe Health Industry Forum will be conducted entirely in English, with AI-powered real-time translation available throughout the session to ensure seamless communication for all attendees.

01、Frontiers of Clinical Research and Science: Top European Oncologists Convene

Two globally renowned clinical scientists have confirmed their participation, injecting strong momentum into China-Europe collaboration in precision medicine：
 

📍Dr. Benedikt Westphalen (European leader in precision oncology): Director of the Center for Personalized Medicine at LMU University Hospital Munich, Head of the Precision Oncology Program at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich. He holds an exceptional international reputation in outcomes research and translational science.
 

📍Dr. Salah-Eddin Al-Batran (globally recognized hematologist and oncologist): CEO of the Frankfurt Institute of Clinical Cancer Research (IKF), Chief Physician at North West Hospital Frankfurt, Board of Directors Member of the University Cancer Center Frankfurt, Germany. His clinical research achievements in esophageal and gastric cancers are internationally acclaimed.

02、Technology Enablement and Industrial Ecosystem: From Platforms, Talents to Global Strategy

Several key architects of the industry ecosystem have confirmed their participation, and will discuss end-to-end collaboration, from preclinical tools to commercial implementation：

📍Dr. Andreas Föller：Founder and CEO of Cardea, a European leadership advisory firm focused on the life science and pharmaceutical industries, with deep expertise in executive consulting and talent advisory. He will address a critical yet often underestimated success factor: how to equip rapidly globalizing Chinese life science enterprises with superior international leadership solutions.

📍Dr. Sheuli Porkess and Dr. David Montgomery：Co-founders of PM Life Sciences, a premier life sciences strategic advisory firm based in the UK. Both are Fellows of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FPM) of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK. Dr. Porkess serves as President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the FPM and concurrently as Executive Director of Research, Medical and Innovation at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), while Dr. Montgomery is CEO of PM Life Sciences. They will provide in-depth analysis of UK biotech policy evolution, talent development pathways, and practical strategies for cross-border R&D implementation between the UK and China.

📍Dr. Alexandre Fraichard：Founder and CEO of genOway, a European leader in genetically modified animal models.
📍Mr. Shen Hong：Head of Roche China Innovation Center and Senior Vice President Global. He leads the implementation of multinational pharmaceutical enterprises' innovation strategies in China, and devotes himself to integrating industry, academia and research as well as promoting collaborative development of global pharmaceutical R&D.

📍Mr. Fenping Zhang：CEO of genOway’s Shanghai subsidiary, dedicated to deeply integrating cutting-edge European preclinical technologies with China’s local R&D needs. 

Together, they will share how European life science technologies can precisely enable China’s innovative drug discovery and reduce early-stage development risks.

03、Capital Logic and Mutual Empowerment: Investment, BD, and Cross-Border Collaboration

Several visionary investors and MNC leaders have confirmed their participation, offering capital and strategic perspectives to deepen the integration of China-Europe innovation resources：

📍Dr. Martin Heidecker：Chief Investment Officer of the AMR Action Fund, the world’s largest venture capital fund dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance. The fund leverages capital to accelerate the development of novel antibiotics and anti-infectives. He will engage directly with Chinese biotech companies on investment logic in global capital markets.

📍Dr. Andreas Penk：Former President of Pfizer China, currently Co-founder and CEO of EBT, a European biotech company. As a practitioner of deep China-EU biopharmaceutical collaboration, he has long been committed to fostering two-way communication in the healthcare sector.

📍Mr. Rogier Janssens：President of Merck China (Merck KGaA) and Head of Merck Life Science China. Having previously led Merck’s Biopharma business in China from 2017 to 2022, he returns to articulate the vision of a 350-year-old German science and technology giant for deepening engagement and mutual empowerment with China’s innovation ecosystem.

📍Dr. Kendra Rose：Senior Vice President, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division; Global Head of External Partnerships for Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT), Cardiovascular, and Immunology. Itinerary to be confirmed.

Additionally, attendance arrangements for senior leadership from Sanofi are also being confirmed. More multinational pharmaceutical giants are successively confirming their participation.

04、Forward-Looking Multidimensional Core Topics

Participants will systematically explore critical bottlenecks and future trends in global innovative drug development. Core topics include but are not limited to：

👉 Evolution of valuation logic and innovations of transaction model for Chinese innovative drug assets in global BD — moving from “pipeline deals” to “strategic alliances”;

👉 How European capital and industry view “China’s innovation efficiency” and the pathway for China’s R&D standards to align with global regulatory frameworks;

👉 Two-way cross-border talent flows — localization practices for Chinese companies expanding into Europe, and collaboration models for European experts to participate in China’s R&D and clinical development;

👉 Global investment and collaboration strategies in antimicrobial resistance, rare diseases, and beyond.

05、Innovation Resonance Across Borders: A Conversation That Requires Your Presence

We stand at a historic moment when old paradigms are loosening and a new order is emerging. The future of the global health industry will not be written by any single country or region. It requires China’s innovation speed, Europe’s research depth, MNCs’ global networks, and “patient capital” from around the world to collide, couple, align, and transact in the same physical space.

The CPIC 2026 China-Europe Health Industry Forum is designed precisely for this purpose — to enable cross-border innovation synergy. Whether you are a European biopharma executive seeking partners in China, a Chinese entrepreneur looking to understand European market logic, an investor focused on cross-border BD transactions, or a scientist dedicated to rare diseases and anti-infectives — you will find voices you need to hear and partners you need to meet here.

Join us in this dialogue in Shanghai in July 2026, and together, let us shape the next decade of the global health industry.