The booth of Sanofi, a regular participant in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), during the 7th CIIE in Shanghai, east China, 8 November 2024. (Photo: Liu Ying)
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi officially opened its first innovation and operations center in China, located in Chengdu, southwest Sichuan province. This initiative marks a major step in the company’s expansion in the country.
“The decision to locate this center in Chengdu demonstrates the company’s desire to remain at the forefront of global innovation,” said Madeleine Roach, executive vice president and head of commercial operations at Sanofi.
According to her, Chengdu’s important role in the biopharmaceutical sector, as well as its rich talent pool and dynamic innovation ecosystem, make it an ideal location to expand Sanofi’s capabilities and strengthen its presence in China. She is convinced that this orientation will generate value, both for patients and for partners.
The center oversees operations ranging from R&D and clinical trials to supply chain services, and plans to reach more than 600 professional positions by the end of 2026. This new center is already connected to the company’s operational hubs in countries such as India, Hungary, Malaysia, Colombia and Spain, forming an integrated and efficient global network, the company learned.
Based in Paris, Sanofi entered the Chinese market in 1982 with the opening of a local office. Since then, the company has continued to strengthen its innovation and R&D efforts in China. It now operates several production and R&D sites across the country, including four R&D centers in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Suzhou. In 2025, it launched the construction of a new active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing base for insulin in Beijing, with a total investment of 1 billion euros (about 1.16 billion U.S. dollars).
