Johnson & Johnson Innovation announced a collaboration with the Shanghai Municipal Government, Pudong New Area Government, and Shanghai Pharma Engine Company, Ltd. to launch a new Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS in Shanghai (JLABS @ Shanghai), China. The 4,400-square-meter facility will be located in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and will open in Q2 2019.

JLABS @ Shanghai will be the first JLABS location established outside of North America and will accommodate up to 50 life science and healthcare startups, both single entrepreneurs and larger companies, focused on innovations across the entire healthcare spectrum, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and consumer. JLABS @ Shanghai will provide resident innovators with a capital efficient and flexible platform including an extensive network that will enable them to accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients in China and around the world.

“We are excited about the launch of JLABS @ Shanghai, which will be an integral investment in the city’s life science ecosystem. It will support entrepreneurship as it relates to science and technology and strengthen our position as a global innovation hub,” said Mr. Liu Qin, Deputy Inspector General, Science and Technology Commission, Shanghai Municipal Government.

“We are proud to collaborate with Johnson & Johnson Innovation for the opening of the first JLABS outside of North America,” said Mr. Zhou Zhengyu, Deputy Director General, Science & Technology and Economic Development Division, Pudong New Area Government. “Through JLABS, we can drive innovation across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and consumer healthcare and have a positive impact on the development of Pu Dong as an industrial leader and of Shanghai as an innovation hub for science and technology.”

The launch of JLABS @ Shanghai demonstrates Johnson & Johnson’s continued commitment to enabling the best science and technology with the ambition of solving the greatest unmet medical and healthcare needs of our time. JLABS @ Shanghai builds on the successful no-strings attached JLABS model and will be the ninth JLABS location to open globally.

“We are thrilled to be part of the flourishing life sciences community in Shanghai and to contribute to China’s vision to help drive the Asia Pacific region toward becoming a world leader in healthcare innovation,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson.

“We look forward to collaborating with the many enterprising innovators in the region who are working to turn science into tangible, commercial products of benefit to people, as part of our unique vision to empower entrepreneurs in an open innovation model,” said Melinda Richter, Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS.

“China, and Shanghai specifically, have become a global hotspot for healthcare innovation,” said Vladimir Makatsaria, Johnson & Johnson China Group Chairman. “JLABS @ Shanghai will join our Asia Pacific Innovation Center, Janssen China Discovery Labs, Emerging Markets Innovation Center, and other initiatives across our Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies’ China organization in creating a Shanghai-based hub that strengthens our ability to meet the rapidly evolving healthcare needs of people in China and around the world.”

JLABS @ Shanghai will provide startups with many of the advantages of being part of an established innovation hub, such as access to talent and mentors, large existing firms and research universities, capital and convergence opportunities with other sectors. When complete, the 4,400-square-meter facility will include cutting-edge, modular and scalable lab space, equipment, with access to scientific, industry and capital funding experts. The space will also feature a JLABS device and digital prototype lab that will provide entrepreneurs with access to highly specialized tools as well as skill-building programs to design and develop smart health technologies.

The agreement to operate a JLABS was signed by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Division of Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., and Shanghai Pharma Engine Company, Ltd.

Applications to join JLABS @ Shanghai and other JLABS sites are currently being accepted from biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and digital health companies.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC focuses on accelerating all stages of innovation worldwide and forming collaborations between entrepreneurs and Johnson & Johnson’s global healthcare businesses.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS (JLABS) is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators to create and accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world.