Indonesian Stem-Cell Delegation Visits the National Engineering Center for the Cell Industry to Explore New Belt and Road Biomedical Cooperation

On 7 April 2026, Dr Lestari Poediastoeti Indah, a leading figure in stem-cell research in Indonesia, led a delegation on a visit to the National Engineering Research Center for Key Generic Technologies of the Cell Industry (the “National Engineering Center for the Cell Industry”). The two sides held in-depth discussions on the clinical application of stem-cell technology, automated cell-manufacturing technology, and international industrial cooperation.

Dr Ye Jianbin, head of the Center’s Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Platform, and research PI Umer Anayyat warmly received the delegation, giving a detailed introduction to the Center’s research progress in stem cells, immune cells and other fields, and to the industrialisation achievements of its “biotechnology + advanced intelligent manufacturing + quality inspection” three-in-one model in advancing the clinical translation of new biomedical technologies in China.

At the discussion, delegation head Dr Lestari Poediastoeti Indah praised the Center’s technical strength and industrial platform highly. She noted that Indonesia has a solid foundation in stem-cell clinical-application research, but that large-scale, standardised cell-manufacturing capability remains a gap. The cell intelligent-manufacturing line built by the National Engineering Center is exactly what Indonesia needs to develop regenerative medicine and advanced therapies. She expressed the hope that the two sides could carry out joint research in areas such as stem-cell therapy for spinal surgery and dermatology, and explore the possibility of establishing a regional cell-manufacturing centre in Indonesia.

As the construction unit of the Overseas Cooperation and Development Department for the Life Sciences Industry of the China Asian Economic Development Association, the National Engineering Center for the Cell Industry is committed not only to serving the high-quality development of the domestic cell industry, but also to building a closed loop for resource matching and a high-level channel for international exchange and cooperation — exporting the advanced manufacturing capability, quality-control systems and standardisation experience China has accumulated in cell therapy, while identifying and bringing in frontier technologies and industrial projects from overseas for localisation in China. Together these efforts raise the accessibility and industrialisation of innovative biomedical technologies and add new momentum to Belt and Road bio-economy cooperation.

Director Guo Xiaohang of the China Food and Drug Enterprise Quality and Safety Promotion Association accompanied the delegation, noting that this exchange marks an important beginning for high-level, pragmatic China–Indonesia cooperation in the field of cell therapy.