Innovation serves as the primary engine for high-quality industrial development. As the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan begins, Zhaoxian County has zeroed in on building a ten-billion-yuan biologics industry cluster, guiding biopharmaceutical companies to position technological innovation at the forefront of their growth strategies. The county continues to strengthen research infrastructure, deepen industry-university-research collaboration, and actively explore new cooperative R&D models, using technical breakthroughs to unlock new internal momentum across the sector. This second installment of our series takes us to Hebei Weierli Animal Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., where we examine how the company is leveraging scientific innovation to sharpen its competitive edge in the animal health biopharma space, along with its forward-looking plans.

Inside Hebei Weierli Animal Pharmaceutical Group, researchers in the institute's laboratory are methodically conducting experiments on Chinese herbal medicine formula screening and efficacy analysis. With lab equipment running at full capacity, the facility hums with vibrant energy, reflecting a surge of technological innovation. As a flagship animal health company in Zhaoxian County's biopharmaceutical field, Weierli has spent 25 years deeply engaged in the agricultural and livestock health sector, consistently championing innovation-driven, high-quality development. In 2026, the company is positioning its "strong R&D strategy" as a core business priority, using technology as the catalyst to reinforce its competitive strengths. Through sustained increases in research investment, the firm has accumulated substantial technical achievements, now holding 9 invention patents and over 80 utility model patents. Products such as Laiyiping and Yuxingcao Qinlan Oral Liquid, both national Class III new veterinary drugs, are recognized for their stable quality and notable efficacy, with market shares ranking among the top nationally. Additionally, a broad portfolio including antibiotic-free pure traditional Chinese medicine offerings, provincial innovative technology products like the Jinshenhao series, and functional dietary fiber lines has gained widespread acceptance among domestic livestock enterprises, solidifying its status as an industry benchmark.

Platforms are critical vehicles for technological advancement. Weierli's research institute, established in 2009, boasts a team where those with master's degrees or higher account for over 60% of its members. After years of sustained investment and construction, the company has built seven provincial and municipal-level scientific research platforms. At the provincial level, it has established the Hebei Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Industry Technology Research Institute, the Hebei Functional Feed Additives Technology Innovation Center, the Hebei International Cooperation Demonstration Base, and the Hebei Industrial Enterprise R&D Institution. At the municipal level, it has developed the Shijiazhuang Poultry Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Technology Research Institute, the Shijiazhuang Veterinary Functional Feed Additives Technology Innovation Center, and the Shijiazhuang Enterprise Technology Center, together forming a comprehensive two-tier research and innovation system covering both provincial and municipal levels.

Innovation is not carried out in isolation. The company has built an industry-university-research collaboration network spanning six major regions nationwide. It has forged partnerships with over twenty research institutes and universities, including various institutes under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Sichuan Agricultural University, facilitating joint talent development and collaborative technology problem-solving. It has also established "teaching-research-production trinity bases" with nearly ten universities, driving deep resource sharing between academia and industry. Building on this foundation, the company has pioneered an innovative research model by co-creating "enclave laboratories" with leading industry peers. This approach breaks down geographical barriers, charting a distinctive innovation path—"R&D conducted elsewhere, transformation in Zhaoxian, industrialization at Weierli"—which effectively accelerates the output pace and practical application of research findings.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Weierli has mapped out a clear blueprint for scientific innovation and development. The company plans to continuously upgrade its research platforms, aiming to establish two new provincial-level R&D institutions and two municipal-level ones, while also planning to co-build one national-level R&D institution. It will firmly anchor its position in the core segment of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, aligning with the industry's trend toward reducing and replacing antibiotics. The firm intends to diversify into areas such as laying hens, pets, aquaculture, and synthetic biology, having already initiated projects for three new veterinary drugs, two new feed additives, and six new pet medications. It further aims to deepen the integration of industry, academia, research, and application to create a range of unique high-precision, cutting-edge products. Additionally, the company will advance digital R&D management, enabling streamlined online oversight across the entire chain from research and development to production and sales, leveraging its smart factory and research institute to continuously deliver superior new products.

Weierli's practice of pursuing growth through technological innovation serves as a vivid microcosm of the collective innovative drive within Zhaoxian County's biopharmaceutical industry. At the dawn of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Zhaoxian County continues to guide biopharmaceutical enterprises in strengthening their research efforts, cultivating fertile ground for innovation, and steadily activating the sector's internal drivers—all in a determined march toward the ten-billion-yuan biopharmaceutical industry cluster goal.