April 18, 2008

Syngenta to construct new biotech center in China

Swiss company Syngenta is investing US$65 million to build a new biotech centre in China to research on genetically-modified and native traits of soy and corn.

The investment, which was estimated to cover the first five years of the research, signals the start of rapidly developing biotech capabilities in China.

Syngenta head of R&D, Dave Lawrence, said the research base in Beijing will accelerate innovation and offer powerful opportunities for the company to work more closely with Chinese research institutes.

The new centre will be located at the Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Beijing, and will have global scope whilst, at the same time, supporting existing research capabilities in the US.

The focus will be on developing traits in the areas of yield improvement, drought resistance, disease control, and the conversion of biomass for biofuels.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2010. However, Syngenta will not wait to start the work until then.

From this summer, temporary facilities will swing into operation adjacent to the site, employing some 100 staff.

The staffing level will double when the new building is complete, Syngenta said.

Syngenta has operated in China for the last decade, offering both seed and crop protection products.

Last year, Syngenta began a five-year collaboration with Beijing's Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology to develop novel traits for crops like corn, soy, wheat, sugar beet and sugar cane.