Infectious Disease Council Supports COVID-19 Diagnostic Companies

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] The 'Infectious Disease Medical Device Research Council,' established to support diagnostic kit developers and related companies, has officially begun its activities.

On the 26th, Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, visited the COVID-19 diagnostic reagent manufacturer 'Seegene' to encourage company officials and on-site researchers. At this meeting, specific corporate support measures through the newly formed 'Infectious Disease Medical Device Research Council' were discussed.

The council is composed of seven institutions, including the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and the BioNano Health Guard Research Center. The council supports related companies' technical challenges through industry-academia-research-hospital collaborative research with excellent companies, technical and clinical consulting for corporate R&D performance creation, and provision of equipment and facilities.

The government plans to support diagnostic companies by enabling the use of biosafety level 3 (BSL3) facilities established at KRIBB and KRICT for experiments involving high-risk viruses. Additionally, an industry-academia-research-hospital R&D team will be formed based on corporate demand.

Minister Choi Ki-young stated, “As the domestic and international spread of COVID-19 continues, public concerns are growing. The successive successes of domestic companies in developing diagnostic reagents are a great strength in the national infectious disease crisis response. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to contribute to securing our companies' technological competitiveness and the national infectious disease crisis response through the council.”