[New Wave] Strategies for Creating Jobs in the Biohealth Industry Linked to National Security

Experiencing the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are undergoing a shift in awareness regarding how significantly the biohealth industry impacts economic activities and is directly linked to national security. In particular, the United States' Operation Warp Speed (OWS) for vaccine development had a profound impact on the world beyond just national security. In March last year, the U.S. Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, investing $10 billion (approximately 12 trillion KRW). Through partnerships between government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the private sector, the goal was to advance the development, manufacturing, and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic technologies to accelerate COVID-19 control.

Until now, vaccine development typically took more than 10 years. OWS broke away from the traditional development methods by significantly shortening the approval period and enabling early vaccine supply through mass production during clinical trials. As a result, COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna received FDA emergency use authorization and are now supplied worldwide, laying the groundwork for overcoming COVID-19. This outcome not only addressed U.S. national security but also created many jobs domestically.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) played a major role in the U.S. OWS. From a national security perspective, the U.S. supports vaccine and therapeutic development to protect its citizens from emerging infectious diseases and biological weapons through DARPA. Since 2011, DARPA has supported the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and therapeutics by companies like Moderna and CureVac. This greatly contributed to the rapid development of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines. Additionally, revolutionary technologies that changed the world in Silicon Valley?such as the internet, microwave ovens, drones, and autonomous vehicles?also originated from DARPA.

DARPA’s research is characterized by selecting projects that are expected to yield “important and groundbreaking benefits” to prepare for potential threats or gain strategic advantages, while accepting a high risk of failure, with a strong focus on field-oriented approaches. Recently, DARPA has expanded its scope beyond vaccines and antibody drugs to include active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Although not considered cutting-edge science and technology, this research is linked to national security by aiming to reduce dependence on China for APIs and to localize or diversify supply chains.

Notably, President Biden elevated the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to a cabinet-level position in January and appointed Professor Eric Lander of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who led the Human Genome Project. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy traditionally advises the president on nuclear weapons and related atomic issues and has mostly been physicists. The appointment of geneticist Professor Lander signals an intention to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic while emphasizing biohealth and life sciences as next-generation growth engines.

On the 7th, South Korea also launched the Korean version of DARPA, the “Defense Science and Technology Committee,” benchmarking DARPA. It includes related ministries such as the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, along with private experts from government-funded research institutes. DARPA plays a significant role in the biohealth sector not only for national security but also for creating jobs that contribute to national wealth through vaccines, therapeutics, and APIs. South Korea also needs interest and support by involving related government departments such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the biohealth industry.

Jung Yuntaek, Director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy Research Institute