In the dermatology department of a third-class hospital in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Xiaoting, a senior girl, had just finished seeing a doctor and was ready to take medicine. "Now it is popular to brush acid (a medical aesthetic product), many students buy 'acid' on the Internet to brush themselves, but my skin texture may not be suitable, brush acid failed, before the face of acne." Xiaoting said, "After coming to the hospital, the doctor prescribed ointment and this dressing." ”
The dressing prescribed by the hospital is called "Chuang Fu Kang" collagen patch dressing, which is produced by Chuanger Biology, a state-level specialized special new key small giant enterprise located in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. Troner is the pioneer of continental collagen patch dressing products, with the country's first sterile class III collagen patch dressing. After nearly 20 years of development, Chuanger has become a leading enterprise in the field of active collagen biomedical materials in China, and has a number of international leading technologies, and is committed to becoming the leader of the global collagen industry chain.
Tronic Bio's production line.
Encounters:
Desperate, 20 years ago, the Canton Fair
Compared with the mask whose function is to maintain the skin, the dressing is of a medical nature and can be used for the treatment of acne, dermatitis, eczema, skin allergies and other diseases, and the production environment is strictly controlled in accordance with the requirements of pharmaceutical equipment, and the production threshold is higher. It is understood that collagen is a biological polymer that comes from functional proteins in mammals, such as fish bones, pig bones, pig skin, beef tendons, etc. The collagen of Chuanger Bio is extracted from the beef tendon, and it is taken from the small part of the cross tendon on the beef tendon, which contains the most abundant collagen.
Speaking of why he first set foot in this field, Tong Gang, the founder and chairman of Chuanger Biotech, has an interesting story.
Tong, a graduate of South China University of Technology, worked on capital investment in Shanghai from 1999 to 2002, "The most popular concept at the time was the emerging concept of 'biotechnology', so I paid special attention to it and wanted to look for opportunities in this field. Tong Gang said. At that time, one of his best buddies working in the hospital was developing a cell culture substrate for collagen, which belonged to the biotechnology sector. After many investigations, Tong Gang resolutely resigned and returned to Guangzhou, and in 2002, he established Chuanger Company to join the vigorous entrepreneurial army.
"At that time, the institute's cultured cells wanted to buy collagen, and they could only import collagen from abroad, which cost more than 2,000 yuan for 1 gram, and even more than 7,000 yuan for high concentrations, which was very expensive." Tong Gang said, "So, the first thing I did after I started my business was to organize a technical team to extract collagen myself." "After arduous exploration, the technology is available, but what products can be made has become a new problem for Tong Gang." Initially, the company's main business was to sell the extracted collagen to scientific research institutions for experimental purposes. But the turnover is too small to sustain the business. Tong Gang said.
Anxious, Tong Gang looked for business opportunities everywhere. At the 2003 Canton Fair, he walked around for three days and walked through all the booths, but found nothing. After seeing the last booth, Tong Gang sat helplessly under the tree in the Canton Fair compound, disheartened. However, the mountains and rivers are doubtful and there is no way, and the willows are dark and the flowers are bright and another village. At this time, the two eldest sisters came out from the Canton Fair with large bags and small bags, and also came to the tree to cool off. Tong Just heard the two people say "this time to make a big bargain", he was curious to ask what is the deal, the two replied to buy an international brand of freeze-dried collagen mask, 50 yuan a piece to buy, in the country can sell to 200 yuan. Tong Gang's eyes lit up suddenly: "Collagen? That's my technique! He then returned to the company to conduct research.
However, the R & D personnel found that the lyophilization equipment required for similar products was as high as several million yuan, while Tong Gang's venture fund was only 25,000 yuan. Finally, after adaptation, Chuanger developed China's first collagen dressing product in the form of non-woven fabric plus collagen stock solution.
Tong Gang
Focus on R&D:
Bittersweet, Guangzhou Biotechnology "Four Little Dragons"
"I always say that the two eldest sisters I met under the big tree were sent by heaven to guide me." Until now, Tong Gang still remembers the past of 20 years ago, "When my career first started, it was really difficult, and I first rented an office in the ship building next to Taikoo Cang, which was only 24 square meters. He gets 1,000 yuan a month, and the start-up team gives 600 yuan each. Because I had no money, I moved the company dormitory to Fangcun, and the team that first followed me was laughed at by me as the six elders of Fangcun, only one of the six people graduated from college, one junior college, three secondary schools, and one was just primary school culture. In the early days of entrepreneurship, everyone saved money and occasionally bought some of the cheapest pork head meat, even if it was an improvement in diet. ”
After clarifying the direction, the company embarked on the fast track. In 2008, Tong Gang bid farewell to the Ship Building, moved to Huangpu District Science City, and landed in Youbao Science Park. With the Chuangfukang collagen dressing selling better and better, the influence is getting bigger and bigger, there have been various brands of collagen dressings on the market, and the State Food and Drug Administration has specially named "Guangzhou Chuanger Bio is the pioneer of collagen patch dressings" when approving other brands of collagen dressings.
