The ninth World Biomaterials Congress opens today in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Lai Li / China Daily

Chengdu is among the fastest growing cities in China, but retains a leisurely ambience. Photos provided to China Daily

In a field built on advanced science and medicine, the World Biomaterials Congress was held in developed countries in its first eight sessions over the past 36 years.

But when the ninth congress opens today in Chengdu in southwestern China, the influential congress will be held in a developing country for the first time.

The choice was made for good reasons, although China's route to becoming the host nation was not easy.

Held every four years, the time and place for the largest and most important international conference in the field is selected by the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering eight years before it is finally underway.

The Chinese Society for Biomaterials, later known as the Chinese Committee for Biomaterials, applied in 1996 to host the seventh WBC in Beijing in 2004, but the bid failed. The 2004 congress was held in Sydney.

In 2000, the committee filed another application to the union to host the 2008 congress, but Amsterdam was selected as the host city.

In 2004, it applied again on the strength of rapidly developing biomaterials science in China. By then Chengdu had become an important center of education and R&D in biomaterials.

Many internationally influential breakthroughs had been made by the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials at Sichuan University and a number of renowned biomaterials experts including professors Zhang Xingdong and Gu Weizhong.

At the international society's conference in 2004, a delegation led by Chengdu's deputy-mayor Hao Kangli and leading Chinese scholars debated rivals and won the city the right to host this year's congress.

Hosting the event is seen as a symbol that China has become a nation with world-class competence in biomaterials research and engineering, while Chengdu has risen to rank among global centers of biomaterials study and exchanges.

Local officials said the congress will also "promote the city's modernization and internationalization" as it is the largest and most influential international event that the city has hosted in recent years.

Western growth

The capital city of Sichuan province, Chengdu is a regional hub for transportation, technology, trade and finance.

It is also the most attractive conference destination in the region. The Fortune Global Forum will be held in the city next year, becoming the fourth Chinese host city following Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.

Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune, said, "Chengdu is the perfect city for us because it represents so many trends."

He explained that Chengdu has great economic potential and capacity for innovation as well as a compelling culture and rich experience in holding international conventions.

Following moves to restructure the economy and find new resources to cope with the global economic crisis, the city's GDP hit 680 billion yuan ($107.2 billion) in 2011, among the top 10 cities in the nation.

It has also been named one of the best investment destinations on the Chinese mainland by the World Bank and one of the fastest-growing cities in the next 10 years by Forbes magazine.

Contact the writers at zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn and liyu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/01/2012 page15)