A rendering of Cataya's pharmaceutical excipient production base in Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Jan 30 for Cataya's pharmaceutical excipient project with an annual capacity of 2,200 metric tons at the Qidong Life and Health Science and Technology Park.

Cataya is a synthetic biology firm focused on creating pure, safe, and eco-friendly bio-based products. Backed by a world-class research team and extensive development experience, the company is steadily building end-to-end capabilities across technology development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

The Cataya pharmaceutical excipient project in Qidong represents a planned investment of 1.05 billion yuan ($151.3 million) and will be implemented in three phases. Phase I, with an investment of 50 million yuan, involves leasing a 3,660-square-meter facility to build a pilot-scale production line for synthetic biology products. The installation of equipment is almost finished, with trial production set to start in April.

The project launched at the ceremony is Phase II, with an investment of 500 million yuan. Once completed and fully operational, it is expected to produce 2,200 tons of pharmaceutical excipients annually and generate more than 225 million yuan in annual sales revenue. Phase III, which concentrates on further capacity expansion, is scheduled with an extra investment of 500 million yuan.

In his remarks, Zhao Lishan, chairman of Cataya, said Qidong stands out for its strategic location, robust industrial ecosystem, and practical government support for businesses.