Matthias Berninger, executive vice-president, head of Public Affairs, Sustainability and Safety at Bayer AG, highlighted China's tremendous progress in life sciences, stating the country has become "amongst the leading nations" in pharmaceutical innovation. "China-led innovation is becoming attractive for global pharmaceutical companies including Bayer," he said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

The executive particularly emphasized the vibrant start-up ecosystem in China, revealing that their year-old collaboration program has generated promising synergies between Chinese innovators and Bayer scientists. On agricultural cooperation, he expressed hope for more open policies to introduce world-class technologies to China, potentially boosting both yield and output in key crops like corn.

"We can quickly innovate together with local breeders and companies to bring the best seeds to China," he said, underscoring Bayer's commitment to long-term collaboration in China's innovation landscape.