Advertisement
The Chinese chemists turning science into fortunes
Chinese chemistry professor Fan Daidi has synthesised collagen into a commercial success
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
3
Dannie Pengin Beijing
Fan Daidi, a 59-year-old chemistry professor turned billionaire entrepreneur, epitomises China’s booming chemical sciences sector.
As dean of Northwest University’s chemical engineering school in Xian, Fan has amassed a fortune by commercialising innovations in collagen synthesis, catapulting her skincare enterprise Giant Biogene to a 75 billion yuan (US$10.4 billion) valuation.
Fan’s ascent – from pioneering lab discoveries to leading a biomedical empire – highlights how state-backed scientific industrialisation is minting a new generation of academic tycoons.
Yet her story also underscores a widening divide: Chinese universities now dominate the top 20 global rankings, according to Nature Index data. Meanwhile, their Western counterparts struggle to retain talent and funding.
According to a report by Shenzhen-based New Fortune magazine on May 9, Fan and her husband Yan Jianya’s combined holdings are estimated to be valued at more than 40 billion yuan.
The couple own two major companies – Giant Biogene and XiAn Triangle Defence – which operate in the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries, respectively.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x