At that time, Guangzhou, as the main city of the national biological industry base, vigorously supported the biological industry, and the industry achieved rapid development. Chuanger, together with Beixiu, Guanhao and Yangpu, is known as the "Four Little Dragons" enterprise of Guangzhou Biotechnology, and has received a financial support of 2 million yuan from the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau.
This 2 million yuan, Tong Gang did not hesitate to immediately invest in technology research and development. "I used to think that our R&D was a failure, and as a small business, it was difficult to retain talent." Tong Gang said, "It may feel incredible to say it, my R&D team has almost 'completely destroyed' after six or seven times - the entire R&D department has resigned and left, I have to recruit people again, do it again, do it and then there is no need for me to recruit people again..."
"However, when we sorted out the scientific research results we have done over the years a few years ago, we found that we have really done a lot of scientific research and exploration, especially in the basic research of collagen and its application, not even what an enterprise should do, but what scientific research institutions and research institutes should do." Tong Gang's words turned sharply, "Such as enzyme cutting technology, sterilization technology, etc., Chuanger's 6 core technologies are in a leading position in the same industry in China, including some production equipment is also made by themselves, and the scientific and technological precipitation is very deep." All of these achievements have been created by generations of Chuanger developers over the years through continuous failures and countless research institutes. So I think that as long as you work hard, you will always leave a trace. ”
Researchers at Chuanger Bio do experimental research in the laboratory.
Craftsman spirit:
Breaking through the blockade, the spiritual inheritance of the Chinese workers in the alma mater
Since 2009, Chuanger has been recognized as a national high-tech enterprise by the Science and Technology Bureau for more than ten consecutive years, and has been enjoying tax reduction and reduction policies. Since 2018, Chuanger has been continuously identified as a "gazelle" enterprise in Huangpu District and Guangzhou Development Zone, and has received financial support from the District Science and Technology Bureau.
In 2020, Chuanger was identified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a national "specialized, special and new" small giant enterprise, and received 1 million yuan of financial support from the Huangpu District Industrial and Information Technology Bureau; in 2021, it was identified as a national key small giant enterprise by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and has received the first batch of financial support of 2 million yuan in the first year.
In Tong Gang's view, the company can be rated as a key small giant enterprise, and continuous innovation in scientific and technological research and development is undoubtedly the most important magic weapon. In the past two years, Chuanger has continued to invest a lot of manpower and material resources in the formation of the R&D team, introducing chief scientists returning from the United States, and recruiting a number of doctors to inject fresh blood into the R&D team.
"In the collagen industry, the technology of Chuanger in basic research has reached the international advanced level, and now the biggest gap between the world and the world is reflected in the molding process of collagen to make the final product." We are now forming a huge R & D team, is to overcome these gaps, not satisfied with the domestic leader, to the world's leading level of impact, to the development of artificial cornea, artificial blood vessels and other more sophisticated collagen products. Speaking of this, Tong Gang fell into deep thought.
"When I participated in the Greater Bay Area Alumni Association of South China University of Technology a few years ago, a speech by alumnus Huang Hongsheng (founder of Skyworth Group) deeply shocked me." Tong Gang said, "He mentioned that he hopes that all Chinese workers will carry forward the spirit of 'second-rate children' of Chinese workers, carry forward the spirit of craftsmanship in fine carving, and become the main force in breaking the technical restrictions of foreign 'card necks' in the land of South China. ”
The so-called "second-rate" spirit of Chinese workers is a joke that has been circulating on the Internet for a long time, "My understanding is that we do not pay attention to form, only pay attention to content, and identify one thing and insist that Qingshan will not relax." Tong Gang said, "My life motto is, Tianxingjian, a gentleman with self-improvement, a gentleman with a strong moral load." When I was a child, all I wanted to do was build a new house for my family, and when I grew up, I wanted to do something for my hometown, and when I reached middle age, I wanted to do something for the country and society. ”
Unlike most other companies, Chuanger's corporate culture puts the word "filial piety" in the most important position. "To do a good business, we must first learn to be a person." Tong Gang said, "The pace of Chuanger's development is not very fast, but every step is very stable and steady. Chuanger enterprises and Chuanger people must be small giants, and their personal behavior will bring more light to society. ”
Researchers at Chuanger Bio do experimental research in the laboratory.
Coordinator: Zhang Hong, Yu Jing, Tang Xinxin
Text/Guangzhou Daily, Xinhuacheng reporter Huang Qing
Photo: Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng reporter Su Junjie
Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor: Zhang Yu