Genzyme of Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine (TJAB) in China agreed last month to form a partnership that will bring Genzyme's products to China. TJAB, co-founded by a public consortium of federal and municipal governments, opened officially in 2009. Its brand-new public biotech platform was built to accelerate the process of biological discovery through to clinical trials. Richard Gregory, Genzyme's head of research, cites TJAB's creative thinking and systematic approach as incentives for partnership. From the collaboration, Genzyme hopes to capture innovation from the ground up, while offering TJAB the industrial experience they currently lack. The partnership may also generate future employees for Genzyme and help consolidate the company's presence in China, says Gregory. Genzyme has invested $70 million in a major R&D facility in Beijing, the Zhongguancun Life Science Park, and sponsors academic groups across the country. Roger Xie, head of TJAB's US Operation, said that working with Genzyme “will be a giant step moving forward.” Genzyme may kick-start TJAB's pipeline by offering several products already in preclinical and clinical development, and Xie expects that many jointly developed therapies will be relevant for patients worldwide. Details of the partnership, including financial incentives, are still under discussion.