On the morning of July 8, the topping out ceremony for the main structure of the Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center (the Center) construction project was held at the project site next to the ShanghaiTech campus. The ceremony was hosted by Jiang Ge, vice president of ShanghaiTech. Attendees included the university leadership, vice provosts and chiefs, leaders from the Center, and heads of construction, survey, design, and supervision groups.

Jiang Ge

Zhu Chouwen, director of the Center, welcomed the leaders and guests, expressing gratitude for their presence and paying high respect to the construction workers. He provided a detailed overview of the progress and future plans for the Center’s construction and outlined the requirements for the next phase. He underscored the Center’s dedication to forging an inventive trajectory that bridges medical science and biotechnology, spanning from fundamental research through translational studies, clinical investigation, and onward to product development, with the goal of transforming Shanghai into a globally influential hub for science, technology, and health innovation.

Zhu Chouwen

Wu Qianyu, first-level inspector with the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, congratulated the team on the successful topping out of the Center’s main structure. She emphasized the Center’s pivotal role in advancing high-level clinical research and expediting the creation of top-tier healthcare solutions. She expressed her expectation that the Center would capitalize on ShanghaiTech’s strengths in basic research and technology transfer, serving effectively as a city-level research platform for major diseases. She also assured that the commission would continue to support the Center’s development.

Wu Qianyu

Feng Donglai, president of ShanghaiTech, highlighted in his speech that the Center represents the university’s forward-looking strategy in the biomedical field and is an important part of ShanghaiTech’s Center for Future Medicine. He assured that the university would provide solid support to the Center’s development, fully integrating internal and external resources, strengthening cooperation with hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, and achieving deep integration of basic and clinical research. This will promote advances in medical technology and the development of the biomedical industry in Shanghai.

Feng Donglai

At 9:19 a.m., Jiang Mianheng, chair of the University Governing Board and founding president of ShanghaiTech, announced the official topping out of the main structure.

Jiang Mianheng

In the final session of the ceremony, leaders and guests moved to a designated area to pour the last batch of concrete into the main structure of the building, marking the successful topping out.

Brief introduction to the Center

Jointly designed by East China Architectural Design & Research Institute and B+H Architects, the Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center is a research-oriented hospital approved by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, affiliated to the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, and managed by ShanghaiTech University. It spans an area of approximately 50,000 square meters with a total construction area exceeding 130,000 square meters. The construction began on September 30, 2022, with completion expected by the end of 2025 and trial operation set for 2026. Initially, the Center will have 500 beds, with 200 beds designated for clinical treatment and 300 beds for research, with plans to expand to 1,000 beds based on future development needs.

The Center will primarily focus on oncology and neurological diseases while also addressing major diseases such as vascular diseases, respiratory diseases, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, and sensory system diseases.