The commencement ceremony of HOKAPI new site was grandly held in the site building in the afternoon on April 12^th 2024. 

Mr. Alain Mérieux, Chairman of Mérieux Foundation, and Mr. Mao Wei, Party Secretary of CPC SND Working Committee (at that time), jointly attended the commencement ceremony and gave speeches. Also present at the ceremony were Mr. Zhou Xiaochun, Member of CPC SND Working Committee, Member of Standing Committee of CPC Huqiu District Committee, Party Secretary of CPC Xushuguan Working Committee, as well as leaders from relevant departments of SND, and more than 50 representatives from bioMérieux and HOKAPI, including Ms. Lucy Zhang, Global Clinical Operations Senior Vice President (at that time), Ms. Elaine Huang, Vice President and ASPAC General Counsel, Board Director of HOKAPI, Mr. Arnaud Favry, Senior Director of Public and Governmental Affairs, Mr. Vincent Chan, Vice President and General Manager of Greater China, and Mr. Foster Zhang, Senior Director of Site Operations of China, as well as HOKAPI management team and employee representatives. The commencement ceremony was hosted by Ms. Zhang Yunhong, Board director and General Manager of HOKAPI.

Mr. Mao Wei extended warm congratulations on the commencement of HOKAPI new site in his speech and expressed gratitude to Mr. Alain Mérieux for his long-term interest in the development of SND. He said that HOKAPI is a representative of independent innovation enterprises. The commencement of the new site aims to build a nationally leading IVD enterprise. The continued investment of bioMérieux in SND, with the commencement of the manufacturing and R&D innovation center, fully demonstrates its trust and confidence in the development of SND and its development vision of "in China, for China".

Mr. Alain Mérieux expressed his deep honor and gratitude in his speech for the warm welcome he received from the governments of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou City, and SND. He was delighted to return to Suzhou six years after completing the acquisition in 2018 and personally visiting HOKAPI to decide on this location of new site, witnessing its commencement together with HOKAPI team led by General Manager Ms. Zhang Yunhong. The successful commencement of new site is inseparable from the efforts of the entire HOKAPI team. He firmly believes that the R&D and innovation incubation center established by HOKAPI new site will lay a solid foundation for the future development of bioMérieux. He pointed out that China has achieved tremendous accomplishments over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, including economic construction, technological development, and cultural environment. China has become a very important part of the world, and he firmly believes that bioMérieux, together with its Chinese partners, will achieve long-term strategic cooperation in the field of human health, which is also the long-term development vision of the Mérieux Foundation and bioMérieux group. Mr. Alain Mérieux looks forward to the new generation of "bio-people" embracing a more innovative and open mindset, working together to meet new challenges facing the world's future development.

Mr. Alain Mérieux, Mr. Mao Wei, Mr. Zhou Xiaochun, Ms. Lucy Zhang, Ms. Elaine Huang and Ms. Zhang Yunhong jointly cut the ribbon to celebrate the commencement of new site, marking a new chapter in HOKAPI development. After the ceremony, all the guests took a group photo to record this moment.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mr. Alain Mérieux held a roundtable discussion with the HOKAPI management team. Mr. Mérieux pointed out that China is one of the countries he is most concerned about, and bioMérieux has a long-term development vision in China. While strengthening R&D as well as innovation, we must also have the ability to respond quickly to many changes in the world. We must always maintain an innovative mindset and belief, ensuring that our best products in the field serve human society on the front line of innovation. Mr. Mérieux also shared his personal experience of helping developing countries establish a complete healthcare system, providing them with healthcare security and bringing well-being to the local people.

General Manager Ms. Zhang Yunhong, on behalf of HOKAPI management team, expressed gratitude for Mr. Alain Mérieux's trust and encouragement. Mr. Alain Mérieux's positive and optimistic attitude, his passion for the healthcare cause, his commitment to combating viruses and diseases, and his vision and sentiment for building a community with a shared future for mankind have greatly inspired us.

After the roundtable discussion, Mr. Alain Mérieux, leaders of SND, and leaders of bioMérieux Asia-Pacific jointly visited HOKAP exhibition room. General Manager Ms. Zhang Yunhong provided a detailed introduction of HOKAPI development progress and achievements since being acquired by bioMérieux. Mr. Mérieux then took a keen interest in visiting the integrated office area and reagent manufacturing area of new site, expressing his appreciation for the excellent working environment and professional manufacturing facilities provided for the employees. He looks forward to the early relocation and commissioning of the new site.

HOKAPI new site, with a construction area of approximately 72,000 square meters, will be established as a manufacturing center for chemiluminescence immunoassay products and an innovation incubation and R&D center. This is a significant step for HOKAPI to accelerate its expansion into cutting-edge IVD technology fields and a vivid manifestation of bioMérieux's continued investment in SND. It aims to build China's most competitive IVD leading enterprise and establish bioMérieux's R&D innovation incubation center accelerator in China and even Asia-Pacific region, realizing its long-term vision of "in China, for China, and developing together with China". When the new site is officially put into operation and reaches its maximum design capacity in the future, it is expected to manufact 1,000 sets of fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analysis systems annually, with an annual output value exceeding RMB 1 billion.