The world is currently undergoing a monumental transformation, unparalleled in the past century, driven by the acceleration of a new wave of technological revolution and industrial change. Innovative forces steering sustainable development are triggering profound shifts in the socio-economic landscape. This transformation, which involves the reshaping of the world at the genetic level, the understanding, creation, and utilization of life to serve material production and wealth generation, represents the exhilarating forefront of technology. It was in this context that Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIBCAS), jointly established by  Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tianjin Municipal People’s Goverment, came into existence on November 29, 2012.

Over the past decade, TIBCAS has been dedicated to innovating core technologies and pioneering disruptive technologies related to bioindustry in response to the critical demands of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development with the concept of “Creating cell factories to develop biological economy”. Significantly, breakthroughs have been achieved in enabling technologies such as rational protein design, pathway design, gene synthesis, DNA editing, high-throughput screening, and analytical testing. Major breakthroughs have been made in various areas, including independent innovation in industrial fermentation strains, green bioproduction of chemicals, microbial recombinant synthesis of natural products, biomass conversion and renewable chemistry, the biomanufacturing of future food, and carbon dioxide biotransformation and utilization. These advancements have played a pivotal role in supporting the development of the green bioeconomy.

TIBCAS has established several national-level innovation platforms, including the National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, the Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, and the National Research Center of Industrial Enzymes. It is accelerating the construction of state of the art research facility, integrated with automation and AI, for biological design and creation. It has become a key national source of original innovation for synthetic biology and green biomanufacturing and a vital strategic technological force in China's industrial biotechnology sector.

Notably, numerous top domestic and international academicians have joined TIBCAS, while a cadre of leading talents and young scholars has gathered, resulting in the emergence of a global hub for synthetic biology innovation talent.

TIBCAS signs an agreement with enterprises every ten days. These innovations are making their way into various industries, garnering recognition and attention from domestic and international communities, as well as renowned think tanks. The national intellectual property operation center for synthetic biology will provide continuous empowerment for the leapfrog development of the biomanufacturing industry. In support of building the national professional incubator, BIOINN and the China (Tianjin) Biomanufacturing Valley, TIBCAS has nurtured over a hundred biotechnology start-up companies, becoming a vital incubation base for the transformation of biotechnology achievements.

Adhering to the development philosophy of "openness, cooperation, and internationalization," TIBCAS actively constructs a collaborative innovation network, establishes the Bio-Manufacturing Industry (Talent) Alliance, jointly builds research centers with prominent organizations in Belgium, Germany. With fully leveraging international organization platforms such as ANSO and COMSATS, TIBCAS deeply implements the “Belt and Road Initiative”, such as hosting the 22nd Meeting of COMSATS Coordinating Council, building a South-South cooperation platform named COMSATS Joint Center for Industrial Biotechnology (CCIB). Targeted on the sustainable development needs of the B&R partner countries in the fields of industry, agriculture, health, and the environment, TIBCAS relying on the CCIB platform, conducts joint R&D and technical demonstrations with many organizations from the B&R partner countries such as ICCBS of Pakistan, KazNU of Kazakhstan, NRC of Egypt, IROST of Iran. Moreover, four sessions of the "International Training Course on Industrial Synthetic Biotechnology" are organized, during which over 180 young researchers from more than 20 developing countries are trained. By allocating special funding, more than ten talented young researchers from nearly ten B&R partner countries get chance to conduct short-term research with two years at TIBCAS. Based on these, the CCIB is selected as good practice in South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development.

Looking to the future, TIBCAS will continue to employ biotechnology to drive Industrialization of Agriculture, Greenization of Industry, and Globalization of Production, making new and greater contributions to the high-quality development of biomanufacturing and the bioeconomy.