Cambridge, AstraZeneca and Beijing Authorities Form Partnership to Accelerate Healthcare Innovation

The University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, and Beijing municipal partners have signed a new agreement to deepen collaboration between Cambridge and Beijing’s life sciences ecosystems, aiming to accelerate healthcare innovation and global patient impact. The partnership builds on a decade-long relationship between the university and AstraZeneca, as well as the company’s 30-year presence in China.

Expanding Cross-Border Innovation and Talent Exchange
The collaboration will promote bilateral knowledge exchange through education, training, talent mobility, and joint forums, engaging hospitals, universities, research institutes, start-ups, and scale-ups across both regions. Cambridge Enterprise will deliver programs on research commercialization and spinout creation, while the Cambridge University Medical Education Group will provide medical leadership training for clinicians linked to Beijing’s BioPark.

Linking Two Global Life Sciences Hubs
Cambridge hosts Europe’s largest life sciences cluster, while Beijing is rapidly emerging as a global biopharma and medtech center backed by strong government investment. With AstraZeneca’s R&D centres located at both the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Beijing International Pharmaceutical Innovation Park, the partnership strengthens strategic ties between two leading innovation hubs and supports the development of new medicines and technologies for global health.