Pohang City Accelerates Bio Cluster Development with Visit to World Bio Hub San Diego, USA

Biocom California ... Exchange and Network Discussions

Visit to Nobel Prize Cradle Salk Institute UC San Diego

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Lee Dong-guk] Lee Kang-deok, mayor of Pohang, currently visiting the United States, visited San Diego, the world's largest bio cluster, to expand networks and is expected to accelerate the successful promotion of the bio cluster development and the Global Corporate Innovation Park that the city is pursuing.

On the 13th (local time in the U.S.), Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Chairman of the City Council Baek In-gyu, and the delegation visited UC San Diego and held a meeting with Paul Roben, Vice Chancellor of the affiliated 'Design and Innovation Building,' to discuss ways to foster local entrepreneurs.

Mayor Lee Gang-deok, Chairman Baek In-gyu of the City Council, and other delegation members are meeting with Paul Roben, Vice President of the Design and Innovation Building, to discuss measures for fostering local entrepreneurs.

UC San Diego is a research-oriented public comprehensive university affiliated with the University of California (UC), recognized globally for its biology and engineering departments. It has produced 27 Nobel laureates and played a key role in San Diego's growth as a bio cluster.

At the meeting, Vice Chancellor Paul Roben introduced UC San Diego's excellent programs and explained that they support students in related fields to freely start businesses. In response, Mayor Lee stated that he would actively utilize contributions from local universities and companies and entrepreneurship support programs to foster the bio cluster.

Following this, the Pohang delegation visited the Salk Institute, a leading bio research institution known for producing six Nobel laureates and specializing in fields such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and genetic diseases.

The delegation reviewed the overall status, including excellent programs, infrastructure, and networks implemented by the Salk Institute, and learned about the secrets to continuously producing world-class bio research results.

In the afternoon, the delegation met with Miguel Motta, head of the San Diego branch of BIOCOM California, to strengthen the global bio network and discuss Pohang's future vision.

The Pohang City delegation meeting with Miguel Mota, head of BioCom California's San Diego branch, promising continuous exchange.

BIOCOM California is the world's largest bio organization, gathering representatives of over 1,600 local bio companies. Over the years, it has played a significant role in forming the bio cluster in California by operating bio-related business fairs, investment briefings, and educational programs.

At the meeting, Mayor Lee provided a detailed introduction of the current status and vision of the Pohang bio cluster and discussed practical ways to form a global bio network through continuous exchanges between Pohang City and BIOCOM California.

Miguel Motta said, "San Diego is a city preferred by young people in the U.S., with environments similar to Pohang, such as beaches, local universities, and bio research institutes. Pohang can also grow into a city where young people gather and talented individuals challenge startups based on a similar environment and abundant infrastructure."

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, "We will apply San Diego's case, which has similar natural, industrial, and educational environments to Pohang, to Pohang and, in line with the government's Startup Korea initiative, build a virtuous cycle startup ecosystem to make Pohang a city like San Diego where citizens can freely pursue their dreams and enjoy both work and life."

Afterward, Mayor Lee and his party met with 10 Korean-American pharmaceutical professionals, including Ji Hyun-bae, president of the Korean American Society of Pharmaceutical Professionals (KASBP) San Diego branch, and introduced Pohang's attractions such as infrastructure construction using Pohang's resources, startup ecosystem creation, improvement of living conditions, and resulting talent cultivation and inflow, discussing Pohang's future vision.

Mayor Lee said, "The San Diego bio cluster is the result of a solid ecosystem built through continuous communication with private organizations like BIOCOM and expanding basic research at the Salk Institute, attracting investment, and nurturing talent. Pohang will also accelerate the establishment of a bio cluster through infrastructure construction necessary for the growth of bio companies and communication with related organizations."