Five new testing centers approved in Shanghai
Products and services of 35 companies are honored with "Shanghai brand" certificates.
Five Shanghai testing centers covering industries such as biomedicine and artificial intelligence were approved on Thursday before World Accreditation Day falls on Friday, delivering a strong boost on the development of relevant industries.
The five centers cover the city's priority and key industries of integrated circuitry, biomedicine, AI and hydrogen power, among which some are the first of their kind in the nation, according to the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation.
Among them, one center focuses on the testing of new types of biotech products such as cellular products, nucleic acid drugs and recombinant pharmaceuticals. The center will ensure the standard testing process of cell therapy products and establish a full-cycle testing service platform for innovative biotech products, thus playing a significant role in fueling the high-quality development of the city's biomedicine industry, officials said.
"The approval of these centers will not only boost the optimization and upgrade of relevant industries, but also help tackle technical difficulties of small and medium-sized companies in the industry chain," said Ni Dawei, deputy director of the accreditation and testing department of the administration.
"These centers will also deliver a boost in lifting the core competitiveness of enterprises," he said.
The development of Shanghai's testing and accreditation industry is on a fast track, the city's market watchdog said.
The city had registered 1,305 testing agencies and 178 accreditation agencies by the end of last year, a growth of 6.4 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively, from a year earlier, according to the administration.
Over 33 million test reports were issued last year, a growth of 10.2 percent from 2021.
Business revenue of accreditation agencies surpassed 5.1 billion yuan (US$715 million) last year, ranking No.2 in the nation.
Meanwhile, 37 products and services of 35 companies were honored with "Shanghai Brand" certificates on Thursday, in a further push by the city to create a cluster of internationally competitive brands.
They involve new tracks such as the digital field, science and technology innovation and improving people's livelihoods, the administration said.
Since 2018, 141 companies in the city have been awarded with "Shanghai Brand" certificates.
