Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – Yang Yaodong, a member of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a researcher at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, stated in his speech at the second plenary session of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Hainan Provincial CPPCC on the 28th that the aerospace biological seed industry, as a crucial fusion point of Hainan's strategies of "strengthening through seed production" and "strengthening through space exploration," is poised for leapfrog development, leveraging the launch advantages of the Wenchang International Space Station, the research platform of the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, and the policy dividends of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Yang Yaodong believes that the development of Hainan's aerospace biological seed industry will not only cultivate new crop varieties that are adaptable to climate change and have high yields, but also provide solid support for the revitalization of the national seed industry and food security, injecting new momentum into the construction of the Free Trade Port.
Currently, Hainan's aerospace biological seed industry has a solid foundation for development. In terms of research platforms, the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has established 6 national-level and 33 provincial-level science and technology innovation platforms, introduced 21 research institutes and 17 university branches, and gathered high-end innovation carriers such as academician workstations, forming a deep integration pattern of industry, academia, and research.
The industrial chain has taken initial shape. The Wenchang International Aerospace City's operating revenue exceeded 20 billion yuan in 2024; the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has built 10,000 mu of high-standard farmland for southern breeding and an artificial intelligence computing center, with over 2,800 southern breeding-related enterprises already established.
"Hainan possesses unique and irreplaceable advantages in developing aerospace biological seed industry," Yang Yaodong pointed out. Geographically, the Wenchang Space Launch Site and the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site are located near 19 degrees north latitude, increasing launch capacity by 10%-15%, forming a highly efficient and low-cost launch capability. In terms of climate, the tropical climate allows crops to grow year-round, shortening the breeding cycle by one-third to one-half, providing an ideal environment for screening aerospace mutagenesis materials. Regarding policy dividends, the Free Trade Port has relaxed market access for the seed industry, simplified approval procedures, and strengthened the synergy between "aerospace + seed industry" through a "five-pronged approach," supporting international cooperation and cross-border flow of germplasm resources. In terms of industrial synergy, a closed loop of "Wenchang launch – Yazhou Bay scientific research and southern breeding experiment global germplasm transfer" has been formed, constructing a collaborative innovation layout between space and ground.
To accelerate the development of Hainan's aerospace biological seed industry, Yang Yaodong offered five suggestions: First, establish a special support fund to subsidize projects such as aerospace mutation breeding, space station experimental cooperation, and the introduction of overseas germplasm. Second, optimize approval services and establish a green channel for the aerospace biological seed industry. Third, strengthen tax incentives and clarify that aerospace biotechnology belongs to the encouraged industries of the Free Trade Port. Fourth, build a "seed industry data brain" and develop a large-scale seed industry model. Fifth, establish a fast-track approval channel, promote joint approval between the "Southern Breeding Silicon Valley" and Wenchang Space Technology, and shorten the approval cycle for new varieties to two years. (End)
